James Gunn

Last updated

James Gunn
James Gunn (28557194032) (cropped).jpg
Gunn at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con
Born
James Francis Gunn Jr.

(1966-08-05) August 5, 1966 (age 57) [n 1]
Education Loyola Marymount University
Saint Louis University (BA)
Columbia University (MFA)
Occupations
  • Film director
  • film producer
  • screenwriter
  • studio executive
Years active1989–present
Employer Warner Bros. Discovery
TitleCo-chairman and Co-CEO of DC Studios
Spouses
  • (m. 2000;div. 2008)
  • (m. 2022)
Relatives

James Francis Gunn Jr. (born August 5, 1966) [n 1] is an American filmmaker and studio executive. He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with Tromeo and Juliet (1997). He then began working as a director, starting with the horror-comedy film Slither (2006), and moving to the superhero genre with Super (2010), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), The Suicide Squad (2021), and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). In 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery hired Gunn and Peter Safran to become co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios. [1] Under DC Studios, Gunn will co-produce and executive produce every film and television series under the upcoming DC Universe (DCU) media franchise alongside Safran, which will act as a soft-reboot of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). He will also continue to write and direct various projects set in the DCU, including the upcoming film Superman (2025).

Contents

He also wrote and directed the web series James Gunn's PG Porn (2008–2009), the HBO Max original series Peacemaker (2022–present) and Creature Commandos (2024), and the Disney+ original special The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022). Other projects he is known for is writing for the 2004 remake of George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead (1978), writing the live-action adaptation of Scooby Doo (2002), and its sequel Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), writing and producing the horror-action film The Belko Experiment (2016), producing the superhero-horror film Brightburn (2019), and contributing to comedy-anthology film Movie 43 (2013) (directing the segment "Beezel") and the 2012 hack-and-slash video game Lollipop Chainsaw .

Early life

James Francis Gunn Jr. [2] was born on August 5, 1966 [3] [n 1] in St. Louis, Missouri, [4] to parents James F. Gunn, an attorney, and Leota "Lee" (Hynek). [6] [7] [8] He was raised Catholic [9] in the St Louis suburb municipality of Manchester, Missouri. [10] [11] He has five siblings — actor Sean, actor and political writer Matt, screenwriter Brian, Patrick, and Beth. [12] [13] [14] Gunn is of Irish and Jewish descent [15] his father coming from an Irish immigrant family. [16] Gunn has stated that his family's surname was originally the Irish name MacGilgunn and that it means "sons to the servants of the god of the dead"; it actually means "son of the brown youth." [17] [18] [19] [20]

Growing up, Gunn was influenced by low-budget films such as Night of the Living Dead and Friday the 13th . He read magazines like Fangoria and attended genre movie screenings, including the original Dawn of the Dead at the Tivoli Theatre in St. Louis. At the age of 12, he began making 8 mm zombie films with his brothers in the woods near their home. [21]

Gunn and his brothers all attended the Jesuit St. Louis University High School, where he graduated in 1984. [5] [6] He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Louis University. [22] While at Saint Louis University, Gunn created political cartoons for the school's student weekly, The University News. [23] Gunn said that, at an unspecified time in his college education, "I went to two years undergraduate film school at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. But I was pretty screwed up at the time, and had to leave. Years later I went to graduate school at the Columbia University School of Fine Arts but I studied prose writing, not film writing." [24] He earned a Master of Fine Arts from Columbia University in 1995. [25]

Career

Music

While living in St. Louis, Gunn founded a band, The Icons, in 1989, serving as lead vocalist. The group released the album Mom, We Like It Here on Earth in 1994, and its songs "Sunday" and "Walking Naked" were featured in the film Tromeo and Juliet . The Icons disbanded in the mid-1990s. [26] Gunn has continued to work in music, composing songs for Scooby-Doo , Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed , and Movie 43 .

Film and television

Gunn in 2013 James Gunn by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Gunn in 2013

Gunn began his career in filmmaking with Troma Entertainment in 1995, for which he co-wrote the independent film Tromeo and Juliet . Working alongside his mentor Lloyd Kaufman, the co-founder of Troma, Gunn learned how to write screenplays, produce films, scout locations, direct actors, distribute films, and create his own poster art. [21] After contributing to several other Troma films, Gunn in 2000 wrote, produced and performed in the superhero comedy The Specials , directed by Craig Mazin and featuring Rob Lowe, Thomas Haden Church, Paget Brewster, Judy Greer and Jamie Kennedy.

Gunn's first major Hollywood screenplay was Scooby-Doo in 2002. In 2004, he wrote the screenplays for the remake of Dawn of the Dead and the sequel Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. With these films, Gunn became the first screenwriter to have two films top the box office in consecutive weeks. [27] That same year, he executive produced and starred in the mockumentary LolliLove , directed by and starring his then-wife Jenna Fischer. His film directorial debut was the 2006 horror-comedy Slither , which was included on Rotten Tomatoes' list of the 50 Best Ever Reviewed Horror Movies. [28]

Gunn's next projects included the comedy short film "Humanzee!" which was originally intended exclusively for the Xbox Live's Horror Meets Comedy series of short comedy films by horror directors, it was replaced with "Sparky and Mikaela" which debuted on Xbox Live on December 31, 2008. In an April 2009 interview on The Jace Hall Show, Gunn described "Sparky and Mikaela" as being "about a human [and] racoon crime fighting team and they fight crime in both the forest world, among the furry animals, and in the human world". [29] Gunn also has a short-form web series for Spike.com titled James Gunn's PG Porn .

In 2008, Gunn was a judge on the VH1 reality television show Scream Queens , where 10 unknown actresses compete for a role in the film Saw VI . [30]

In 2009, Gunn announced he was going to write and direct Pets, a comedy about a man who is abducted by aliens who want to turn him into a household pet, with Ben Stiller, Stuart Cornfeld and Jeremy Kramer producing. [31] However, by March 2009, Gunn announced, "Pets unfortunately, is done. I'm gone. I left the project for various reasons. I hope it sees the light of day somehow, but it won't be with me attached as director." [32]

In 2010, Gunn released Super , a dark comedy and superhero satire starring Rainn Wilson and Elliot Page. He also directed a segment of the 2013 comedy anthology film Movie 43 (2013); the segment starred Elizabeth Banks and Josh Duhamel. The film was critically panned.

Gunn in 2014 James Gunn - Guardians of the Galaxy premiere - July 2014 (cropped).jpg
Gunn in 2014

Gunn co-wrote and directed the Marvel Studios adaptation of Guardians of the Galaxy , which was released on August 1, 2014. [33] His brother, Sean, has a role in the film. Gunn has appeared as an actor, mostly in smaller roles or uncredited appearances in his own projects. After Dan Gilroy and Jack Black separately lamented the proliferation of superhero films, [34] Gunn responded in a Facebook post, saying in part:

Popular fare in any medium has always been snubbed by the self-appointed elite. ... What bothers me slightly is that many people assume because you make big films that you put less love, care, and thought into them than people do who make independent films or who make what are considered more serious Hollywood films. ... If you think people who make superhero movies are dumb, come out and say we're dumb. But if you, as an independent filmmaker or a 'serious' filmmaker, think you put more love into your characters than the Russo Brothers do Captain America, or Joss Whedon does the Hulk, or I do a talking raccoon, you are simply mistaken. [35]

Gunn wrote and produced the horror film The Belko Experiment , which was released in 2017. [36] In 2016, he directed three Stan Lee cameo scenes in one day, for the film Doctor Strange and two unrevealed projects. [37] [38] [39]

Gunn wrote and directed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017). [40] [41] [42] Gunn was slated to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in July 2018, but before the project started, Disney severed ties with Gunn as the director amid controversy over off-color jokes he had tweeted. [43] Gunn was rehired in March 2019 after a mass public appeal, many saying he was the reason of the previous movies' successes. [44]

In October 2018, Gunn was hired to write a completely new script for the DC Extended Universe film The Suicide Squad , with the intention of also serving as director, after its original director Gavin O'Connor left due to scheduling issues. [45] [46] In January 2019, he was officially confirmed to direct The Suicide Squad. [47] He also wrote, directed, and produced the spin-off television series for the film centered on the character Peacemaker played by John Cena for Max. [48] Gunn also co-wrote and co-produced a live-action/animated film titled Coyote vs. Acme , based on the Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote, for Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. [49] He is also executive-producing a Peacemaker spin-off centered on Amanda Waller, with Christal Henry writing and Viola Davis reprising her role from previous DCEU projects. [50] In addition, Gunn is writing and directing another project for DC. [51] Gunn is also involved in multiple other DC projects, including television series. [51]

Other media

Gunn wrote a novel in 2000, The Toy Collector , a story of a hospital orderly who steals drugs from the hospital which he sells to help keep his toy collection habit alive. In 1998, he and Troma's President Lloyd Kaufman co-wrote All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avenger , about his experiences with Kaufman while working at Troma.

He wrote the story for Grasshopper Manufacture's video game Lollipop Chainsaw , working with game designer Suda 51. [52]

Firing from Disney and reinstatement

In July 2018, in reaction to Gunn's public criticisms of Donald Trump, commentator Mike Cernovich drew attention to controversial jokes that Gunn posted on social media between 2008 and 2012 involving pedophilia and the Holocaust. [53] [54] Amid criticism of the tweets, Disney severed ties with Gunn as the director of the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 film at the time; [55] Gunn responded: "I have regretted [those jokes] for many years since. [...] Regardless of how much time has passed, I understand and accept the business decisions taken today. Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then. All I can do now [is offer] my sincere and heartfelt regret [...] To everyone inside my industry and beyond, I again offer my deepest apologies." [55] [56]

Walt Disney Studios's decision received criticism from many entertainers and journalists, including actors Dave Bautista, Selma Blair, Patton Oswalt, David Dastmalchian, Michael Ian Black, Mikaela Hoover, Mike Colter, Alex Winter, David Hasselhoff, directors Joe Carnahan and Fede Álvarez, comics artist Jim Starlin, musician Rhett Miller, comedian Jim Jefferies, Rick and Morty creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, journalist David A. French and Troma Entertainment founder and president Lloyd Kaufman. [lower-alpha 1] Bobcat Goldthwait, who worked as a voice actor on the 1997 Disney film Hercules , responded to the incident by asking Disney to remove his voice from an upcoming park attraction based on the film. [66]

A number of media outlets criticized Disney's decision, including Collider , Cartoon Brew , The Daily Dot , The Independent , National Review , MovieWeb , and Vulture . [67] [58] [68] [69] [70] [71] [72] An online petition urging Disney to re-hire Gunn received over 400,000 signatures. [57] [73] [74] [75] On July 30, 2018, Guardians of the Galaxy cast members Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Sean Gunn, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and Michael Rooker released a joint statement through social media expressing their support for Gunn. [76]

Because of the situation, Sony Pictures decided to not promote the horror film Brightburn , which Gunn produced, at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con. [77] However, when the first trailer for the film was released on December 8, 2018, Gunn's name was prominently featured. The film opened in May 2019. [78]

In March 2019, Gunn was reinstated by Disney as director of the film after meeting with Alan Horn, chairman of Walt Disney Studios. Gunn started production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in October 2021, after The Suicide Squad had been completed. [44]

DC Studios

Gunn and frequent producing partner Peter Safran had advised David Zaslav, the CEO of the newly created Warner Bros. Discovery, during his search for a new head of DC Films. The duo impressed Zaslav who decided to appoint them as the co-chairpersons and CEOs of DC Films, rebranded as "DC Studios", with control over films, animation and television projects based on characters from DC Comics. Gunn oversees the creative aspects and will be exclusive to Warner Bros. Discovery during his tenure, except for his prior commitments to Disney. The two assumed their positions on November 1, 2022. [79] [80] [81] [82]

In December 2022, Gunn announced that he was writing a film about a young Superman during his early years in Metropolis, [83] later revealed to be titled Superman and scheduled for release in July 2025; in March 2023 it was confirmed Gunn would also direct the project. [84] In January 2023, Gunn and Safran revealed their plans for future DCU films, with the first chapter being titled "Gods and Monsters". Gunn was also revealed to be writing a seven-episode animated series titled Creature Commandos , based on the comic book team of the same name, [85] and working on the HBO Max series Waller, a spin-off of Peacemaker focusing on the character of Amanda Waller. [86]

Personal life

Gunn married actress Jenna Fischer on October 7, 2000. [6] After seven years of marriage, Gunn and Fischer announced their separation in a joint statement on September 5, 2007, [87] divorcing in 2008. [88] The two remained friends. In 2010, Fischer persuaded Gunn to cast Rainn Wilson, her co-star on The Office , in Gunn's film Super . [21]

Gunn has been in a relationship with actress Jennifer Holland since 2015. [89] In February 2022, Holland and Gunn became engaged, [90] and were married at the end of September 2022. [91]

He has a dog named Oz, adopted from a shelter in 2022. Gunn has regularly shared photos of the dog and promoted #AdoptDontShop. [92] For that reason as well as his CGI work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, PETA declared Gunn to be their 2023 Person of the Year. [93]

Gunn was raised in a Catholic family and has mentioned how prayer continues to play an important role in his life, [94] but has also said that he is, "in some ways, anti-religion". [95]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes
1997 Tromeo and Juliet AssociateYesNo
2000 The Specials NoYesAssociate
2002 Scooby-Doo NoYesNo
2004 Dawn of the Dead NoYesNo
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed NoYesCo-producer
2006 Slither YesYesNoFeature film directorial debut
2010 Super YesYesNo
2014 Guardians of the Galaxy YesYesNoCo-written with Nicole Perlman
2016 The Belko Experiment NoYesYes
2017 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 YesYesNo
2019 Brightburn NoNoYes [96]
2021 The Suicide Squad YesYesNo
2023 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 YesYesNo
2025 Superman YesYesYesCo-produced with Peter Safran
N/A Coyote vs. Acme NoStoryYesUnreleased

Executive producer

YearTitleNotes
2004 LolliLove Also uncredited writer
2018 Avengers: Infinity War Also additional dialogue [97] [98]
2019 Avengers: Endgame

Other roles

YearTitleRole
1996 Tromeo and Juliet Executive in charge of production
1999 Terror Firmer Based on the book "All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger"
by Gunn and Lloyd Kaufman
2001 Thirteen Ghosts Uncredited additional writing [99]
2013 Thor: The Dark World Second unit Director: mid-credit sequence
2016 Doctor Strange Uncredited director: Stan Lee's cameo scene
2017 Spider-Man: Homecoming

Short films

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes
1997Hamster PSAYesYesNo
2004TubeNoYesNo
2008Sparky & MikaelaYesYesYesWeb short
Humanzee!YesYesYes
2013BeezelYesYesNoSegment of Movie 43

Acting roles

YearTitleRoleNotes
1996 Tromeo and Juliet Found a peanut father
2000 The Specials Minute Man
Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV Doctor Flem Hocking
2003Doggie Tails, Vol. 1: Lucky's First Sleep-OverRiley Direct-to-video
The Ghouls Detective Cotton
Melvin Goes to Dinner Scott
2004 LolliLove James
2006 Slither HankUncredited
2008Humanzee!JamesWeb short
2010 Super Demonswill
2014 Guardians of the Galaxy Maskless Sakaaran, Baby Groot Also CGI actor in end-credits scene [100]
2017 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Baby Groot
2023 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 LambshankVoice cameo [101]

Television

YearTitleCreatorDirectorWriterExecutive ProducerNotes
1997–2000 The Tromaville Café YesYesYesNo
2008–2009 James Gunn's PG Porn YesYesYesYesWeb series
2022–present Peacemaker YesYesYesYesDirected 5 episodes
I Am Groot NoNoNoYesShorts series
Season 1 only
Special thanks
Season 2
2022 The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special YesYesYesYesTelevision special
2024 [102] [103] Creature Commandos YesVoice director [104] YesYes

Acting roles

YearTitleRole
1997 Sgt. Kabukiman Public Service Announcement Insane Masturbator
1997–2000 The Tromaville Café Mike the Crazy Boom Guy
2008–2009 James Gunn's PG Porn Various roles
2013 Holliston John Anguish
2015 Con Man Raaker 2.0
2022 Harley Quinn [105] Himself (voice)
I Am Groot Wrist Watch (voice)
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Groot

Video games

YearTitleRole
2012 Lollipop Chainsaw Writer
2013 LocoCycle [106] Actor: Big Arms Chairman

Theme parks

YearTitleRole
2017 Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT! Writer, director; show scenes
2022 Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Writer, director; show scenes

Collaborators

Work
Actor
Slither James Gunn's PG Porn Super Guardians of the Galaxy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 The Suicide Squad Peacemaker The Guardians of the Galaxy
Holiday Special
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Creature Commandos Superman
Chukwudi Iwuji Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Daniela Melchior Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Flula Borg Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Gregg Henry Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Jennifer Holland Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Kevin Bacon Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Linda Cardellini Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Lloyd Kaufman Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Michael Rooker Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Michael Rosenbaum Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Mikaela Hoover Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Nathan Fillion Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Pete Davidson Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Pom Klementieff Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Rhett Miller Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Rob Zombie Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Sean Gunn Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Stephen Blackehart Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Steve Agee Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Sylvester Stallone Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Terence RosemoreYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg

Additionally, John Cena, Elizabeth Banks, and David Dastmalchian have all appeared in a project produced by Gunn, in addition to a project directed by him.

Awards and nominations

Year [lower-alpha 2] AwardCategoryRecipient(s) and nominee(s)ResultRef.
2005 Bram Stoker Award Best Screenplay Dawn of the DeadNominated
2006 Chainsaw Award Highest Body CountSlitherWon
2007 Saturn Awards The Filmmakers Showcase AwardWon
2014 Golden Raspberry Award Worst Screenplay (shared with co-writers)Movie 43Won [107]
Worst Director (shared with co-directors)Won
2015 Critics' Choice Awards Best Action FilmGuardians of the GalaxyWon [108]
Grammy Awards Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 Nominated [109]
Hollywood Film Awards Blockbuster of the YearGuardians of the GalaxyWon [110]
Hugo Awards Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form Won [111]
Nebula Awards Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation Won [112]
Saturn Awards Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture Won [113]
Best Director Won
Best Writing Nominated
Writers Guild of America Awards Best Adapted Screenplay (shared with Nicole Perlman)Nominated [114]
2018 Grammy Awards Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2 Nominated [115]
Saturn AwardsBest Comic-to-Film Motion PictureGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2Nominated [116]
[117]
2022 Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards Best Writing in a Streaming Series, ComedyPeacemakerNominated [118]
Georgia Film Critics Association Awards Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia CinemaThe Suicide SquadNominated [119]
Hollywood Critics AssociationBest Action FilmNominated [120]
Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Superhero MovieNominated [121]
Saturn Awards Best Superhero Film Nominated [122]
2023 Children's and Family Emmy Awards Outstanding Fiction Special The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Won [123]
[124]
Outstanding Directing for a Single Camera ProgramNominated
Outstanding Short Form Program I Am Groot Won

Bibliography

YearTitleNotes
1998 All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avenger with Lloyd Kaufman
2000 The Toy Collector
2003Make Your Own Damn Movie: Secrets of a Renegade DirectorIntroduction only

See also

Notes

  1. Attributed to multiple references: [57] [58] [59] [60] [61] [62] [63] [64] [65]
  2. Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.
  1. 1 2 3 While many sources give a birth year of 1970, [4] Gunn graduated from St. Louis University High School in 1984, [5] and other sources give his birth year as 1966. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Gunn</span> American actor

Sean Gunn is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Kirk Gleason on The WB series Gilmore Girls (2000–2007), and Kraglin Obfonteri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In this role, he has been in the films Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), as well as the animated series What If...? and television film The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022). He also played Weasel and Calendar Man in the Warner Bros./DCEU film The Suicide Squad (2021). He is the younger brother of director James Gunn and often appears in his films.

<i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i> (film) 2014 Marvel Studios film

Guardians of the Galaxy is a 2014 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 10th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Directed by James Gunn, who wrote the screenplay with Nicole Perlman, it features an ensemble cast including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper as the titular Guardians, along with Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, and Benicio del Toro. In the film, Peter Quill and a group of extraterrestrial criminals go on the run after stealing a powerful artifact.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album for the Marvel Studios film Guardians of the Galaxy. Featuring the songs present on Peter Quill's mixtape in the film, the album was released by Hollywood Records on July 29, 2014. A separate film score album, Guardians of the Galaxy (Original Score), composed by Tyler Bates, was also released by Hollywood Records on the same date, along with a deluxe version featuring both albums. The soundtrack album reached number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, becoming the first soundtrack album in history consisting entirely of previously released songs to top the chart.

<i>Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2</i> 2017 Marvel Studios film

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and the 15th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Written and directed by James Gunn, the film stars an ensemble cast featuring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russell. In the film, the Guardians travel throughout the cosmos as they help Peter Quill learn more about his mysterious parentage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Studios</span> American entertainment company

DC Studios is an American film, television, and animation studio that is a division of Warner Bros., which is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). It is dedicated to the production of films, series, and animations based on characters from DC Comics, among them is their flagship franchise, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). James Gunn and Peter Safran assumed control of the company, on November 1, 2022. Previously, Walter Hamada was the president of DC Films from 2018 until his departure in October 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Extended Universe</span> Shared fictional universe

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics. The DCEU also includes comic books, short films, novels, and video games. Like the original DC Universe in comic books, the DCEU is established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.

<i>The Suicide Squad</i> (film) 2021 superhero film by James Gunn

The Suicide Squad is a 2021 American superhero film based on the DC Comics team Suicide Squad. Produced by DC Films, Atlas Entertainment, and the Safran Company, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a standalone sequel to Suicide Squad (2016) and the 10th film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film was written and directed by James Gunn and stars an ensemble cast including Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Sylvester Stallone, Viola Davis, David Dastmalchian, Daniela Melchior, Michael Rooker, Jai Courtney, Peter Capaldi, Alice Braga, and Pete Davidson. In the film, several convicts join a task force known as the "Suicide Squad" in exchange for lighter sentences. They are sent to the South American island nation of Corto Maltese to destroy all traces of the giant alien starfish Starro the Conqueror before it falls into the local government's control.

<i>Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3</i> 2023 Marvel Studios film

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a 2023 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), and the 32nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Written and directed by James Gunn, it features an ensemble cast including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Will Poulter, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Linda Cardellini, Nathan Fillion, and Sylvester Stallone. In the film, the Guardians must save Rocket's (Cooper) life from the High Evolutionary (Iwuji).

Superman is an upcoming American superhero film based on DC Comics featuring the character of the same name. Produced by DC Studios and to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it will be the first film in the DC Universe (DCU) and a reboot of the Superman film series. The film is written and directed by James Gunn and stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent / Superman, alongside Rachel Brosnahan, Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, Anthony Carrigan, María Gabriela de Faría, Sara Sampaio, Skyler Gisondo, Nicholas Hoult, Terence Rosemore, and Wendell Pierce. In the film, Superman's journey to reconcile his alien heritage with his human family is explored.

Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a group of American superhero films and television series produced by Marvel Studios based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. Phase Five features all of the Marvel Studios productions set to be released starting from 2023 to mid-2025, with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributing the films, while the series release on Disney+. Animation in the phase was produced by Marvel Studios Animation. The first film in the phase is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which was released in February 2023, while the first series in the phase, Secret Invasion, premiered in June 2023. The release schedule of Phase Five was changed several times due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Kevin Feige produces every film and serves as executive producer of every series in this phase, alongside producers Stephen Broussard for Quantumania; Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy, and Lauren Shuler Donner for Deadpool & Wolverine; and Nate Moore and Malcolm Spellman for Captain America: Brave New World.

<i>Peacemaker</i> (TV series) 2022 superhero series by James Gunn

Peacemaker is an American superhero television series created by James Gunn for the streaming service HBO Max, based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The first season is the only DC Extended Universe (DCEU) television series and a spin-off from the 2021 film The Suicide Squad. Set after the events of the film, it further explores jingoistic mercenary Christopher Smith / Peacemaker. It was produced by the Safran Company and Troll Court Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and with Gunn as showrunner. The second season is produced by DC Studios and set in the DC Universe (DCU), a "soft reboot" of the DCEU.

<i>The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special</i> Marvel Studios television special

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is an American television special written and directed by James Gunn for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy. It is the second Marvel Studios Special Presentation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films and television series of the franchise. The special is produced by Marvel Studios, and follows the Guardians of the Galaxy as they celebrate Christmas and search for a present for their leader Peter Quill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peacemaker (DC Extended Universe)</span> DC Extended Universe character

Christopher "Chris" Smith, also known as the Peacemaker, is a fictional antihero in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and DC Universe (DCU) media franchises, based on the Charlton / DC Comics character of the same name. Adapted for film by writer/director James Gunn, he is portrayed by John Cena. Smith operates as a vigilante who aims to achieve peace at any cost, which results in a 30-year prison sentence at Belle Reve Penitentiary. He is approached by the facility's warden and the director of A.R.G.U.S., Amanda Waller, to join a strike team called Task Force X along with other inmates on an infiltration mission to the remote island of Corto Maltese. After being incapacitated during the mission, he is nursed back to health by A.R.G.U.S. and assigned to accompany a group of their agents for "Project Butterfly".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvel Studios Special Presentations</span> Television specials produced by Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios Special Presentations are a series of television specials produced by Marvel Studios for Disney+, set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the franchise's films and television series. The Marvel Studios Special Presentation banner was revealed alongside the announcement of the first television special, Werewolf by Night (2022), in September 2022. The approximately hour-long specials are envisioned to provide a short look at new characters or concepts to the MCU. The Special Presentations are accompanied by a special fanfare and opening reminiscent of the CBS Special Presentation intro from the 1980s and 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Universe (franchise)</span> Shared fictional universe

The DC Universe (DCU) is an upcoming American media franchise and shared universe based on characters from DC Comics publications. It was created by James Gunn and Peter Safran, co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios. The franchise is a soft reboot of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), a previous franchise featuring DC characters. The DCU retains certain DCEU cast members while replacing others. In contrast with the previous state of DC Comics adaptations, the DCU features a united continuity and story across live-action films and television, animation, and video games. Concurrent DC adaptations that do not fit within this continuity are labeled "DC Elseworlds".

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) media franchise has experienced a turbulent history since its inception in 2013, characterized by highly publicized clashes between studio executives and talent, constantly changing approaches to worldbuilding, and repeated changes in management. Warner Bros. Pictures originally announced plans for a shared universe of live-action films based on the DC Comics, starting with the release of Man of Steel (2013), with director Zack Snyder set to spearhead the franchise. Following the negative reception to Snyder's follow-up film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Warner Bros. created DC Films, a new division led by Geoff Johns and Jon Berg tasked with overseeing development of the DCEU. DC Films attempted to correct the course of the franchise, culminating in the troubled production and disastrous release of the crossover film Justice League (2017), which significantly deviated from Snyder's original vision.

Creature Commandos is an upcoming American adult animated television series based on DC Comics featuring the eponymous team. Produced by DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation, it will be the first television series in the DC Universe (DCU) and the first installment overall. It focuses on a black ops team of monsters assembled by Amanda Waller. All seven episodes were written by James Gunn.

<i>Peacemaker</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of the American superhero television series Peacemaker is based on the DC Comics character of the same name. It is the only television series in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and a spin-off from the 2021 film The Suicide Squad. Set after the events of the film, the season further explores jingoistic mercenary Christopher Smith / Peacemaker. It was produced by the Safran Company and Troll Court Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and with James Gunn as showrunner.

The second season of the American superhero television series Peacemaker is based on the DC Comics character of the same name. It is set in the DC Universe (DCU) and serves as a "soft reboot" of the series, which started as a spin-off from the 2021 DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film The Suicide Squad. The season continues the story of jingoistic mercenary Christopher Smith / Peacemaker. It is produced by DC Studios with James Gunn as showrunner.

References

  1. D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 25, 2022). "James Gunn And Peter Safran Named Co-Chairmen And CEOs Of DC Studios". Deadline. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  2. "Songwriter/Composer: Gunn, James Francis Jr". Broadcast Music Inc. Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "A Star Is Born: James Gunn turns 51 today". Los Angeles Times . August 5, 2017. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  4. 1 2 "James Gunn Biography". Tribute . Toronto, Canada. Archived from the original on July 19, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Notable Alumni: SLUH". St. Louis University High School. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2014. James Gunn '84, filmmaker and screenwriter; Brian Gunn '88, screenwriter; Matt Gunn '90, writer for HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher; Sean Gunn '92, actor.
  6. 1 2 3 Williams, Joe (July 31, 2014). "St. Louis director James Gunn goes galactic". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Archived from the original on August 20, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014. Gunn graduated from SLUH in 1984.
  7. Lovece, Frank (May 4, 2017). "James Gunn says 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' a family affair". Newsday . Archived from the original on May 8, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.Additional on May 5, 2017.
  8. "James Gunn Sr. Obituary (1941 - 2019) St. Louis Post-Dispatch". Legacy.com .
  9. "How 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' reflects its director's painful childhood - The Washington Post". The Washington Post .
  10. Babka, Allison (August 1, 2014). "5 Weird Things about STL Native and Guardians of the Galaxy Director James Gunn". Riverfront Times. St. Louis, Missouri. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  11. James Gunn (September 1, 2010). "Facebook Page". Facebook. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  12. Gunn, James [@jamesgunn] (July 5, 2015). "My brother Brian's dream about Guardians Vol. 2. https://instagram.com/p/4xH3d7IzXG/" (Tweet). Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2015 via Twitter.
  13. Patrick Gunn profile Archived August 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine , qualiacapital.com; accessed December 4, 2014.
  14. Gunn, James [@jamesgunn] (December 21, 2014). "My sister Beth gave me this as a Christmas gift - a painting by Brendan Wiufff of me as a child with Baby Groot!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2015 via Twitter.
  15. Palmer, Jordan (August 5, 2021). "Happy Birthday, James Gunn: The St. Louis filmmaker who conquered both the Marvel and DC movie universe". St. Louis Jewish Light. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  16. Gunn, James [@JamesGunn] (December 22, 2016). "My Dad is from a family of Irish immigrants. Growing up his mother made him clean up not only… https://instagram.com/p/BOVfn-Thdwe/" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 7, 2019 via Twitter.
  17. Interview with James Gunn (April 4, 2012). The 404 Podcast episode 1047
  18. "Mac Giolla Dhuinn – Irish Names and Surnames". Library Ireland. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  19. MacLysaght, Edward (1988). The Surnames of Ireland (Sixth ed.). Irish Academic Press. ISBN   9781911024644 . Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  20. Gunn, James [@JamesGunn] (May 28, 2016). "I'm part Jewish, brother. In a world of DNA testing, I can't imagine that would be an option for me" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2019 via Twitter.
  21. 1 2 3 "A Conversation With Director James Gunn". St. Louis Magazine. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  22. "SCA Network Screening and Q&A: Guardians of the Galaxy > About the Guests". University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. June 30, 2014. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  23. "Gunn known for his comedy, horror and 'Scooby-Doo'". Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  24. "About". James Gunn official website. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  25. "James Gunn ('95) Co-Writes and Directs 'Guardians of the Galaxy'". Columbia University School of the Arts. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  26. "The Icons". Discogs. Archived from the original on August 6, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  27. "Strike Let St. Louisan James Gunn Widen His Horizons". St. Louis Post Dispatch. October 24, 2008. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  28. "RT's 50 Best-Reviewed Horror Movies". Rotten Tomatoes. October 24, 2008. Archived from the original on July 13, 2008. Retrieved October 8, 2008.
  29. "James Gunn & Brutal Legend". The Jace Hall Show. Season 2. Episode 5. April 16, 2009.
  30. "A Search For Authenticity on the Set of 'Scream Queens' Season 2". BloodyDisgusting. December 30, 2009. Archived from the original on December 8, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  31. Michael Fleming (September 20, 2007). "New Regency adopts 'Pets' pitch – James Gunn to write and direct comedy". Variety . Archived from the original on October 22, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  32. James Gunn (March 31, 2009). "Re: A Few Things." Retrieved August 5, 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  33. Lesnick, Silas (September 18, 2012). "James Gunn Confirmed to Direct and Rewrite Guardians of the Galaxy". Superherohype.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
  34. Sneider, Jeff (February 22, 2015). "Superhero Movies Dissed at Oscars Despite 9 Acting Nominees With Comic Book Roles". TheWrap.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  35. Gunn, James (February 23, 2015). "I didn't really find the Jack Black superhero jokes offensive". James Gunn verified Facebook page. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  36. Lowe, Kinsey (June 6, 2015). "Brent Sexton Signs Up For 'The Belko Experiment'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  37. While Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson believed Gunn directed four cameos, Gunn said on social media, "To be honest, I think I only did THREE cameos — one was shot by someone else. And my third probably isn't what you think it is….": "James Gunn directed the next four Stan Lee Marvel cameos". Entertainment Weekly . October 29, 2016. Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  38. "And it was definitely one of the most fun times I've ever had on set ..." James Gunn verified Facebook page. October 29, 2016. Archived from the original on April 20, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  39. Lovece, Frank (May 4, 2017). "James Gunn says 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' a family affair". Newsday . New York City/Long Island. Archived from the original on May 8, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017. And while he directed the Stan Lee cameo in director Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange, he did not direct the Marvel Comics impresario's cameos in the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok or Spider-Man: Homecoming. But, he reveals, 'I did do one that I can't talk about.'Additional on May 5, 2017.
  40. "Marvel announces 'Guardians of the Galaxy' sequel". yahoo.com. July 26, 2014. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  41. Rosen, Christopher. "James Gunn comments on directing Stan Lee Marvel cameos". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  42. "James Gunn". ew.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  43. "Disney Severs Ties with James Gunn, Former Director of Guardians of the Galaxy 3'". Backlock Magazine. July 20, 2018. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  44. 1 2 Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 15, 2019). "Disney Reinstates Director James Gunn For 'Guardians Of The Galaxy 3'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on March 15, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  45. Flameing, Mike Jr. (October 9, 2018). "James Gunn Boards Suicide Squad 2 To Write And Possibly Direct". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  46. Gonzalez, Umberto; Verhoeven, Beatrice (October 9, 2018). "James Gunn in Talks to Write Suicide Squad 2 for DC, Eyed to Direct (Exclusive)". TheWrap . Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  47. Mancuso, Vinnie Jr. (January 30, 2019). "James Gunn to direct Suicide Squad 2 for Warner Bros". Collider . Archived from the original on May 26, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  48. @jamesgunn (September 23, 2020). "I'm over-the-moon excited to be working on #PEACEMAKER with my pals @JohnCena & #TheSuicideSquad producer Peter Safran on this new @hbomax original series from @warnerbrostv @DCComics" (Tweet). Retrieved September 23, 2020 via Twitter.[ dead link ]
  49. Rubin, Rebecca (December 23, 2020). "Warner Bros. to Release 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Prequel and 'The Color Purple' Musical in Theaters in 2023". Variety . Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  50. Otterson, Joe (May 3, 2022). "Viola Davis in Talks to Star as Amanda Waller in 'Peacemaker' Spinoff Series at HBO Max". Variety . Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  51. 1 2 Bentz, Adam (June 6, 2022). "Peacemaker Amanda Waller Spinoff Update Shared By James Gunn". Screenrant.com. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  52. Johnny Cullen (August 1, 2011). "Warner to publish Grasshopper's Lollipop Chainsaw". vg247.com. Archived from the original on September 1, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  53. Lee, Benjamin (July 21, 2018). "Disney fires Guardians of the Galaxy franchise director after offensive tweets". The Guardian . Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  54. Bishop, Bryan (July 20, 2018). "James Gunn fired from Guardians of the Galaxy 3 over offensive tweets". The Verge . Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  55. 1 2 Khan, Zubi. "Disney Severs Ties with James Gunn, Former Director of Guardians of the Galaxy 3". Backlot Magazine. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  56. Briers, Michael. "50,000 sign petition for Disney to rehire James Gunn for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on July 22, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  57. 1 2 Cavna, Michael (July 23, 2018). "#WeAreGroot: How Hollywood is reacting to James Gunn's Disney firing". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  58. 1 2 Norkey, Trevor (July 20, 2018). "I Think Disney Firing James Gunn Is Ridiculous & Hypocritical". MovieWeb . Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  59. McRady, Rachel (July 23, 2018). "Chris Pratt shares cryptic message amid James Gunn fallout as Zoe Saldana speaks out". Fox News . Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  60. Hibberd, James (July 23, 2018). "Guardians of the Galaxy star quits Twitter after James Gunn firing". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  61. Neilan, Dan (July 23, 2018). "Guardians actors, 200,000 other people come out in support of James Gunn". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  62. Mandell, Andrea (July 23, 2018). "Chris Pratt quotes Bible, cast fights for 'Guardians' director after Disney firing". USA Today . Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  63. Burks, Robin (August 1, 2018). "Luke Cage Star Mike Colter Offers Support For James Gunn". Screen Rant . Archived from the original on August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  64. Kohn, Eric (July 23, 2018). "James Gunn Firing: Lloyd Kaufman Assails Disney's 'Sexist, Racist Movies,' Tells Fans to Picket the Studio — Exclusive". IndieWire . Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  65. Dan Harmon (February 7, 2019). Harmontown: This Much Funches (Podcast). Harmontown. Event occurs at 01:14:10. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  66. Chmielewski, Dawn C. (July 23, 2018). "Bobcat Goldthwait Rises In Support Of James Gunn, Asks Disney To Remove His Voice From Park Attraction". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  67. Knoot, Joseph (July 21, 2018). "Disney appeased the alt-right by firing James Gunn—here's why that's a big problem". The Daily Dot . Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  68. Mancuso, Vinnie (July 23, 2018). "With James Gunn's Firing, Disney Destroyed the Message of 'Guardians of the Galaxy'". Collider . Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  69. French, David (July 23, 2018). "The Difference between James Gunn and Roseanne Barr". National Review | The Corner. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  70. Stolworthy, Jacob (July 23, 2018). "Disney executives have let Twitter trolls do their jobs for them by firing James Gunn – and that sets a terrible precedent". The Independent . Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  71. Harris, Mark (July 23, 2018). "Disney Should Know the Difference Between James Gunn and Roseanne". Vulture.com . Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  72. Todd, Andrew (July 23, 2018). "James Gunn's Firing Sets A Worrying Precedent". Birth.Movies.Death. Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  73. Jackson, Matthew (July 24, 2018). "Petition for Disney to rehire James Gunn reaches quarter of a million signatures and counting". Syfy Wire . Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  74. "A petition for Disney to rehire James Gunn to direct 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3' has over 250,000 signatures". Business Insider . July 2018. Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  75. Parker, Ryan. "'Guardians of the Galaxy' Stars Respond to James Gunn Firing". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  76. Lopez, Alex; Stedman, Ricardo (July 30, 2018). "'Guardians of the Galaxy' Cast Says It 'Fully Supports' James Gunn". Variety. Archived from the original on July 30, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  77. Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 15, 2019). "Disney Reinstates Director James Gunn For 'Guardians Of The Galaxy 3'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on March 15, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  78. "BRIGHTBURN – Official Trailer (HD)". YouTube. December 8, 2018. Archived from the original on March 9, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  79. D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 25, 2022). "How James Gunn & Peter Safran Landed Top Spots At DC Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  80. Couch, Aaron; Kit, Borys (October 25, 2022). "DC Shocker: James Gunn, Peter Safran to Lead Film, TV and Animation Division (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  81. Joe Otterson (October 25, 2022). "James Gunn, Peter Safran to Lead DC Studios for Warner Bros. Discovery". Variety. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  82. McMillan, Graeme (November 1, 2022). "DC Has a Chance to Save Superman. Here's What It Needs to Do". Wired. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  83. Donnelly, Matt (December 14, 2022). "James Gunn Writing New 'Superman' Film; Henry Cavill Will Not Return, but Eyed to Play Different DC Character". Variety.com. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  84. Couch, Aaron (March 15, 2023). "James Gun to Direct Superman: Legacy Movie". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  85. Kit, Borys (January 31, 2023). "DC Slate Unveiled: New Batman, Supergirl Movies, a Green Lantern TV Show, and More From James Gunn, Peter Safran". TheHollywoodReporter. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  86. Anthony D'Alessandro (January 31, 2023). "'Peacemaker' Spinoff Series 'Waller' With Viola Davis A Go, 'Doom Patrol' Creator Jeremy Carver Joins As Scribe". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  87. "'Office' actress Fischer, husband separate". Reuters. September 12, 2007. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  88. Trowbridge, Cecily (April 30, 2016). "James Gunn Shares Post on Ex Jenna Fischer, Says Not All Failed Relationships Make Enemies". Zimbio.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  89. Farrell, Paul (July 21, 2018). "Jennifer Holland, James Gunn's Girlfriend: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  90. Juneau, Jen (February 21, 2022). "James Gunn Engaged to Peacemaker Star Jennifer Holland — See the Ring!". People . Archived from the original on February 23, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  91. Netzley, Sara (September 30, 2022). "Director James Gunn and Peacemaker actress Jennifer Holland marry at ceremony packed with Marvel and DC stars". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  92. Chris Gardner, "James Gunn Named Person of the Year by PETA," The Hollywood Reporter , 7 December 2023.
  93. James Tangcay et. al, "James Gunn Named PETA’s 2023 Person of the Year – Film News in Brief," Variety, December 4, 2023.
  94. "'Guardians of the Galaxy' director defends Chris Pratt's tweet to Kevin Smith after backlash". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on May 2, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  95. "The Indoor Kids #58 — Everything with James Gunn (NSFW)", The Indoor Kids, The Nerdist Podcast, event occurs at 49:42 to 52:56, August 13, 2012, archived from the original on March 4, 2016, retrieved October 23, 2016
  96. Couch, Aaron; McClintock, Pamela (October 8, 2018). "Sony Pushes Back James Gunn Horror Movie to 2019". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  97. Holmes, Adam (April 3, 2018). "James Gunn Reportedly Even Wrote Dialogue For Avengers: Infinity War". Cinema Blend. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  98. Gunn on Facebook Live as transribed by Mueller, Matthew (February 5, 2017). "James Gunn directed the next four Stan Lee Marvel cameos". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2017. Am I going to have any involvement with Infinity War, yes, I'm an executive producer on Infinity War.
  99. Dee, Jake (August 20, 2021). "9 Movies You Didn't Know Were Written By James Gunn". ScreenRant. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  100. Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy Official Motion Picture Soundtrack ZinePak. ZinePak. p. 45.
  101. Dorsch, Rita (May 4, 2023). "Easter Eggs And References You Missed In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3". Looper . Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  102. Perry, Spencer. "James Gunn Confirms Creature Commandos Release Plans After DC Rumors Swirl". comicbook.com. comic book. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  103. Gunn, James. "creature commandos is not delayed". twitter. James Gunn (Twitter). Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  104. Rangel, Felipe (January 18, 2024). "James Gunn Reveals Bigger Role In Upcoming DCU Release". ScreenRant. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  105. Burlingame, Russ. "James Gunn Making Harley Quinn Season 3 Cameo". Comicbook.com. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  106. "Twisted Pixel Games: We Make Awesome". Twistedpixelgames.com. November 6, 2013. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  107. "Razzie Awards 2014". IMDb. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  108. "Critics' Choice Awards: The Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. January 15, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  109. O'Mally, Zach (December 5, 2014). "Grammy Nominees 2015: The Full List". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  110. Blake, Emily. ""Hollywood Film Awards 2014: And the winners are..." Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  111. "Here are all the 2015 Hugo Award winners that you can read online, right now, for free". Polygon. August 24, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  112. Kellogg, Carolyn (June 8, 2015). ""Sci-fi writing's Nebula Awards announced; Jeff Vandermeer takes top prize"". LA Times. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  113. Blake, Emily. ""2015 Saturn Awards: Captain America: Winter Soldier, Walking Dead lead nominees"". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  114. McNary, Dave. ""Grand Budapest Hotel, True Detective Top WGA Awards"". Variety. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  115. Atkinson, Katie (January 28, 2018). "Grammys 2018 Winners: The Complete List". Billboard. Lynne Segall. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  116. McNary, Dave (March 15, 2018). "'Black Panther,' 'Walking Dead' Rule Saturn Awards Nominations". Variety . Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  117. Hammond, Pete (June 27, 2018). "'Black Panther' Tops 44th Saturn Awards With Five; 'Blade Runner 2049', 'Shape Of Water', 'Get Out' Also Score". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  118. Nordyke, Kimberly. "Nordyke, Kimberly (August 14, 2022). "HCA TV Awards: 'Severance,' 'Ted Lasso,' 'Dopesick' Win Top Streaming Awards on Night 2"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  119. "Georgia Film Critics Association: 2021 Awards". Georgia Film Critics Association . Archived from the original on January 17, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  120. "'Dune,' 'Coda,' And 'Belfast' Lead The 5th Annual HCA Film Awards Nominations". Hollywood Critics Association . December 2, 2021. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  121. Hammond, Pete (February 22, 2022). "Critics Choice Super Awards Nominations Include 'Shang-Chi', 'Spider-Man', 'Midnight Mass' & 'Evil'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  122. Tinoco, Armando (August 12, 2022). "Saturn Awards Nominations: 'The Batman', 'Nightmare Alley', 'Spider-Man', 'Better Call Saul' Top List". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  123. "The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Announces the 2nd Annual Children's and Family Emmy Awards Winners" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. December 17, 2023. pp. 3, 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  124. "Nominees Announced for the 2nd Annual Children's & Family Emmy Awards" (PDF). National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2023.