Daniels | |
---|---|
Born | Daniel Kwan February 10, 1988 Westborough, Massachusetts, U.S. Daniel Scheinert June 7, 1987 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
Alma mater | Emerson College (BFA) |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 2007–present |
Notable work | Swiss Army Man Everything Everywhere All at Once |
Spouse | Kwan: |
Children | Kwan: 1 |
Daniel Kwan (born February 10, 1988) [1] and Daniel Scheinert (born June 7, 1987), [2] known collectively as the Daniels, are an American filmmaking duo. They began their career as directors of music videos, [3] including ones for "Houdini" (2012) by Foster the People and "Turn Down for What" (2013) by DJ Snake and Lil Jon, both of which earned them nominations at the Grammy Awards.
They have since ventured into film, having written and directed the absurdist comedy-dramas Swiss Army Man (2016) and Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). The latter became A24's highest-grossing and most popular film, [4] and won the duo many awards, including Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. [5] [6] [7]
Kwan and Scheinert met while they were both studying film at Emerson College in Boston. [8] Kwan graduated in 2010 and Scheinert graduated in 2009. [9] They went to college with Sunita Mani, who starred with Kwan in the music video for "Turn Down for What", [10] which they directed. [11]
Since 2011, the duo have directed music videos for artists including Foster the People, The Shins and Tenacious D. In 2018, Kwan co-founded the group We Direct Music Videos (W.D.M.V.), described as "a global community of music video directors who are committed to sustainable directorial labor practices". [12]
In 2016, the duo expanded to feature films, writing and directing Swiss Army Man , starring Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe, [13] which received positive reviews, [14] as well as the duo winning the Directing Award at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. [15] In 2019, Scheinert directed the black comedy-drama film The Death of Dick Long , which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and received positive reviews.
The Daniels have since accumulated several television directing credits, including Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, Legion (Kwan only) and On Becoming a God in Central Florida (Scheinert only). The duo were attached as directors on a prospective TV adaption of Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, being developed by Noah Hawley, but the project was not picked up. [16]
The Daniels announced in 2017 they would write, direct, and produce a science-fiction film with their producing partner Jonathan Wang and the Russo brothers. [17] [18] Everything Everywhere All at Once, starring Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong and Jamie Lee Curtis, was released in March 2022 to widespread critical acclaim and box office success, garnering several awards and accolades for the duo including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director at the 95th Academy Awards. [19] The film received 11 Academy Award nominations, more than any other film that year, and won seven. Prior to the Oscars ceremony, IGN calculated that Everything Everywhere All at Once had surpassed The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) as the most awarded film of all time. [20]
As of 2022 [update] , the Daniels have signed a first look TV deal with A24. [21] The same year, they also signed a five-year film deal with Universal Pictures. [22]
The duo were on the Time 100 Next list in 2022. [23]
In March 2023, it was revealed that the Daniels had directed one episode of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (2024). [24] [25]
In February 2024, it was revealed that the Daniels' next feature film would be released on June 12, 2026. [26]
Kwan was born in Westborough, Massachusetts, to a Taiwanese mother and a father from Hong Kong. He has been married to fellow filmmaker and animator Kirsten Lepore since 2016, and together they have one son. [27] [28] Kwan was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder after researching the condition for Everything Everywhere All At Once. [29]
Scheinert was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, the son of Becky and Ken Scheinert. [30] [31] He attended Oak Mountain Elementary and Middle School, and was a student at the advanced magnet program Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School at the campus of Shades Valley High School. [30]
In 2023 the Daniels won the Emerson College EVVY Alumni Award of Distinction.
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Swingers | Yes | Yes | [10] |
2010 | Puppets | Yes | Yes | [10] |
2011 | My Best Friend's Wedding/ My Best Friend's Sweating | Yes | Yes | |
2014 | Possibilia | Yes | Yes | |
2014 | Interesting Ball | Yes | Yes | |
2020 | Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia | Yes | Yes | Segments |
Scheinert only
Year | Title | Director | Writer |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | I'm Nostalgic | Yes | No |
2008 | Trust | Yes | Yes |
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Swiss Army Man | Yes | Yes | No |
2022 | Everything Everywhere All at Once | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Scheinert only
Year | Title | Director | Producer | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | The Death of Dick Long | Yes | Yes | Also portrayed Dick Long; Also performed "It's Been Awhile" |
Year | Title | Episode |
---|---|---|
2013 | NTSF:SD:SUV:: | "Comic Con Air" |
"Wreck the Malls" | ||
Childrens Hospital | "Coming and Going" | |
Infomercials | "Broomshakalaka!" | |
2020 | Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens | "Grandma & Chill" |
2024 | Star Wars: Skeleton Crew | Episode 4 |
Kwan only
Year | Title | Episode |
---|---|---|
2019 | Legion | "Chapter 23" |
Scheinert only
Year | Title | Episode |
---|---|---|
2017 | Right Now Kapow | "Radical Mutants/My Fair Peasant" |
2019 | On Becoming a God in Central Florida | "Many Masters" |
Year | Title | Artist | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | "Underwear" | FM Belfast | [32] |
"Pigeons" | The Hundred in the Hands | ||
"Commotion" | |||
2011 | "Simple Math" | Manchester Orchestra | |
"Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" | Foster the People | [10] | |
"When the Night Falls" | Chromeo (featuring Solange Knowles) | ||
2012 | "My Machines" | Battles | |
"Simple Song" | The Shins | [10] | |
"Houdini" | Foster the People | [10] | |
"Rize of the Fenix" | Tenacious D | [10] | |
2013 | "Cry Like a Ghost" | Passion Pit | |
2014 | "Turn Down for What" | DJ Snake and Lil Jon | [10] |
"Tongues" | Joywave | ||
2017 | "The Sunshine" | Manchester Orchestra | |
"The Alien" [33] |
Kerry Condon is an Irish actress. She was the youngest actress to play Ophelia in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of Hamlet (2001–2002). She played Octavia of the Julii in Rome (2005–2007), Stacey Ehrmantraut in Better Call Saul (2015–2022), and was the voice of the artificial intelligence entity F.R.I.D.A.Y. in various films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Swiss Army Man is a 2016 American surrealist comedy-drama film written and directed by Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan in their feature directorial debuts. The film stars Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
Film of the Year is one of the main categories of Dorian Awards, given annually by GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics since 2010. For the group's 2021 and 2022 awards, the category was temporarily named Best Film, mirroring the revised timelines of other film honors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
LGBTQ Film of the Year is one of the main categories of Dorian Awards, and it has been given annually since 2009. It was called LGBT-Themed Film of the Year from 2009 to 2011, and LGBT Film of the Year in 2012 and 2013. For the group's 2021 and 2022 awards, the category was temporarily named Best Film, mirroring the revised timelines of other film honors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is a 2022 American absurdist comedy-drama film written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who produced it with Anthony and Joe Russo and Jonathan Wang. The film incorporates elements from several genres and film media, including surreal comedy, science fiction, fantasy, martial arts films, immigrant narrative, and animation. Michelle Yeoh stars as Evelyn Quan Wang, a Chinese-American immigrant who, while audited by the IRS, discovers that she must connect with parallel universe versions of herself to prevent a powerful being from destroying the multiverse. The film also stars Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis, and James Hong.
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Jonathan Wang is a Taiwanese-American film producer best known for Swiss Army Man (2016) and Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). He is the long-time producing collaborator of the director duo known as the Daniels. Wang began his career in music video production and later pivoted to feature films with his debut feature Swiss Army Man, which won the Sundance 2016 U.S. Dramatic Directing Award. Since then, he has produced multiple feature films, including Everything Everywhere All at Once, which has become A24's highest-grossing film of all time, and for which Wang won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
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