It”s unclear who dubbed Gale Anne Hurd the “First Lady of Sci-Fi,” but it”s a title she owns with every fiber of her being. James Cameron's former confidante (and wife), Hurd started as an executive assistant to Roger Corman before producing such films as “The Terminator,” “Aliens,” “The Abyss,” “Tremors,” “The Relic,” “Armageddon,” Ang Lee's “Hulk,” “and “Aeon Flux.” Today, she”s more popular ever, the matriarch and hype woman of the highest rated cable television show, AMC”s “The Walking Dead.” For her undeniable contributions to the world of blockbuster cinema, the Producers Guild of America has announced that it will bestow Hurd with its highest honor.
The PGA announced today that Gale Anne Hurd will receive the 2015 David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Motion Pictures. Previous winners include Barbara Broccoli & Michael G. Wilson, the producers behind the James Bond franchise, Working Title Films”s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, Steven Spielberg and Scott Rudin. Hurd joins Mark Gordon, who will receive this year”s Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television.
”I am humbled to be mentioned in the same breath as the legendary producer David O. Selznick, and to receive an award in his name is truly an honor in and of itself,” said Hurd in a statement. “But even more important to me is the recognition it represents from my esteemed peers and colleagues at the Producers Guild of America.”
“For decades, Gale Anne Hurd has been a trailblazer in motion pictures,” said Producers Guild Awards Co-Chairs Todd Black (‘The Equalizer”) and Ryan Murphy (‘The Normal Heart,” ‘American Horror Story”) in the same statement. “Her early films, such as ‘Aliens” and ‘The Terminator” trilogy, created the template for a generation of action films. Her subsequent work has pushed well beyond the boundaries of any one genre, balancing comic-book exploits and sci-fi spectaculars with smart comedies, searing dramas, and winning family films. Throughout it all, she”s been a forceful spokeswoman for our profession and a dedicated mentor to countless young storytellers. We can”t imagine a more fitting producer to honor in the name of the great David O. Selznick.”
Hurd has never been nominated for an Oscar, but she has enough Saturn Awards that it almost doesn”t matter. She”s also has an Independent Spirit Nomination to her name; along with director Neal Jimenez, she picked up the “Best First Feature” award for 1992″s “The Waterdance” starring Eric Stoltz and Helen Hunt.
The David O. Selznick Achievement Award will be presented to Hurd at the 26th Annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015.