Lynda Obst

A former editor of THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE, Obst moved into film production in 1979, first with the Casablanca/Polygram company, where she was involved in the development of "Flashdance" (1983). After a three-year stint at The David Geffen Company, Obst teamed with producer Debra Hill to form Hill/Obst Productions, which was responsible for "Adventures in Babysitting" (1987), "Heartbreak Hotel" (1988) and "The Fisher King" (1991). In 1988, Obst went solo, establishing Lynda Obst Productions through which she produced Nora Ephron's directorial debut, "This Is My Life" (1992) and Ephron's box-office success "Sleepless in Seattle" (1994). She renewed her deal to produce for Fox 2000 Pictures in 1996. Obst also co-authored (with Carol Wolper) the Hollywood novel "Dirty Dreams" and has written numerous satirical essays for magazines including AMERICAN FILM and HARPER'S. In 1996, she published a memoir of sorts, "Hello, He Lied--and Other Truths About Hollywood." Lynda Obst died on October 22, 2024 at the age of 74.