Richard P. Rubinstein

Richard P. Rubinstein (born June 15, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American producer whose career is closely tied to science fiction and horror on both film and television. Known for helping bring ambitious genre stories to the screen, he became a key behind-the-scenes figure during a major era of modern horror.

Rubinstein is especially associated with his long-running creative partnership with director George A. Romero. Their collaborations helped shape the zombie canon, including landmark productions such as Dawn of the Dead (1978) and Day of the Dead (1985), as well as Romero-adjacent cult titles like Martin and Knightriders.

On television, he expanded horror’s reach as a producer of the anthology series Tales from the Darkside (1984–1988), which delivered eerie, twist-driven stories to a wide audience. Across the 1980s and 1990s, Rubinstein also steered numerous screen projects inspired by the work of Stephen King, cementing his reputation for translating popular horror literature into compelling visual storytelling.

Beyond producing, he has made occasional on-camera appearances in projects like Creepshow and genre documentaries including Document of the Dead and Just Desserts: The Making of 'Creepshow', reflecting his lasting connection to the community he helped build.