Laurie MacDonald embarked on a career in documentary and news production at KRON, the NBC affiliate in San Francisco, laying the groundwork for her future success. She later joined the esteemed Columbia Pictures, where she held the prestigious position of Vice President of Production, further honing her skills in the film industry. After four years at Columbia, MacDonald partnered with her husband, Walter Parkes, a talented screenwriter and producer, to form their own production company. Together, they have produced a wide range of films, including the Men In Black series, Gladiator, Flight, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, The Ring, The Mask of Zorro, Twister, and Amistad, as well as the screen adaptations of The Kite Runner and Steven Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. Their impressive filmography has grossed over $6 billion globally.
MacDonald and Parkes assumed the roles of co-heads of Amblin Entertainment in 1994, and just two years later, they were appointed co-presidents of the feature division of the newly formed DreamWorks Studios. During their tenure, the fledgling studio achieved an unprecedented feat, winning three consecutive Best Picture Oscars: American Beauty, Gladiator, and A Beautiful Mind, the latter two in partnership with Universal Studios.
In 2008, MacDonald and Parkes departed their executive positions at DreamWorks Studios to secure an overall producing deal under their own company, Parkes + MacDonald. They went on to produce The Trial of Chicago 7, penned by Aaron Sorkin. Two years later, MacDonald and Parkes formed a partnership with ImageNation Abu Dhabi, focusing on the development and production of films in the international market. Under this alliance, they produced several films, including two feature-length documentaries: He Named Me Malala and Free Solo, the latter of which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
