Quick Facts
Biography
Debra Hayward is a British film producer. As Head of Film at Working Title Films, Hayward frequently served as an executive producer for the company's feature films, working alongside fellow Working Title executive Liza Chasin. After producing Les Misérables, she started her own production company; Monumental Pictures.
Life and career
Hayward joined Working Title Films in 1989, working as a producer’s assistant on films that include Fools of Fortune and Dakota Road. She later became a development executive for the company, and produced several films such as London Kills Me and Map of the Human Heart. Hayward served as Head of Film for Working Title and was creatively responsible for the company’s entire slate of feature films in conjunction with her American counterpart, Liza Chasin. Both Hayward and Chasin have served as executive producers on films that include Bridget Jones's Diary, Atonement and The Boat That Rocked. More recently Hayward has worked on critically acclaimed hits Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Senna. September 2011 saw the launch of her new production company Monumental Pictures.
Hayward's first solo film as producer was Les Misérables, which went on to win multiple awards, raising her profile.
In 2014 she started her own production house, Monumental Pictures, with fellow producer Alison Owen.
On 14 October 2018, it was announced that late singer Amy Winehouse's family had respectively signed a multi-million pound deal with Hayward’s film company, Monumental Pictures to make a biopic about her life, which will be directed by Alison Owen and produced by Hayward. It is said that Winehouse’s story will be adapted for the big screen by Geoff Deane, who has written comedy movies Kinky Boots (2005) and It’s a Boy Girl Thing (2006). Winehouse's father, Mitch has said “We have been approached many times. It’s obviously something that we are going to do, 100 per cent. What we want is somebody to portray Amy in the way that she was... the funny, brilliant, charming and horrible person that she was. There’s no point really me making the film because I’m her dad. But to get the right people to do it, that’s very important, and we will". The project is scheduled to start filming next year.
She is married to screenwriter Will Osborne and has four children.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Fools of Fortune | Assistant to Sarah Radclyffe |
| 1994 | Four Weddings and a Funeral | Head of development: Working Title |
| 1995 | French Kiss | |
| 1996 | Loch Ness | Associate producer |
| 1997 | The Matchmaker | Co-producer |
| The Borrowers | ||
| 1998 | What Rats Won't Do | Head of development: Working Title |
| Elizabeth | Co-producer | |
| 2001 | Bridget Jones's Diary | |
| Captain Corelli's Mandolin | ||
| 2002 | 40 Days and 40 Nights | |
| About a Boy | ||
| The Guru | Executive producer | |
| 2003 | Ned Kelly | Co-producer |
| Johnny English | ||
| Love Actually | ||
| 2004 | Thunderbirds | Executive producer |
| Wimbledon | ||
| Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason | ||
| 2005 | The Interpreter | Co-producer |
| Pride & Prejudice | Executive producer | |
| Nanny McPhee | ||
| 2006 | United 93 | |
| Catch a Fire | ||
| 2007 | Elizabeth: The Golden Age | |
| Mr. Bean's Holiday | Co-producer | |
| Atonement | Executive producer | |
| 2008 | Frost/Nixon | |
| 2009 | State of Play | |
| The Boat That Rocked | ||
| 2010 | Green Zone | |
| Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang | ||
| Senna | ||
| 2011 | Paul | |
| Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy | ||
| Johnny English Reborn | ||
| 2012 | Les Misérables | Producer |
| 2013 | I Give It a Year | Executive producer |
| 2016 | Bridget Jones's Baby | Producer |
| 2019 | How to Build a Girl | |
| Cats | ||
| TBA | Untitled Amy Winehouse Biopic |