It’s not an understatement to say sci-fi is in Hollywood producer and screenwriter Gale Anne Hurd’s DNA. Her producing credits include some of the most iconic films in the genre in the last three decades: “The Terminator” series, the “Aliens” films, “Armageddon” (1998), “The Incredible Hulk” (2008). In the last few years, Hurd has turned her attention to the small screen, as one of the producers behind the AMC hit “The Walking Dead.”

Hurd’s entry into Hollywood came courtesy of B-movie czar Roger Corman. A friend had recommended Hurd for an assistant job at Corman’s production company, and under his tutelage, she began learning the ins and outs of the business. Today, films produced by Hurd have generated an estimated $3 billion in the global box office. Buffo aside, these films also showcased strong female leads, think Linda Hamilton in “The Terminator” or Sigourney Weaver in “Aliens.”

An analysis of the top 250 grossing films of 2013 by Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University has found a significant drop since 1998 in the percentage of women directing, writing, producing, editing and shooting films.

AirTalk contributor Patt Morrison speaks with Hurd about this troubling decline, as well as about her role in making “The Walking Dead” one of the most watched, and most talked about, shows on TV today.  

Guest:

Gale Anne Hurd, Producer of Academy Award-winning films and Emmy-winning programs - including Executive Producer of AMC’s “The Walking Dead;” Producer and Co-Writer, “The Terminator;” Producer, “Aliens,” “Armageddon,” “The Abyss” and more