David Valdes (born August 12, 1950, in Los Angeles) is an American film producer known for working in the western genre and collaborating with Clint Eastwood. His first production experience was as a guest on a film called Diary of a Mad Housewife, which was shot in his hometown in 1969.
Career
Valdes first started out his career as an assistant director for films like Oh, God! Book II, The Outsiders and Tightrope, (which he also had a minor role in).
He became good friends with Eastwood after Tightrope and soon Valdes was promoted to associate producer/assistant director on 1985's Pale Rider. He went on as producer and production manager on other Eastwood films like The Dead Pool, Bird, Pink Cadillac, White Hunter Black Heart and Unforgiven.
Valdes received his first Oscar nomination for The Green Mile along with the film's director-producer-screenwriter Frank Darabont.
Valdes has since been producing more western films, as well as some science fiction films such as The Time Machine, Babylon A.D., and I Am Number Four.
Filmography
1985: Pale Rider
1986: Ratboy
1987: Gardens of Stone
1987: Like Father Like Son
1988: Bird
1988: The Dead Pool
1989: Pink Cadillac
1990: White Hunter Black Heart
1990: The Rookie
1992: Unforgiven
1993: In the Line of Fire
1993: A Perfect World
1995: The Stars Fell on Henrietta
1997: Turbulence
1999: The Green Mile
2002: The Time Machine
2003: Open Range
2007: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
2008: Babylon A.D. 2010: The Book of Eli 2011: I Am Number Four 2012: The Magic of Belle Isle 2013: Beautiful Creatures 2014: Transcendence 2015: Point Break 2019: Alita: Battle Angel 2022: Avatar: The Way of Water 2023: Dune: Part Two