20120316_ralph_winter_commencement
"X-Men" producer Ralph Winter to speak at ORU Commencement
Oral Roberts University has announced that Ralph Winter will be the speaker at its 45th commencement ceremonies at 1 p.m. on May 5.
Winter is known as one of Hollywood's most profitable assets, producing motion pictures and television. Working for 20th Century Fox for the past 10 years, he has been on some of the studio's biggest box office successes including the "X-MEN" Trilogy, Tim Burton's "Planet of the Apes," and "Fantastic Four" movies, which together have grossed nearly $2 billion. The latest movie Winter have produced was "Wolverine."
Now partnered with Terry Botwick at 1019 Entertainment, Ralph has many projects in development, including a Korean War movie, a comedy at FOX with Shawn Levy, and a television series with Dean Koontz. 1019 Entertainment's latest film is a documentary on climate change called "Cool It," which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.
Throughout his career, Winter has produced or executive produced over 25 films ("Mighty Joe Young," "Captain Ron," "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," "Inspector Gadget," etc.). He has also produced and directed television for Steven Spielberg at DreamWorks.
Winter is a founding partner in commercial production company, ThomasWinterCooke, where he and his partners have successfully pioneered branded entertainment with product integration ranging from global beverage brands to automobiles. Their award-winning directors regularly have spots in the Super Bowl and the Olympics. A graduate of University of California, Berkeley, Winter is married with two children.
He is active in community affairs and performing arts projects, speaks in the United States and overseas at universities as well as film festivals. He serves on several film advisory boards. He is an active member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the Directors Guild of America, and the Producers Guild of America.
The ORU Commencement will be held at the Mabee Center. The event is free and open to the public.