Peter MacGregor-Scott obit

Peter Macgregor-Scott, Producer on ‘The Fugitive’ and ‘Batman Forever,’ Dies at 69

The British native also worked on 'Animal House,' 'Revenge of the Nerds' and three Cheech & Chong comedies. 

He was not on the list.

Peter Macgregor-Scott, who produced the Andrew Davis-directed The Fugitive, the two Batman films helmed by Joel Schumacher and three movies starring Cheech & Chong, has died. He was 69.

Macgregor-Scott died Sunday in New York after being involved in a recent taxi accident in Manhattan, Davis told The Hollywood Reporter.

“We were like brothers who supported and relied on each other in an industry where that is rare. I will miss him dearly,” Davis said.

Macgregor-Scott’s producing résumé also included Carl Reiner’s The Jerk (1979), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), Revenge of the Nerds (1984), Troop Beverly Hills (1989), Out for Justice (1991), Black Beauty (1994) and Death to Smoochy (2002). He was based for years at Warner Bros.

Early in his career, Macgregor-Scott served as unit production manager on John Landis’ Animal House (1978), made for slightly more than $2 million. The comedy wound up grossing $142 million, or $537 million in today’s dollars.

Soon after working with Davis for the first time on Under Siege (1992), starring Steven Seagal, Macgregor-Scott and the director partnered on The Fugitive (1993), the remake of the classic 1960s ABC series that starred Harrison Ford as Richard Kimble in the role made famous by David Janssen.

To film a spectacular action scene in The Fugitive, Macgregor-Scott hired cement mixers to pour tons of concrete into the cars of a train to help keep it on its tracks before it slams into a bus — a crash that allows the prisoner Kimble to escape.

The Fugitive went on to gross $369 million worldwide ($630 million today).

Macgregor-Scott and Davis also worked together on A Perfect Murder (1998), starring Michael Douglas, and The Guardian (2006), starring Kevin Costner.

“PMS, as he was known, was the total filmmaker. He knew every aspect of production and postproduction,” Davis said. “Peter knew everyone’s job and what they needed to execute their craft with finesse. He cared for the well-being of the stars and the craft service personnel with equal concern. His ability to put the quality of the film first was clear from the work we did together.

“From engineering train crashes in The Fugitive to building Korean submarines for Under Siege, huge Manhattan apartments in A Perfect Murder and unique wave water tanks for The Guardian, he worked with us to figure out how we could succeed. He was beloved by the crew and cast who worked with him. Being Peter, he was funny and still as focused as one can be.”

Macgregor-Scott also produced Schumacher’s Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997), starring Val Kilmer and George Clooney as the Caped Crusader, respectively.

Macgregor-Scott worked on Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie (1980), Still Smokin (1983) and Cheech & Chong’s The Corsican Brothers (1984) and noted in a 2003 interview that the comedy duo, unlike their onscreen personas, were sober professionals.

“There was never any smoke. When the boys are working, it’s a very clean set. No alcohol, no smoke, no nothing,” Macgregor-Scott said. “They learned that in their live performances. They went to Folsom Prison and they had a little too much extra, and it wasn’t a good day for them. They said, ‘OK, that’s the end of that. We go on clean as a whistle from now on.’ I did three pictures with them, and that was the way it was from then ’til now, I’m sure.”

Macgregor-Scott also produced Born in East L.A. (1987), with Cheech Marin going it alone minus Tommy Chong.

He was born in Madenhead, England. His father was J.C. Macgregor Scott, who served as an executive with such British film companies as Columbia Pictures U.K., Warner-Pathe Distributors and Commonwealth United International.

Macgregor-Scott told THR in June that his proudest moment in show business was screening The Fugitive for his dad a few years before the retired executive’s death in 1999.

“He was hard of hearing, but he’d been in the picture business since 1932, and he got up and said, ‘It’s the best movie I’ve ever seen,’ ” Macgregor-Scott said, getting a little emotional. “He was very happy.”

The son started his career working in the sound department at Pinewood Studios in London before coming to the U.S. in 1970.

“Peter was the best producer I ever worked with and a dear, loyal friend,” two-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Stephen Goldblatt, who worked with the producer on the Batman films, wrote in a note to Macgregor-Scott’s wife of 15 years, Susan. “We went through so much together, and there is not a day on set where I haven’t thought of him and wished that he was by my side. A lovely, mischievous, laughing, unforgettable colleague and companion.”

His brother, Ian MacGregor-Scott, worked as a sound editor in Hollywood. In addition to his wife, he also is survived by his daughter Elizabeth and son Taylor.

Macgregor-Scott once described his job as having “a vision about what is most practical and economical and anticipating where the problems lie. There will always be challenges on any production, but as long as you have the solutions, the problems don’t really exist.”

A funeral service is scheduled for Thursday in New York. The family asks that donations be made to the Make-a-Wish Foundation in his memory.

Writer

The Great Texas Dynamite Chase (1976)

The Great Texas Dynamite Chase

5.9

screenplay (as David Kirkpatrick)

1976

 

Producer

Wings Over the Rockies

6.2

Short

executive producer

2009

 

Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher in The Guardian (2006)

The Guardian

6.9

executive producer

2006

 

Death to Smoochy (2002)

Death to Smoochy

6.3

producer

2002

 

OnStar: Batman (2000)

OnStar: Batman

6.5

TV Mini Series

producer

2000

3 episodes

 

Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Viggo Mortensen in A Perfect Murder (1998)

A Perfect Murder

6.6

producer

1998

 

George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alicia Silverstone, Uma Thurman, and Chris O'Donnell in Batman & Robin (1997)

Batman & Robin

3.8

producer (produced by)

1997

 

Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, Nicole Kidman, Val Kilmer, and Chris O'Donnell in Batman Forever (1995)

Batman Forever

5.4

producer (produced by)

1995

 

Black Beauty (1994)

Black Beauty

6.6

producer

1994

 

Harrison Ford in The Fugitive (1993)

The Fugitive

7.8

co-producer

1993

 

Steven Seagal in Under Siege (1992)

Under Siege

6.5

co-producer

1992

 

Steven Seagal in Out for Justice (1991)

Out for Justice

6.1

co-producer

1991

 

Little Vegas (1990)

Little Vegas

4.4

producer

1990

 

Steven Seagal in Marked for Death (1990)

Marked for Death

5.9

co-producer

1990

 

Shelley Long in Troop Beverly Hills (1989)

Troop Beverly Hills

5.9

co-producer

1989

 

Born in East L.A. (1987)

Born in East L.A.

6.0

producer

1987

 

Michael O'Keefe and Paul Rodriguez in The Whoopee Boys (1986)

The Whoopee Boys

5.7

producer

1986

 

Anthony Edwards and Linda Fiorentino in Gotcha! (1985)

Gotcha!

6.2

supervising producer

1985

 

Cheech & Chong's: The Corsican Brothers (1984)

Cheech & Chong's: The Corsican Brothers

4.6

producer

1984

 

Anthony Edwards, Robert Carradine, Donald Gibb, Ted McGinley, Julia Montgomery, and Matt Salinger in Revenge of the Nerds (1984)

Revenge of the Nerds

6.6

co-producer

1984

 

Still Smokin (1983)

Still Smokin

5.4

producer

1983

 

Dolly Parton, Burt Reynolds, and Dom DeLuise in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

6.1

co-producer

1982

 

Cheech and Chong's Next Movie (1980)

Cheech and Chong's Next Movie

6.0

co-producer

1980

 

Steve Martin in The Jerk (1979)

The Jerk

7.1

associate producer

1979

 

Peter Sellers and Elke Sommer in The Prisoner of Zenda (1979)

The Prisoner of Zenda

5.2

associate producer

1979

 

The Ransom (1977)

The Ransom

5.1

co-producer

1977

 

The Great Texas Dynamite Chase (1976)

The Great Texas Dynamite Chase

5.9

associate producer (as Peter MacGregor Scott)

1976

 

Ride the Tiger (1970)

Ride the Tiger

5.2

associate producer

1970

 

Editor

Ride the Tiger (1970)

Ride the Tiger

5.2

Editor

1970

 

Production Manager

Shelley Long in Troop Beverly Hills (1989)

Troop Beverly Hills

5.9

unit production manager (as P.M. Scott)

1989

 

Anthony Edwards and Linda Fiorentino in Gotcha! (1985)

Gotcha!

6.2

unit production manager (as P.M. Scott)

1985

 

Dolly Parton, Burt Reynolds, and Dom DeLuise in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

6.1

production manager

1982

 

Cheech and Chong's Next Movie (1980)

Cheech and Chong's Next Movie

6.0

production manager

1980

 

Steve Martin in The Jerk (1979)

The Jerk

7.1

production manager

1979

 

National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)

National Lampoon's Animal House

7.4

unit production manager

1978

 

Kay Lenz and Stephen McHattie in Moving Violation (1976)

Moving Violation

5.5

production manager

1976

 

Cat Murkil and the Silks (1976)

Cat Murkil and the Silks

4.7

production manager

1976

 

A Time for Love (1974)

A Time for Love

6.2

production manager

1974

 

Ride the Tiger (1970)

Ride the Tiger

5.2

production manager (uncredited)

1970

 

Second Unit or Assistant Director

Cheech & Chong's: The Corsican Brothers (1984)

Cheech & Chong's: The Corsican Brothers

4.6

first assistant director (as Peter M. Scott)

1984

 

High Velocity (1976)

High Velocity

5.1

first assistant director

1976

 

Richard Egan, Martha Hyer, and Zaldy Zshornack in The Day of the Wolves (1971)

The Day of the Wolves

5.8

assistant director (as Peter MacGregor Scott)

1971

 

Julius Caesar (1970)

Julius Caesar

6.1

third assistant director (uncredited)

1970

 

Strange Portrait

5.2

assistant director

1966

 

Thanks

HBO First Look (1992)

HBO First Look

6.2

TV Series

producers gratefully acknowledge

2002

1 episode

 

Derailed: Anatomy of a Train Wreck

6.9

Video

special thanks

2001

 

DNA (1996)

DNA

3.7

Video

the producers wish to thank (as Peter MacGregor Scott)

1996

 

Self

The Fugitive: Thrill of the Chase

7.5

Short

Self

2013

 

Conversations with Hollywood (2011)

Conversations with Hollywood

TV Series

Self

2012

1 episode

 

The Guardian: Making Waves (2007)

The Guardian: Making Waves

Video

Self

2007

 

Batman & Robin Villains: Bane

4.9

Video

Self

2005

 

Batman & Robin Villains: Poison Ivy

5.8

Video

Self

2005

 

Batman & Robin Villains: Mr. Freeze

5.3

Video

Self

2005

 

Batman & Robin Heroes: Batgirl

5.0

Video

Self

2005

 

Batman & Robin Heroes: Robin

5.7

Video

Self

2005

 

Batman & Robin Heroes: Batman

5.4

Video

Self

2005

 

Beyond Batman: Scoring Forever - The Music of 'Batman Forever' (2005)

Beyond Batman: Scoring Forever - The Music of 'Batman Forever'

5.8

Video

Self

2005

 

Beyond Batman: The Many Faces of Gotham City (2005)

Beyond Batman: The Many Faces of Gotham City

5.5

Video

Self

2005

 

Beyond Batman: Maximum Overdrive - The Vehicles of 'Batman & Robin'

6.3

Video

Self

2005

 

Beyond Batman: Dressed to Thrill - The Costumes of 'Batman & Robin'

6.6

Video

Self

2005

 

Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight - Reinventing a Hero (2005)

Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight - Reinventing a Hero

6.9

Video

Self

2005

 

George Clooney in Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight - Batman Unbound (2005)

Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight - Batman Unbound

6.1

Video

Self

2005

 

On the Run with 'the Fugitive'

7.5

Video

Self

2001

 

Derailed: Anatomy of a Train Wreck

6.9

Video

Self

2001

 

Riddle Me This: Why Is Batman Forever?

5.7

TV Movie

Self

1995

 

Archive Footage

Minty Comedic Arts (2015)

Minty Comedic Arts

8.8

TV Series

Self (archive footage)

2020

1 episode