Movie producer Gale Anne Hurd makes great stories: a privileged, well-educated young woman, she has produced some of the most monstrous and monstrously successful sci-fi hits Hollywood--and anyone else--has ever seen. In the male dominated action/sci-fi arena, she has introduced gritty, determined heroines, taking the genre in a new direction. "Male heroes have been done to death, whereas with women you can be like Lewis and Clark," is how she explained it in an interview with Marjorie Rosen for Ms. Hurd is known as a tough, budget-conscious professional whose ladylike demeanor and dress belie a boundless enthusiasm, fierce intelligence, and indefatigable persistence.

Hurd cites a combination of good luck and hard work as the key to her success. "Getting the break and then maximizing the opportunity" is how she summed up her strategy for Savvy's Michael J. Bandler. She began with a few marks in her...