David Paul Kirkpatrick

David Paul Kirkpatrick (born June 29, 1951) is an American film producer, studio executive and writer. He is widely known for his career at Paramount Pictures where he started as a story editor, oversaw the studio's exclusive development deal with Eddie Murphy and eventually became President of the Motion Picture Group. In 2006, The New York Times called Kirkpatrick a "kingmaker” for his shepherding of Hollywood talent. Kirkpatrick was chief of production at two studios at the same time, Walt Disney Pictures and Touchstone Pictures. Kirkpatrick founded the MIT Center for the Future of Storytelling in 2008 and the Story Summit in 2019. He has authored several books, including The Address of Happiness, The Dog with Steven James Taylor, and The Adventures of Merlin to be published in 2023. ()