Debra Martin Chase

Debra Martin Chase (born October 11, 1956) is an American film, television, and theater producer. Chase was the first Black female producer to have a deal at any major studio. She is also one of the first Black filmmakers to produce a film that grossed over $100 million. To date, her films have grossed over a half billion dollars at the box office.

Background Chase was born in Great Lakes, Illinois, but moved with her family as a child to Pasadena, California. She earned her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College in 1977 and J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1981.

In an interview with Essence magazine in 1997, she told journalist Audrey Edwards, "I'm the kid who was in the movie theater every Saturday." Debra adds, "I've been a movie fanatic since I was a child, and my images of the world were shaped by what I saw on the screen. I want to do my part to see that Blacks are not only represented in film but also enhance it."

About first starting out, Chase has said, “I didn't know the mechanics of how things worked. So I read books, went to seminars, met with anybody who'd meet with me just to learn information.” Chase met with the general counsel at Columbia Pictures production company through a good friend's sister. Later she met with and became the executive assistant to Frank Price, chairman of Columbia Pictures. Chase worked with Price for a year. After Sony brought Mark Canton in for the top job and Price gained a spot for Chase on the creative staff, before he left the company.(Alexander, George)

Career Martin Chase Productions has an overall deal with Universal Universal Television, a division of the NBCUniversal Television Group. It previously had one with The Walt Disney Company from 2001 to 2016. The Disney deal reportedly made Chase the first African American female producer to have a deal with a major studio. Prior to that, Chase ran Whitney Houston's BrownHouse Productions from 1995 to 2012 and Mundy Lane Entertainment, Denzel Denzel Washington’s production company, from 1992 to 1995. Martin Chase's 1996 Denzel Washington film Courage Under Fire made Chase the first Black woman to produce a film that grossed over $100 million. Chase and Houston's first collaboration was on the 1997 TV film re-adaptation of Cinderella, which produced the biggest ratings of a Disney-themed film in over a decade with over 60 million viewers tuning into the film, later earning Chase and Houston an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series. In 2001, the duo co-produced The Princess Diaries, based on the novel of the same name. They partnered again three years later with The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, in 2004.

Chase is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

Producer credits She was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film Year Film Credit Notes 1996 Courage Under Fire Executive producer The Preacher's Wife Co-producer 2001 The Princess Diaries 2004 The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement 2005 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2008 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 2009 Byou 2 Direct-to-video 2010 Just Wright 2012 An American Girl: McKenna Shoots for the Stars Direct-to-video Sparkle 2015 An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success Direct-to-video 2016 An American Girl: Lea to the Rescue Direct-to-video 2019 Harriet 2023 True Spirit Netflix 2023 Being Mary Tyler Moore Documentary

Television Year Title Credit Notes 1997 Cinderella Executive producer Television film 2003 The Cheetah Girls Executive producer Television film 2003−06 Missing Executive producer 2006 The Cheetah Girls 2 Executive producer Television film 2008 The Cheetah Girls: One World Executive producer Television film 2011 Lemonade Mouth Executive producer Television film 2013 Lovestruck: The Musical Executive producer Television film An American Girl: Saige Paints the Sky Executive producer Television film 2014 Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B Executive producer Television film 2016 Zoe Ever After Executive producer 2018 Get Christie Love! Executive producer Television pilot 2021–2025 The Equalizer Executive producer 2027 The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen Executive producer Television film; filming

Theater Year Title Credit Notes 2022 A Strange Loop Co-producer Broadway 2022 Topdog/Underdog Co-producer Broadway 2024 The Outsiders Co-producer Broadway 2024 Illinoise Co-producer Broadway 2024 Death Becomes Her Co-producer Broadway