David Paul Kirkpatrick (born June 29, 1951) is an American film producer, studio executive and writer. He is widely known for his career at Paramount Pictures where he started as a story editor, oversaw the studio's exclusive development deal with Eddie Murphy and eventually became President of the Motion Picture Group. In 2006, The New York Times called Kirkpatrick a “kingmaker” for his shepherding of Hollywood talent. Kirkpatrick was chief of production at two studios at the same time, Walt Disney Pictures and Touchstone Pictures.