---
name: "J. Michael Riva"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/j-michael-riva"
fi1m_id: "j-michael-riva"
imdb_id: "nm0728951"
tmdb_id: 13304
wikidata_id: "Q543832"
roles: ["Producer"]
born: "28 June 1948"
died: "7 June 2012"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 17
average_as: "producer"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-10-05T12:24:48.301264+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# J. Michael Riva

## Identity

J. Michael Riva

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/j-michael-riva
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** j-michael-riva
- **IMDb ID:** nm0728951
- **TMDB ID:** 13304
- **Wikidata ID:** Q543832
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Michael_Riva, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q543832, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0728951/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13304

Producer. Born 28 June 1948 in Manhattan, New York, USA. Died 7 June 2012.

## Details

- **Work:** Producer
- **Born:** 28 June 1948, Manhattan, New York, USA
- **Died:** 7 June 2012
- **Active:** 1980–2012
- **Also known as:** Michael Riva
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 17: 1 producing, 16 crew
- **Frequently works with:** [Richard Donner](https://film.one/person/richard-donner.md), [Danny Glover](https://film.one/person/danny-glover.md), [Avi Arad](https://film.one/person/avi-arad.md), [Joel Silver](https://film.one/person/joel-silver.md), [Mel Gibson](https://film.one/person/mel-gibson.md), [Alvin Sargent](https://film.one/person/alvin-sargent.md), [Bill Murray](https://film.one/person/bill-murray.md), [Cameron Diaz](https://film.one/person/cameron-diaz.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 69 (7), 1990s 65 (3), 2000s 63 (4), 2010s 66 (3)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Michael_Riva, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q543832, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0728951/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13304

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Iron Man*](https://film.one/film/iron-man.md) (80), [*The Amazing Spider-Man*](https://film.one/film/the-amazing-spider-man.md) (64), [*Iron Man 2*](https://film.one/film/iron-man-2.md) (56), [*Spider-Man 3*](https://film.one/film/spider-man-3.md) (55)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Charlie's Angels*](https://film.one/film/charlies-angels.md) (68), [*Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle*](https://film.one/film/charlies-angels-full-throttle.md) (50)
- **AMC+:** [*Django Unchained*](https://film.one/film/django-unchained.md) (78)
- **Peacock:** [*The Goonies*](https://film.one/film/the-goonies.md) (76)
- **Tubi:** [*The Color Purple*](https://film.one/film/the-color-purple.md) (64)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

J. Michael Riva was an American production designer. Born John Michael Riva on 28 June 1948 in Manhattan, New York, he died on 7 June 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana, aged 63. He was the grandson of actress Marlene Dietrich; his father, William Riva, was a Broadway set designer and his mother, Maria Riva, was an actress.

Riva worked as a production designer on numerous films over four decades. His credits include *The Goonies* (1985), *Lethal Weapon* (1987), *A Few Good Men* (1992), *Spider-Man 3* (2007), *Iron Man* (2008), *Iron Man 2* (2010) and *The Amazing Spider-Man* (2012). He received an Academy Award nomination for art direction on *The Color Purple* (1985) and won a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on the 79th Academy Awards in 2007. He also designed the opening ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the 74th Academy Awards in 2002.

Riva suffered a stroke on 1 June 2012 while working on *Django Unchained* (2012) and died in hospital six days later. The film, along with *The Amazing Spider-Man*, was released posthumously.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, variety.com, thewrap.com.*

## On Fi1m (17)

### Produced (1) — the average rests on these

- *Scrooged* (1988), Fi1m 66, Production design, Production Design, Production Designer — [page](https://film.one/film/scrooged.md)

### Crew (16)

- *Django Unchained* (2012), Fi1m 78, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/django-unchained.md)
- *The Amazing Spider-Man* (2012), Fi1m 64, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-amazing-spider-man.md)
- *Iron Man 2* (2010), Fi1m 56, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/iron-man-2.md)
- *Iron Man* (2008), Fi1m 80, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/iron-man.md)
- *Spider-Man 3* (2007), Fi1m 55, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/spider-man-3.md)
- *Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle* (2003), Fi1m 50, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/charlies-angels-full-throttle.md)
- *Charlie's Angels* (2000), Fi1m 68, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/charlies-angels.md)
- *Hard Rain* (1998), Fi1m 61, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/hard-rain.md)
- *Lethal Weapon 4* (1998), Fi1m 55, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/lethal-weapon-4.md)
- *A Few Good Men* (1992), Fi1m 79, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/a-few-good-men.md)
- *Lethal Weapon 2* (1989), Fi1m 74, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/lethal-weapon-2.md)
- *Lethal Weapon* (1987), Fi1m 80, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/lethal-weapon.md)
- *The Golden Child* (1986), Fi1m 42, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-golden-child.md)
- *The Color Purple* (1985), Fi1m 64, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-color-purple.md)
- *The Goonies* (1985), Fi1m 76, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-goonies.md)
- *Ordinary People* (1980), Fi1m 81, Art Direction — [page](https://film.one/film/ordinary-people.md)

## Complete filmography (43)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Django Unchained* (2012), Production Design — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/django-unchained.md)
- *The Amazing Spider-Man* (2012), Production Design — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-amazing-spider-man.md)
- *Iron Man 2* (2010), Production Design — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/iron-man-2.md)
- *Seven Pounds* (2008), Production Design
- *Iron Man* (2008), Production Design — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/iron-man.md)
- *Spider-Man 3* (2007), Production Design — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/spider-man-3.md)
- *The Pursuit of Happyness* (2006), Production Design
- *Zathura: A Space Adventure* (2005), Production Design
- *Stealth* (2005), Production Design
- *Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle* (2003), Production Design — Fi1m 50, [page](https://film.one/film/charlies-angels-full-throttle.md)
- *Evolution* (2001), Production Design
- *Charlie's Angels* (2000), Production Design — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/charlies-angels.md)
- *Tuesdays with Morrie* (1999), Production Design
- *Lethal Weapon 4* (1998), Production Design — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/lethal-weapon-4.md)
- *Six Days Seven Nights* (1998), Production Design
- *Hard Rain* (1998), Production Design — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/hard-rain.md)
- *Congo* (1995), Production Design
- *North* (1994), Production Design
- *Dave* (1993), Production Design
- *A Few Good Men* (1992), Production Design — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/a-few-good-men.md)
- *Radio Flyer* (1992), Production Design
- *Tango & Cash* (1989), Production Design
- *Lethal Weapon 2* (1989), Production Design — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/lethal-weapon-2.md)
- *Tales from the Crypt* (1989), series, Director
- *Scrooged* (1988), Production Designer, Production Design — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/scrooged.md)
- *Lethal Weapon* (1987), Production Design — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/lethal-weapon.md)
- *The Golden Child* (1986), Production Design — Fi1m 42, [page](https://film.one/film/the-golden-child.md)
- *The Color Purple* (1985), Production Design — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-color-purple.md)
- *Amazing Stories* (1985), series, Director
- *The Goonies* (1985), Production Design — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/the-goonies.md)
- *The Slugger's Wife* (1985), Production Design
- *The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension* (1984), Production Design
- *Bad Boys* (1983), Production Design
- *Halloween II* (1981), Production Design
- *The Hand* (1981), Production Design
- *Callie & Son* (1981), Production Design
- *Ordinary People* (1980), as Art Direction — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/ordinary-people.md)
- *Brubaker* (1980), as Art Direction
- *Fast Charlie... the Moonbeam Rider* (1979), as Art Direction
- *Bare Knuckles* (1977), Production Design
- *I Never Promised You a Rose Garden* (1977), Production Design
- *Bad Georgia Road* (1977), as Art Direction
- *Ilsa: Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks* (1976), Production Design

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1986: Best Production Design (nominated), for *The Color Purple*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/j-michael-riva