Mike Peters

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In the early 1990s, Peters bought the film rights to the Superman franchise from Warner Bros. Filmmaker Kevin Smith, in his DVD An Evening with Kevin Smith, described working for Peters on a script for Superman Reborn (later Superman Lives). Smith said Peters demanded Superman never fly nor appear in his trademark costume, suggested Sean Penn for the role based on his performance in Dead Man Walking (saying Penn had the eyes of a "caged animal, a fucking killer"), and wanted the third act to include a fight between Superman and a giant spider, unveiled in a homage to King Kong. Smith also said Peters suggested a robot sidekick for Brainiac, a fight scene between Brainiac and polar bears, and a marketable "space dog" similar to Chewbacca. In the documentary Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman, Peters admitted: "The elements that I was focusing on were away from the heart, it was more leaning towards Star Wars in a sense, you know. I didn't realize the human part of it, I didn't have that." Peters produced Superman Returns (2006) and executive-produced Man of Steel (2013). He says he was banned from the Man of Steel set by producer Christopher Nolan because "my reputation scares these guys." Peters was a producer for a planned adaptation of The Sandman comics for Warner Bros., stuck in development in 2001. Creator Neil Gaiman called the last screenplay "not only the worst Sandman script I've ever seen, but quite easily the worst script I've ever read." In a 2005 interview, Gaiman said: "And then Jon Peters fired all of them and got in some people who take orders, and who wanted fistfights and all this stuff. It had no sensibility... they were horrible." Peters attempted to include a "giant mechanical spider" in the script. Gaiman leaked the script in an attempt to sabotage its production. Peters submitted a book proposal for his autobiography, self-written with William Stadiem, describing himself as someone who "came from the lower depths to become THE MAN in Hollywood, a master of seduction, production and psychology." He reportedly intended to write about his sexual activities with Barbra Streisand, Sharon Stone, and many other actresses. In 2009, he withdrew from the HarperCollins book deal after adverse publicity and potential lawsuits. In August 2011, Los Angeles jurors ordered Peters to pay a former assistant $3.3 million after finding she was subjected to sexual harassment and a hostile work environment during production of Superman Returns. The 44-year-old single mother also claimed she was unable to obtain work after the incident because of Peters's influence. Peters was credited as a producer of the 2018 film A Star Is Born but did not receive the "p.g.a." designation from the Producers Guild of America. Director Bradley Cooper said he did not know of the allegations and that Peters was not on set; he received credit only because he controlled the rights to the 1976 film.

In Their Own Story

Peters married four times, each ending in divorce. The marriage certificate on his fifth marriage was never filed. Several of his marriages and relationships overlapped. He has four children from his marriages, the older three in the entertainment industry. His first marriage was to Henrietta Zampitella when he was 16, from April 1962 to November 1966. In May 1967, he married actress Lesley Ann Warren, with whom he had his son Christopher; they divorced in 1975 after a two-year separation. Barbra Streisand and Peters had a high-profile personal and business relationship from 1973 to 1982; Streisand became godmother to his two daughters with Christine Forsyth. He married his third wife, producer Christine Forsyth, in June 1987. Two months later, they separated; Forsyth adopted daughters Skye and Caleigh Peters. Peters allowed them to continue living in his Bel-Air property. He did not file for divorce until 1993 and filed a request for her to leave the estate in 2006. In 1994, he met Mindy Williamson, a breeder of Arabian horses, who became his fourth wife in 2001. After their 2004 divorce, they reunited from 2006 to 2009. Together, they have daughter Kendyl Peters. In 2020, he became briefly involved with Pamela Anderson. Peters reportedly became engaged to actress Julia Bernheim in February 2020, three weeks after his split from Pamela Anderson.

Reader's Guide

Peters produced the 1999 film Wild Wild West, the finale of which featured a giant mechanical spider. He produced Superman Returns (2006) and executive-produced Man of Steel (2013). He was a producer on the 2018 film A Star Is Born but did not receive the Producers Guild of America's "p.g.a." designation. It has been said, partly by Peters himself, that he was the inspiration for Warren Beatty's character in the Hal Ashby film Shampoo. Peters is portrayed by Bradley Cooper in the Paul Thomas Anderson film Licorice Pizza (2021).

Did You Know?

• Peters ran away from home at age 14 and moved to New York City, where he began working as a hairdresser by dyeing women's pubic hair.
• Kevin Smith said Peters wanted a giant spider fight in a Superman film, which later appeared in the finale of Wild Wild West.
• Neil Gaiman called the last Sandman script Peters was involved with 'the worst script I've ever read' and leaked it to sabotage production.
• In August 2011, a Los Angeles jury ordered Peters to pay a former assistant $3.3 million for sexual harassment during production of Superman Returns.
• Peters was portrayed by Bradley Cooper in the 2021 film Licorice Pizza.