Walter Richter

December 7, 1945

New Britain, Connecticut, United States

W. D. Richter began his career in the early 1970s with a film Slither. Slither received a range of appraisals upon initial release, but like other films with which Richter has been involved, it has since achieved cult status. In the mid-1970s Richter provided the script for director Peter Bogdanovich’s Nickelodeon, a homage to the film industry’s early artists. His next project. Invasion of the Body Snatchers offered an updated reworking of Jack Finney’s novel The Body Snatchers. Richter ended the 1970s with Dracula, a rendering of Bram Stoker’s horror classic. In the early 1980s, Richter formed his own production company (with producer Neil Canton), Canton/Richter, and won acclaim with Brubaker, his adaptation—in collaboration with Arthur Ross—of former prison warden Thomas O. Murton’s unpublished autobiography. Richter followed Brubaker with All Night Long, a romantic comedy, and in 1984 he made his directorial debut with The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension, a freewheeling science-fiction adventure. Buckaroo Banzai was followed by Big Trouble in Little China of 1986, by Late for Dinner of 1991. He also wrote the adaption of Stephen King's 736-page novel Needful Things in 1993. Among recent works of Richter, one can mention his work as a screenwriter on Stealth of 2005. Now Richter is retired and lives in Los Angeles, California.

Walter Duch Richter Edit Profile

director producer screenwriter

Background

Walter Duch Richter was born on December 7, 1945, in New Britain, Connecticut, United States. He is the son of Walter Oswald and Hedwig (Duch) Richter.

Education

Richter graduated from Dartmouth College in 1968 and attended the University of Southern California film school for the next two years.

Education period of Walter Richter in University of Southern California

Career

W. D. Richter began his career in the early 1970s with a film Slither. Slither received a range of appraisals upon initial release, but like other films with which Richter has been involved, it has since achieved cult status.

In the mid-1970s Richter provided the script for director Peter Bogdanovich’s Nickelodeon, a homage to the film industry’s early artists. His next project. Invasion of the Body Snatchers offered an updated reworking of Jack Finney’s novel The Body Snatchers. Richter ended the 1970s with Dracula, a rendering of Bram Stoker’s horror classic.

In the early 1980s, Richter formed his own production company (with producer Neil Canton), Canton/Richter, and won acclaim with Brubaker, his adaptation—in collaboration with Arthur Ross—of former prison warden Thomas O. Murton’s unpublished autobiography.

Richter followed Brubaker with All Night Long, a romantic comedy, and in 1984 he made his directorial debut with The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension, a freewheeling science-fiction adventure.

Buckaroo Banzai was followed by Big Trouble in Little China of 1986, by Late for Dinner of 1991. He also wrote the adaption of Stephen King's 736-page novel Needful Things in 1993.

Among recent works of Richter, one can mention his work as a screenwriter on Stealth of 2005.

Now Richter is retired and lives in Los Angeles, California.

Achievements

During his long career, Richter established a reputation as a successful Hollywood screenwriter. He is the best known as the director of the 1984 cult film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension, as well as for adapting Invasion of the Body Snatchers and co-writing Big Trouble in Little China.