Meet Tim Headington, The Billionaire Oil Man Behind Oscar Winners 'Hugo' And 'Rango' (2024)

Tim Headington co-produced 'Hugo' and 'Rango'

Tim Headington says he's satisfied. For now, anyways. As the co-producer behind both Hugo, which won five Academy Awards, as well as Rango, which won for best animated picture, he had a pretty great night. Though Hugo lost out to The Artist for best picture, its 11 nominations were more than any other film this year.

That's all right. In an email Q&A with me today, Headington writes: "I am completely confident that Hugo will forever be viewed as a beautiful work of art, timeless in nature and an important part of film history. I expect Hugo to be the kind of film that will be seen multiple times by many people and spanning several generations." (See complete Q&A below.)

This wasn't the first trip to the Academy Awards for GK Films, the production company Headington owns with legendary producer Graham King. Two years ago their Young Victoria won an Oscar for best costume design. In recent years they've produced The Aviator (starring Leo DiCaprio), The Departed (DiCaprio, Damon, Nicholson), Edge of Darkness (Mel Gibson), The Rum Diary, and The Tourist (both with Johnny Depp) and The Land of Blood and Honey (written and directed by Angelina Jolie).

Working with stars like that it's easy for Headington to get overshadowed. Outside of Hollywood, his story is practically unknown. And he seems to prefer it that way.

Who is Tim Headington? To start with, he's a Dallas, Texas-based oil tycoon who was inspired by his geologist father to found Headington Oil in 1978. In 2008 he made his fortune by selling acreage in North Dakota's Bakken shale oil play to XTO Energy (now part of ExxonMobil ) for $1.85 billion.

But you can discard all those mental notions of what a Texas oil tycoon looks and acts like. Forget cowboy boots, big hats and cattle ranches. Headington is as humble and down-to-earth as they come. He studied psychology, not geology, at Oklahoma University. He loves modern art and architecture. Works he's collected by the likes of Andy Warhol hang on the walls of The Joule and The Lumen, two ultrachic hotels he's built in downtown Dallas. In person he is a warm and thoughtful speaker with penetrating insights. No bombast, no ego.

Headington isn't the first oil tycoon to apply a wildcatter's appetite for risk to the movie business. Howard Hughes and Marvin Davis famously took over movie studios with varying degrees of success. Headington has invested several hundred million into GK Films productions. But he's not just the money man. He is closely involved in selecting projects, casting roles, even editing final cuts. His goal is to continue to grow the library of GK Films before some day selling it off for another fortune. His next set of projects include The Freddie Mercury Story, starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Little White Corvette, with Emma Stone, an adaptation of Broadway hit Jersey Boys and a relaunch of the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider franchise.

In this Q&A, Tim Headington answers questions about Hugo, Johnny Depp, and his favorite part of the movie making process:

Q: When did you first decide you wanted to be involved in filmmaking, and why?

Tim Headington: There wasn’t a precise decision point, but movies have intrigued me for many years, both as a fan and as a possible participant in the process.

Q: How did you first meet Graham King? And what makes the two of you good partners?

TH: I met Graham in the early 2000’s. We make good partners because Graham is a true movie fan and a passionate filmmaker – traits which are very attractive to me. Plus we get along very well personally.

Q: Are there any common threads or themes that seem to recur in the films that you make?

TH: Each film in which I have been involved has resonated with me in some way. I cannot recall a case where we produced a film with only economics in mind. I am intent on producing a high quality film library that will stand the test of time and will be regarded as a quality collection 50 years from now.

Q: What cinematic accomplishment are you most proud of and why?

TH: Hugo. Although routinely described as a children’s film, I consider it a product that simply defies such a one dimensional characterization. Appreciation of the story, the historical background, the emotional context and the breathtaking use of technology are not dependent on any demographic, but rather can appeal to anyone on multiple levels. I am completely confident that Hugo will forever be viewed as a beautiful work of art, timeless in nature and an important part of film history. I expect Hugo to be the kind of film that will be seen multiple times by many people and spanning several generations. Thankfully, most critics agree with that assessment.

Q: What is your favorite moment in "Hugo"?

TH: The George Melies (Ben Kingsley) speech at the event honoring him in Hugo.

Q: What is the most underappreciated film you've been involved with?

TH: I suppose my answer will depend upon how appreciation (or lack thereof) is defined.

Q: Who in "Hollywood" have you most enjoyed working with and why?

TH: Johnny Depp. He is an artist with a unique perspective, who has built a career on his terms, and who embraces people and ideas outside the mainstream. Plus, he is a great storyteller.

Q: Even in the industry, many people assume that you're just the money behind these films. The reality is that you are intimately involved in every step of the production, from greenlighting ideas to finalizing scripts, to weighing in on final edits. Where in the process are your skills strongest? Where do you add the most value to the enterprise?

TH: You are kind with your description. I will say that I have become increasingly involved with the filmmaking process over time. To the extent that I add value of any meaningful proportion, I would say it is in my ability to provide an relatively stable and objective voice to an intrinsically emotional environment.

Q: How does your background in psychology inform your approach to moviemaking?

TH: I am not sure that it does. However, I do feel that I can deeply empathize with passionate people and therefore act as a conduit between the artistic and economic influences that seem to constantly be at war in this business.

Q: Does it help you deal with big egos? Is it true that movie stars really are more interesting than "normal" people?

TH: I hope not. I am reminded of the Chinese curse, “may you live in interesting times.”

Q: You've done a lot of work with Johnny Depp, Leo Dicaprio, Angelina Jolie, Martin Scorsese, Sascha Baron Cohen ... is there a phrase that sums up each of them?

TH: Passionate, committed, and remarkably unique.

Q: It seems like you have ever more projects in the works. Argo, The Vault, Home, Queen, Little White Corvette, Jersey Boys, Battle of Britain, relaunch of Lara Croft. How big can your operation become?

TH: That remains to be seen. Business models in this industry are constantly revised to reflect changing economic conditions, demographics and technology. This industry is not for the faint of heart.

Q: How many films do you intend to have in the GK Films library before selling it off?

TH:The perfect number hopefully.

Q: What's your favorite moment in the process of filmmaking? Imagining?Filming? Editing? Watching the final cut for the first time?

TH: Imagining

Q: When will you be supremely satisfied with your filmmaking efforts?Winning a best picture Oscar? Or is there always a better movie to be made?

TH: I am satisfied now. Supreme satisfaction will occur as a consequence of creating a stellar library, combined with a reasonable return on investment.

Thanks Tim. (I can't wait to see Sacha Baron Cohen as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.)

Meet Tim Headington, The Billionaire Oil Man Behind Oscar Winners 'Hugo' And 'Rango' (2024)
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