Lynda Obst dies, aged 74

Lynda Obst
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Producer and author Lynda Obst, of Sleepless In Seattle, The Fisher King and Contact fame, has died after an illness.


A morning of not very nice news today, as we learn that producer Lynda Obst has died, at the age of just 74.

Obst produced and executive produced films such as Flashdance, Sleepless In Seattle, Contact, Interstellar, The Fisher King and Adventures In Babysitting. She also penned a couple of outstanding books about her time in the film industry, namely Hello, He Lied and Sleepless In Hollywood: Tales From The New Abnormal In The Movie Business.

Obst appeared on a special interview episode in April 2021, and it was striking how forward she was in her thinking, bringing up such topics as quantum computing and how that might affect the movie industry.

Lynda Obst had been unwell for a little while, it turns out, but had been working in recent times on TV shows such as Helix and The Hot Zone. The latter was a long-time project based on a book by Richard Preston which she’d first tried to get made in the mid-1990s. Then the film Outbreak came up with a similar premise – without acquiring the source material.

A fascinating, trailblazing woman, Obst’s career saw her work with the likes of Nora Ephron, Gurinder Chadha, Christopher Nolan, Terry Gilliam, Chris Columbus and more. She was believed to be working on several further projects at the time of her passing.

She’s survived by her son and grandchildren, and our thoughts are with them at what must be a difficult time. Rest in peace, Lynda Obst. And what a legacy to leave behind.

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