Adam Wingard

Last updated • 5 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Adam Wingard
Adam Wingard by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Wingard at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con
Born (1982-12-03) December 3, 1982 (age 42)
Alma mater Full Sail University (BS)
Occupations
  • Film director
  • film producer
  • screenwriter
  • editor
  • cinematographer
  • composer
Years active2004–present

Adam Wingard ( /ˈwɪŋɡɑːrd/ WING-gard; [1] [2] born December 3, 1982) is an American filmmaker. He has served as a film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, cinematographer, actor, and composer on numerous American films. [3] [4]

Contents

Following an early career as a member of the mumblecore movement, he became notable for his works in the horror and action genres, especially the films You're Next (2011), and The Guest (2014), and the bigger budget franchise films Blair Witch (2016), Death Note (2017), and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), and its sequel Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024).

Early life

Wingard was born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and graduated from Full Sail University in 2002.

Career

His first feature, the horror comedy Home Sick , starring Bill Moseley and Tiffany Shepis, was a stepping stone to his second feature, the psychotropic ghost story horror film Pop Skull . Made on a total budget of $2,000, Pop Skull had its international premiere at the Rome Film Festival and its domestic premiere at the AFI Film Festival in 2007. A Horrible Way to Die (2010) and What Fun We Were Having (2011) that followed.

The romantic horror film A Horrible Way to Die premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival in the Vanguard section and was acquired by Starz/Anchor Bay at the festival for a North American theatrical and home media release. What Fun We Were Having: 4 Stories About Date Rape is a 4-part anthology that had its premiere at the 2011 Fantastia Film Festival in Montreal, Canada where Wingard was honored by the festival with his own sidebar section: “Medicated Monsters – A Spotlight on Filmmaker Adam Wingard”.

In 2011, Wingard co-directed Autoerotic with the actor and filmmaker Joe Swanberg. He was selected to direct one chapter of The ABCs of Death , a 26-chapter horror comedy anthology for Drafthouse Films and Magnet. A solo directorial effort, You're Next , a home invasion slasher, premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the ‘Midnight Madness’ section. [5] The film was acquired by Lionsgate and received a wide release in August 2013 to favorable reviews.

In 2013, Wingard offered the project Peter Jackson, director of the 2005 remake of King Kong and he had been interested in producing a sequel to the film, titled Skull Island, with Wingard as director and Simon Barrett writing it. Jackson had been impressed with Wingard's work in You're Next , and investigated a potential sequel. However, Universal Pictures rights abandoned due to acquired film rights to Warner Bros, which complicated a sequel to a unproduced movie. [6] Wingard pivoted to offering a modern-day sequel, but ultimately nothing came of the proposal. [7]

In 2014, Wingard directed The Guest starring Dan Stevens, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest, receiving wide critical acclaim upon its wider theatrical release in mid-September. [8] Wingard directed the found-footage horror film Blair Witch , based on a script by Simon Barrett. The film is a sequel to the 1999 The Blair Witch Project and received mixed reviews. [9]

In 2015, Wingard signed on to direct a live action American film adaptation of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata's popular horror crime-thriller manga series Death Note . [10] The neo-noir dark fantasy horror-thriller was released on Netflix on August 25, 2017, to a mixed reception, with criticism aimed at the number of changes from the source material, rushed plot, shallow execution, writing and the pacing while praise was aimed at the visual style, direction, performances of the cast, soundtrack and the dark, macabre sense of humour, along with the attempted unique and distinctive take on the Death Note mythos. Despite the mixed response, the film was considered a sizable enough success for Netflix to develop a sequel in 2018 with Greg Russo writing the script. [11] No word has been made on whether Wingard is set to return as director.

In May 2017, Wingard was announced as the director for Godzilla vs. Kong , which was released in March 2021. [12] In February 2021, it was announced that Wingard would direct and co-write, with Simon Barrett, a sequel to Face/Off . [13] In March 2021, Wingard was announced as the director of ThunderCats , also co-writing it with Barrett. [14] In May 2021, it was announced that Wingard would direct an adaptation of the comic Hardcore by Robert Kirkman. Wingard will also write the screenplay with Will Simmons from a story by Kirkman. [15]

In April 2021, The Hollywood Reporter stated that Legendary was "quietly taking steps" to stretch the MonsterVerse into "one or more installments," while negotiating with Wingard to potentially return to direct. Various ideas were being considered, with Son of Kong being one potential title. [16] In May 2022, it was reported that Wingard would return to direct a sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong, entitled Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire . [17] Wingard is set to direct an action thriller film entitled Onslaught, which will begin filming in autumn 2024. [18]

Awards and nominations

Wingard's film Pop Skull [19] [20] [21] won the Best Feature Film award at the Indianapolis International Film Festival [22] and the Jury award at the Boston Underground Film Festival. [23] Wingard's A Horrible Way to Die won Best Screenplay (Simon Barrett), Best Actor (A.J. Bowen) and Best Actress (Amy Seimetz) at the 2010 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. [24] Wingard's You're Next won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Simon Barrett), and Best Actress (Sharni Vinson) at the 2011 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. [25]

Filmography

Film

Director

YearTitle Director Writer Producer DoP Editor Notes
2007 Home Sick YesNoNoNoNo
Pop Skull YesYesYesYesYes
2010 A Horrible Way to Die YesNoNoNoYesAlso camera operator and music supervisor
2011 Autoerotic Yes [a] YesNoYesYesAlso camera operator
What Fun We Were Having:
4 Stories About Date Rape
YesYesNoYesYes
You're Next YesNoNoNoYesAlso composer
2014 The Guest YesNoNoNoYes
2016 Blair Witch YesNoCo-producerNoNoAlso composer
2017 Death Note YesNoNoNoNo
2021 Godzilla vs. Kong YesNoNoNoNo
2024 Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire YesStoryExecutiveNoNo
TBA Onslaught YesYesYesNoNoFilming

Director of photography

Editor

Acting roles

YearTitleRole
2007 Pop Skull Raymond
2010 Autoerotic
2011 Art History Bill
2013 24 Exposures Billy
2014 The Last Survivors Compound Soldier
2020 She Dies Tomorrow Dune Buggy Man
2024 Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire M.U.L.E Pilot (uncredited)[ citation needed ]

Television

YearTitleDirectorEditorNotes
2007An Evening with P. OswaltNoYesLive comedy show
2016 Outcast YesNo1 episode;
Also executive consultant

Short films

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerDoPEditorActorRoleNotes
2004The Little OneYesNoNoYesYesNo
2005The GirlfriendYesNoNoYesYesNo
20071000 Year SleepYesYesNoYesYesNo
2008Laura PanicYesYesNoYesYesNo
Paradox MaryYesYesNoYesYesNo
Little Sister GoneYesNoNoNoNoNo
2009Her Name is Laura PanicYesNoNoNoNoNo
2011Ultra ModernYesNoNoNoNoNoSegment from 60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero
2012Tape 56YesNoYesYesYesYesBradSegment from V/H/S ;
Also camera operator and sound designer
Q is for QuackYesNoNoNoNoYesAdamSegment from The ABCs of Death
2013Phase I Clinical TrialsYesNoExecutiveNoYesYesHermanSegment from V/H/S/2 ;
Also set photographer
Special thanks
YearTitle
2013 Cheap Thrills
2017 XX

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References

  1. Co-directed with Joe Swanberg
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