Hayden Schlossberg

Last updated
Hayden Schlossberg
Hayden Schlossberg (2).jpg
Schlossberg at the American Reunion premiere in 2012
Born (1978-06-09) June 9, 1978 (age 45)
Livingston, New Jersey
Alma materUniversity of Chicago
Occupation(s)screenwriter, director, producer
Known for Cobra Kai
Harold & Kumar

Hayden Schlossberg (born June 9, 1978) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer best known for his work on Cobra Kai (with Jon Hurwitz and Josh Heald), the Harold & Kumar films and American Reunion (with Hurwitz).

Contents

Early life

Schlossberg was born in New Jersey, to Jewish parents. [1] [2] Schlossberg met Jon Hurwitz when they both attended Randolph High School. After high school, Schlossberg attended the University of Chicago, where he studied history. [3] Hurwitz went to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, with Josh Heald who lived in the same dorm with him during freshman year. Schlossberg frequently came to visit Hurwitz at Penn, and thus got to know him as well. [4] Schlossberg graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in History in 2000. His original goal was to study law. [5] [6] [7]

Career

It was during their time in college that Hurwitz and Schlossberg sold their first script Filthy to MGM. Upon selling Filthy, they moved to Hollywood to begin their career in the entertainment industry. [7] The idea for the first Harold and Kumar film, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle developed while they were living in Los Angeles. Schlossberg and Hurwitz decided to write a low-budget stoner film and base the main characters on their high school friends from Randolph High School. They based the character of Harold on their real-life friend Harold Lee. Hurwitz got the idea to base the film around White Castle from his own experience craving White Castle burgers when he lived in Pennsylvania for several years. At the time, Pennsylvania did not have any White Castle locations and Hurwitz had to have family members bring him frozen White Castle burgers from New Jersey. [8] It was later followed by Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas . They also wrote and directed the fourth theatrical entry in the American Pie franchise, American Reunion (2012). [9]

They currently work on Cobra Kai , a continuation of The Karate Kid franchise. They created the show, along with their close friend Josh Heald. The trio serve as executive producers, show runners, writers, and directors on the series. [10] More recently, he and his friend Jon Hurwitz, along with Josh Heald via Counterbalance Entertainment has signed a deal with Sony Pictures Television. [11]

Filmography

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes
2004 Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle NoYesNo
2008 Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay YesYesco-producer
Harold & Kumar Go to AmsterdamYesYesNoShort film
2011 A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas NoYesco-producer
2012 American Reunion YesYesNo
2018 Blockers NoNoYes
2018–present Cobra Kai YesYesExecutiveAlso co-creator
2021 Plan B NoNoYes
2023-present Obliterated YesYesYes

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Karate Kid</i> 1984 American martial arts drama film

The Karate Kid is a 1984 American martial arts drama film written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen. It is the first installment in the Karate Kid franchise, and stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue and William Zabka. The Karate Kid follows the story of Daniel LaRusso (Macchio), an Italian-American teenager from New Jersey who moves with his widowed mother to the Reseda neighborhood of Los Angeles. There, LaRusso encounters harassment from his new bullies, one of whom is Johnny Lawrence (Zabka), the ex-boyfriend of LaRusso's love interest, Ali Mills (Shue). As a result, LaRusso is taught karate by a handyman and war veteran named Mr. Miyagi (Morita) to help LaRusso defend himself and compete in a karate tournament against his bullies.

<i>Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle</i> 2004 film by Danny Leiner

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle is a 2004 American buddy stoner comedy film directed by Danny Leiner, written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, and starring John Cho, Kal Penn, and Neil Patrick Harris. The first installment in the Harold & Kumar franchise, the film follows Harold Lee (Cho) and Kumar Patel (Penn) on their adventure to a White Castle restaurant after smoking marijuana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Hurwitz</span> American screenwriter and director

Jonathan Benjamin Hurwitz is an American screenwriter, director, and producer best known for his work on Cobra Kai, the Harold & Kumar films, and American Reunion.

<i>Cobra Kai</i> American martial arts comedy-drama television series

Cobra Kai is an American martial arts comedy-drama television series and a sequel to the original The Karate Kid films created by Robert Mark Kamen. The series was created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, and is distributed by Sony Pictures Television. The series was released on YouTube Red / YouTube Premium for the first two seasons, before moving to Netflix starting with the third. The series stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, who reprise their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, respectively, from the 1984 film The Karate Kid and its sequels, The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989).

<i>Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay</i> 2008 film by Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay is a 2008 American buddy stoner comedy film written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. The sequel to Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), it is the second installment in the Harold & Kumar franchise, and stars John Cho, Kal Penn, and Neil Patrick Harris. The film follows Harold Lee (Cho) and Kumar Patel (Penn) as their planned trip to Amsterdam is derailed after being wrongly imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

<i>The Karate Kid</i> (TV series) Television series

The Karate Kid is a 1989 American animated children's television series which debuted on NBC's Saturday morning lineup. It starred Joey Dedio, Robert Ito, and Janice Kawaye. It is based on the Karate Kid series of films, and was produced by DIC Enterprises, Saban Entertainment and Columbia Pictures Television.

Tony O’Dell is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Cobra Kai member Jimmy in the 1984 film The Karate Kid, and the second season of its spinoff Cobra Kai, and as preppy Alan Pinkard on the ABC sitcom Head of the Class (1986–91).

Harold & Kumar is the name of a series of American films created by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. Beginning with Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), and followed by Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008) and A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011), the films star John Cho, Kal Penn, and Neil Patrick Harris.

<i>A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas</i> 2011 film by Todd Strauss-Schulson

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas is a 2011 American buddy stoner Christmas comedy film directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson and written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. The sequel to Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), it is the third installment in the Harold & Kumar franchise, and stars John Cho, Kal Penn, and Neil Patrick Harris. The film follows estranged friends Harold Lee (Cho) and Kumar Patel (Penn) as they reunite to hunt for a Christmas tree.

<i>American Reunion</i> 2012 film by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg

American Reunion is a 2012 American ensemble sex comedy film written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. It is the fourth installment in the American Pie theatrical series. The film received mixed reviews from critics, and grossed $235 million worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel LaRusso</span> Protagonist of The Karate Kid franchise

Daniel LaRusso is a fictional character and the protagonist of The Karate Kid franchise. He is the protagonist of The Karate Kid's film trilogy and one of the two protagonists in its spin-off series Cobra Kai.

The Karate Kid is an American martial arts drama franchise created by Robert Mark Kamen. The series follows the journey of various coming-of-age teenagers who are taught in the ways of martial arts by an experienced mentor in order to stand up for themselves after being bullied, or assert their dominance towards others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ali Mills (character)</span> Fictional character from the Karate Kid franchise

Ali Mills is a fictional character portrayed by Elisabeth Shue in The Karate Kid franchise, appearing in the original film The Karate Kid (1984), and a minor character in the third season of its sequel series Cobra Kai (2021).

<i>Cobra Kai</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of Cobra Kai was released on YouTube Red on May 2, 2018 and consisted of 10 episodes. The series is a direct sequel to the original four films in The Karate Kid franchise, focusing on the characters of Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence over 30 years after the original film.

<i>Cobra Kai</i> (season 2) Season of television series

The second season of Cobra Kai, stylized as COBRA KAII, was released on YouTube Premium on April 24, 2019, and consisted of 10 episodes. The series is a direct sequel to the original four films in The Karate Kid franchise, focusing on the characters of Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence over 30 years after the original film. This is the final season to be originally released on YouTube's streaming service as Netflix would acquire the streaming rights to Cobra Kai following YouTube's decision not to renew the series past a third season.

<i>Cobra Kai</i> (season 3) Season of television series

The third season of Cobra Kai, stylized as COBRA KAIII, was released on Netflix on January 1, 2021, and consisted of 10 episodes. The series is a direct sequel to the original four films in The Karate Kid franchise, focusing on the characters of Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence over 30 years after the original film. This is the first season to be released on Netflix after YouTube decided to sell the series following the first two seasons. YouTube ordered the season in 2019 and initially set a 2020 release date which was delayed after Netflix's acquisition.

<i>Cobra Kai</i> (season 4) Season of television series

The fourth season of Cobra Kai, also known as Cobra Kai IV, released on Netflix on December 31, 2021, and consisted of 10 episodes. The series is a direct sequel to the original four films in The Karate Kid franchise, focusing on the characters of Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence over 30 years after the original film. It is the second season to be released in 2021 and second to initially release on Netflix after the first two seasons released on YouTube. The season was also released on DVD on September 13, 2022, a few days after the premiere of the show's fifth season.

<i>Obliterated</i> 2023 American TV series or program

Obliterated is an American action dramedy streaming television series created by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald. The series stars Nick Zano and Shelley Hennig. It premiered on Netflix on November 30, 2023, with eight episodes.

Josh Heald is an American screenwriter, director, and producer best known for his work on Cobra Kai and Hot Tub Time Machine.

References

  1. "Schlossberg, Hurwitz Create a Heartfelt 'Reunion' of Raunch". 4 April 2012.
  2. "The real smart kids". Los Angeles Times . 29 July 2004.
  3. Giles, Julie. "Hayden Schlossberg". Produced By Conference. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  4. "Wax On, Wax Off (Interview)". The Creative Influencer Podcast, PFIEFFER Law. April 24, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  5. "A movie with Jersey written all over it." The Star-Ledger , July 8, 2004, p 19.
  6. Zeitlin, Dave (April 2012). "Cooking Up a New American Pie". University of Pennsylvania . Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  7. 1 2 Cahillane, Kevin. "Homegrown: A Stoner Comedy Straight Out of Randolph", The New York Times , August 15, 2004. Accessed September 21, 2015. "Mr. Hurwitz and Mr. Schlossberg say their inspiration came straight out of Randolph. 'The high school we went to had a lot of Indian and Asian kids,' said Mr. Schlossberg, who graduated from Randolph High in Morris County in 1996, as did Mr. Hurwitz."
  8. Vespe, Eric (July 20, 2004). "Quint interviews HAROLD AND KUMAR writers Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg about Doogie and Battlesh!ts!!!". Ain't It Cool News.
  9. "'Harold & Kumar' creators to direct 'American Pie 4′ (exclusive)". Archived from the original on 2010-06-07. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  10. Heald, Josh (2018-05-01). "The Inside Story of How 'Fuller House' Inspired 'Karate Kid' Sequel 'Cobra Kai' (Guest Column)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  11. Andreeva, Nellie (2021-09-09). "'Cobra Kai' Creators Re-Up Overall Deal With Sony Pictures TV For Their Counterbalance Entertainment, Set Comedy 'The Prince' With Writer Zora Bikangaga". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-09-11.