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David Valdes

David Valdes

Producer · Born August 12, 1950 (76) · Los Angeles, California, USA

Oscar nominee · 1 other major award body

David Valdes was born on 12 August 1950 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a producer and assistant director, known for Unforgiven (1992), Open Range (2003) and The Book of Eli (2010). He is married to Linda Valdes.

Biography from IMDb.

Born
August 12, 1950 (76)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Producer
Titles
31 on MovieCove · 33 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 20% in 30 days

What are David Valdes' films like?

Across their 26 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Action14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 97th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
26%
Bonds
23%
Morality
22%
Survival
16%
Society
7%
Ideas
4%
Power
2%
Family bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeParenthood2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 26 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 8 · Dark 13

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 10 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 4

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 10 · Intense 15

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 19 · Whiplash 4

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 20 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 5

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 17 · Full focus 3

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 4 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 11

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 18 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
20
Melancholic
12
Thrilling
11
Contemplative
8
Hopeful
7
Other
15

How their films linger

Bittersweet13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet15
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch David Valdes' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 31 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Valdes' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

33 credits, 31 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Avatar: Fire and Ash(2025)

    Executive Producer · Unit Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Avatar: The Way of Water(2022)

    Executive Producer · Unit Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Alita: Battle Angel(2019)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Point Break(2015)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Walking the Mile (Director's Cut)(2014)

    Thanks · as Self

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Transcendence(2014)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Beautiful Creatures(2013)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Magic of Belle Isle(2012)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • I Am Number Four(2011)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Book of Eli(2010)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Paul Rodriguez & Friends: Comedy Rehab (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Executive Producer

  • Babylon A.D.(2008)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford(2007)

    Producer · Unit Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Open Range(2003)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Time Machine(2002)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Green Mile(1999)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Turbulence(1997)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Stars Fell on Henrietta(1995)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • A Perfect World(1993)

    Producer · Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • In the Line of Fire(1993)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Unforgiven(1992)

    Executive Producer · Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Rookie(1990)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • White Hunter Black Heart(1990)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Pink Cadillac(1989)

    Producer · Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Dead Pool(1988)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Bird(1988)

    Executive Producer · Unit Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Like Father Like Son(1987)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Gardens of Stone(1987)

    Co-Executive Producer · First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Ratboy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Associate Producer

  • Pale Rider(1985)

    Associate Producer · First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Tightrope(1984)

    First Assistant Director · as Manes

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Rumble Fish(1983)

    First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Hammett(1982)

    Second Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 32 titles from 1982 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

$2.3B worldwide

Highest rated

The Green Mile (1999)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 32: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleProducing28 of 32: 19 only producing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score71stOther crew13 of 32: 3 only other crew, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score85th

32 titles, 10 with more than one role — producing and other crew overlap on 9 of them.

By decade

1980s10 · 1 acting · 10 crew1990s8 · crew2000s4 · crew2010s8 · crew2020s2 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

1 major award from 2 major nominations, 1993–2000.

WinNomination
  1. 2000
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Picture
  2. 1993
    • Directors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do David Valdes' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 31; across their 26 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Approval · how many liked their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Reach · how many have seen their films

95thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Midcredits score across 31 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

16 of their 31 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

Walking the Mile (Director's Cut) (2014)

90th percentile spread · 26% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

The Green Mile (1999)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is David Valdes' work okay for kids?

Across up to 20 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore19 titles43–80 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity20 titles14–42 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity19 titles34–75 · median 51 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs19 titles10–59 · median 35 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense18 titles41–68 · median 60 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does David Valdes work with?

People who share at least 2 of David Valdes' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Clint Eastwood shares the most, 10.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers