About us
Producers-Partners Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich and Russell Smith first worked together in 1994 when they decided to adapt and produce Don DeLillo's novel Libra as a theatre piece. Malkovich directed and adapted (in collaboration with DeLillo). Halfon and Smith produced at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company of Chicago, where the play opened to a sold-out run.
Halfon, Malkovich and Smith began working together again to finance The Dancer Upstairs and from there decided to combine projects and partner together. Mr. Mudd was formed in the spring of 1998. Since its inception the company has produced the feature films Ghost World, The Dancer Upstairs, Art School Confidential and The Libertine and has executive produced the documentary How to Draw a Bunny. Last fall Mr. Mudd produced the short documentary Some Assembly Required as part of the first amendment project for the Sundance Channel and Court TV.
Material driven, Mr. Mudd has a history of adapting works (books, plays, comics), however this is more of an affliction than a mandate. For the Mudd team, the glue that binds are like sensibilities and a penchant for reading, attracted to material that crosses genres and in the end, defies classification. The result, hopefully, are smart films that resonate with audiences.
Though Mr. Mudd is known mostly for producing feature films, documentaries will continue to be a focus of production. The partners are determined to produce original series for television, most recently developing an original comedy series, The Darlington Sundays, with Daniel Clowes. The company is also making the move into long format television.
The Mudd team has had the good fortune to work with talented people, enjoying close working relationships with other artists and a collaborative work style that is particularly inclusive of writers. The company will continue to forge filmmaker and actor alliances that set our work apart.