Gale Anne Hurd was born in Los Angeles in 1955. She is one of the industry’s most respected film and television producers. After working in various capacities for the master of horror Roger Corman, previously a guest at Locarno in 2016, Hurd founded her own company, which is currently known as Valhalla Entertainment. In 1984, she produced and co-wrote her first feature film, The Terminator (James Cameron), followed in quick succession by Aliens (James Cameron, 1986). Hurd also produced blockbusters such as Armaggedon (Michael Bay, 1998) and The Incredible Hulk (Louis Leterrier, 2008), cult movies like Punisher: War Zone (Lexi Alexander, 2008), dramas like The Waterdance (Neal Jimenez and Michael Steinberg, 1992), winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s Audience and Screenplay Awards, and three documentaries, including the acclaimed Native American feature Mankiller (Valerie Red-Horse, 2017).
She is an Executive Producer of The Walking Dead and its companion series, Fear the Walking Dead, as well as of the third chapter in the series, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, which was just renewed for a second season. She also serves as a Consulting Producer on AMC’s top-rated talk show, Talking Dead. A Walking Dead feature film was also announced and will premiere theatrically via Universal Pictures, with Hurd serving as a Producer. Hurd’s recent Executive Producer credits include the anthology series Lore, which is currently streaming on Amazon, two seasons of Falling Water for the USA Network and Hunters for Syfy.
A long-time former Board Member and Officer of the Producers Guild of America, Hurd received the organization's coveted David O. Selznick Award for Achievement in Feature Film. She has served as a Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and on the Boards of the American Film Institute, the Waterkeeper Alliance, and the Ocean Conservancy, among many others. Gale was inducted into the prestigious International Women's Forum Hall of Fame, and her Star can be found on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
