Sara Murphy (film producer)

Murphy initially went to school for engineering, and eventually landed a job as Philip Seymour Hoffman's assistant.^[1] In 2010, she served as an associate producer on Jack Goes Boating directed by Hoffman.^[2]

In 2014, Murphy produced Land Ho! directed by Martha Stephens and Aaron Katz, which won the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award.^[3]

After Hoffman's death in 2014, Murphy was hired by Paul Thomas Anderson to produce a music video.^[4] She has served as producer on his music videos for Joanna Newsom,^[5] Haim,^[6] Radiohead,^[7] and The Smile.^[8] In 2019, Murphy served as producer for Thom Yorke's music film Anima, which was nominated at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards for Best Music Film.

Murphy has also worked at PASTEL, the production company founded by Barry Jenkins, where she produced Never Rarely Sometimes Always and If Beale Street Could Talk, winning for the latter the Independent Spirit Award for Best Film.^[9] In 2021, Murphy produced Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza, which she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Film and Academy Award for Best Picture.^[10][11][12]

In 2022, Murphy launched Fat City alongside Ryan Zacarias, where she has produced Mother, Couch and If I Had Legs I'd Kick You.^[13][14] In 2025, she produced Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another with Anderson and Adam Somner (who died ten months before the film's release), for which she won the Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Feature, the BAFTA Award for Best Film and the Academy Award for Best Picture.^[15]