Joe Johnston | |
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Born | Joseph Eggleston Johnston II May 13, 1950 Austin, Texas, U.S. |
Education | ArtCenter College of Design |
Alma mater | California State University |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1977–present |
Notable work |
Joseph Eggleston Johnston II (born May 13, 1950) [1] is an American film director, producer, writer, and visual effects artist. He is best known for directing effects-driven films, including Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989); The Rocketeer (1991); Jumanji (1995); Jurassic Park III (2001); The Wolfman (2010); and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
Johnston was born Joseph Eggleston Johnston II in Austin, Texas, [2] and attended California State University, Long Beach, and Pasadena's Art Center College of Design, both for industrial design.
Much of the work at the beginning of Johnston's screen career combined design and special effects. He began his career as a concept artist and effects technician on the first Star Wars film, directed by George Lucas. He was the creative designer of the Millennium Falcon spacecraft [3] and co-created the design of Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back , [4] while working for Industrial Light & Magic in the 1970s and was art director on one of the effects teams for the sequel Return of the Jedi . His association with Lucas would later prove fruitful, when he became one of four to win an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for Lucas and Steven Spielberg's film Raiders of the Lost Ark . [5] Johnston continued to work on many films as an effects expert.
He was also associate producer on fantasy film Willow , and production designer on two mid-1980s TV movies which featured the Ewoks seen in Return of the Jedi.
Johnston is also author of Star Wars novel The Adventures of Teebo: A Tale of Magic and Suspense, which ties into Return of the Jedi (New York: Random House, 1984; ISBN 0-394-86568-5, ISBN 0-394-96568-X). [6]
In 1984, at 34, Johnston went to George Lucas and stated his desire to leave Lucasfilm for a year. However, Lucas offered him to go to USC School of Cinematic Arts and study there for a year, complete with paid tuition and half-salary that would let Johnston take any class he wanted. [7] [8] Johnston left after a year, saying he "was asked not to return" because he "broke too many rules". [9]
Johnston made his directorial debut in 1989 with hit comedy adventure Honey, I Shrunk the Kids , starring Rick Moranis. He followed it with comic-book adaptation The Rocketeer (1991). The film was a commercial failure, as was his next, the animated and live-action The Pagemaster , starring Macaulay Culkin. Johnston rebounded, directing the family hit Jumanji , starring Robin Williams. The film overcame lukewarm reviews to gross over $260 million. [10]
Johnston was set to direct Hulk , [11] but dropped out in July 1997. Johnston then switched gears from effects-driven action films to the more personal October Sky (1999), starring a teenage Jake Gyllenhaal as a 1950s West Virginia high school student who dreams of being a rocket scientist for NASA against his father's wishes.
Johnston's first project of the 2000s was the sequel Jurassic Park III , which made over US$300 million at the box office. Johnston followed it with western Hidalgo , starring Viggo Mortensen. Johnston then took a six-year directorial break before signing on at a month's notice to take over the 2010 remake of 1941 horror classic The Wolfman . Shot in England, the film starred Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins.
In part thanks to his experience with the period superhero film The Rocketeer, Johnston was selected to direct Marvel Studios superhero adaptation Captain America: The First Avenger . Released on July 22, 2011, [12] the film stars Chris Evans as the comic book hero and Hugo Weaving as his archenemy the Red Skull. In 2014, Johnston directed the thriller Not Safe for Work for Blumhouse Productions.
On December 12, 2017, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Johnston would direct 32 days of reshoots on the film The Nutcracker and the Four Realms , due to its director Lasse Hallström being unavailable. [13]
On December 5, 2019, it was reported that Joe Johnston was in negotiations with Walt Disney Pictures to direct Shrunk, a legacy sequel to Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. [14] [15]
Film
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
1989 | Honey, I Shrunk the Kids | |
1991 | The Rocketeer | |
1994 | The Pagemaster | Live-action sequences |
1995 | Jumanji | |
1999 | October Sky | |
2001 | Jurassic Park III | |
2004 | Hidalgo | |
2010 | The Wolfman | |
2011 | Captain America: The First Avenger | Also executive producer |
2014 | Not Safe for Work | |
2018 | The Nutcracker and the Four Realms | Director of reshoots and oversaw post-production; [16] Received co-director credit along with Lasse Hallström [17] |
Television
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
1993 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | Episode "Princeton, February 1916" |
2015 | Lumen | TV movie; Also executive producer |
Film
Year | Title | Director | Role |
---|---|---|---|
1977 | Star Wars | George Lucas | Visual effects artist / Cameo as "Death Star Trooper" |
1980 | The Empire Strikes Back | Irvin Kershner | Visual effects artist and art director / Cameo as "Captain Shawn Valdez" |
1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Steven Spielberg | Visual effects artist and art director |
1983 | Return of the Jedi | Richard Marquand | Art director |
1984 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | Steven Spielberg | |
1986 | Howard the Duck | Willard Huyck | Ultralight sequence designer |
1987 | Batteries Not Included | Matthew Robbins | Second unit director and production manager |
1988 | Willow | Ron Howard | Associate producer |
1989 | Always | Steven Spielberg | Aerial sequence designer |
1999 | The Iron Giant | Brad Bird | Designer of the Iron Giant |
2014 | The Lawful Truth | Mollie Fitzgerald | Cameo as "Captain Waters" |
Television
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1978–1979 | Battlestar Galactica | Effects illustration and design |
1984 | The Ewok Adventure | Production designer (TV movie) |
1985 | Ewoks: The Battle for Endor | |
1985–1986 | Star Wars: Droids – The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO | Screenwriter (Episode "Coby and the Starhunters"); Design consultant (Special: ''The Great Heep") |
2017 | The Creeps | Executive producer (TV short) |
2020 | Prop Culture | Himself (Episode "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids") |
2022 | Light & Magic | Himself (5 episodes) |
Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1981 | Academy Award | Best Visual Effects (Shared with Richard Edlund, Kit West and Bruce Nicholson) | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Won |
1990 | International Fantasy Film Award | Best Film | Honey, I Shrunk the Kids | Nominated |
1992 | Hugo Award | Best Dramatic Presentation (Shared with Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, William Dear and Dave Stevens) | The Rocketeer | Nominated |
1995 | International Fantasy Film Award | Best Film (Shared with Pixote Hunt) | The Pagemaster | Nominated |
1996 | Saturn Award | Best Director | Jumanji | Nominated |
Young Artist Award | Best Family Feature – Action-Adventure | Won | ||
1999 | Ajijic International Film Festival Award | Best Film | October Sky | Won |
2001 | Saturn Award | Best Science Fiction Film | Jurassic Park III | Nominated |
Golden Trailer Award | Best Horror/Thriller Film | Nominated | ||
2004 | Golden Trailer Award | Best Drama | Hidalgo | Nominated |
2010 | Saturn Award | Best Horror/Thriller Film | The Wolfman | Nominated |
2012 | Hugo Award | Best Dramatic Presentation (Shared with Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely) | Captain America: The First Avenger | Nominated |
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Award | Best Film | Nominated |
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) is an American motion picture visual effects company that was founded on May 26, 1975 by George Lucas. It is a division of the film production company Lucasfilm, which Lucas founded, and was created when he began production on the original Star Wars, now the fourth episode of the Skywalker Saga.
David Koepp is an American screenwriter and director. He is the ninth most successful screenwriter of all time in terms of U.S. box office receipts with a total gross of over $2.3 billion. Koepp has achieved both critical and commercial success in a wide variety of genres: thriller, science fiction, comedy, action, drama, crime, superhero, horror, adventure, and fantasy.
The Ewok Adventure is a 1984 American television film based in the Star Wars universe. It takes place on the moon of Endor, and features the Ewoks, who help two young human siblings as they try to locate their parents. The film premiered on November 25, 1984 on ABC.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is a 1989 American science fiction comedy film. It is the first installment of a film franchise and served as the directorial debut of Joe Johnston. The film stars Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, and Kristine Sutherland. In the film, a struggling inventor accidentally shrinks his kids, along with the neighbors' kids, down to the size of a quarter-inch. After being accidentally thrown out with the trash, they must work together and venture their way back through a backyard wilderness filled with dangerous insects and man-made hazards.
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy is a 2004 documentary film directed by Kevin Burns and narrated by Robert Clotworthy. It documents the making of the original Star Wars trilogy: Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983), and their impact on popular culture.
The Star Wars sequel trilogy is the third trilogy of the main Star Wars franchise, an American space opera created by George Lucas. It is produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The trilogy consists of episodes VII through IX, chronologically following the prequel trilogy and sequel to the original trilogy, serving as the final act of the "Skywalker Saga". Lucas had planned a sequel trilogy as early as 1976, but canceled it by 1981. He produced only the first six episodes, and for a time described these as comprising the complete story. The sequel trilogy concept was revived when the Walt Disney Company entered negotiations to acquire Lucasfilm in 2011. Lucas produced new story treatments, but these were largely discarded. Both the acquisition and plans to produce the trilogy were announced in late 2012.
The Rocketeer is a 1991 American superhero film from Walt Disney Pictures and Touchstone Pictures. It was produced by Charles Gordon, Lawrence Gordon, and Lloyd Levin, directed by Joe Johnston, and stars Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton, Paul Sorvino, and Tiny Ron Taylor. It is based on the character of the same name created by comic book artist and writer Dave Stevens.
Thomas Joseph McCarthy is an American filmmaker and actor who has appeared in several films, including Meet the Parents and Good Night, and Good Luck, and television series such as The Wire, Boston Public and Law & Order.
Marty Katz is a motion picture and television producer.
James Morris is an American film producer, production executive and visual effects producer. He is currently general manager and president of Pixar. Previously, he held key positions at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) for 17 years.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is an American media franchise consisting of a series of family-science fiction-comedy films and a television adaptation, among other works, based on a concept created by Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna, and an original story co-written by Gordon, Yuzna, and Ed Naha. Following the release of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), and its subsequent financial and critical success, two sequels and a television series followed; titled Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992), Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves (1997), and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, respectively. Another sequel titled Shrunk entered development in 2019.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Movie Set Adventure was a playground at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. It was located in the Streets of America area and was based on Disney's 1989 film, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. The playground, which opened a year and a half after the film, featured 30-foot-tall (9.1 m) blades of grass, and was themed as a movie set for the giant backyard scenes from the film. Children could roam through the playground, exploring giant ants and a huge dog's nose.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a 2017 American epic space opera film written and directed by Rian Johnson. Produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the second installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following The Force Awakens (2015), and the eighth episode of the nine-part "Skywalker saga". The film's ensemble cast includes Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, and Benicio del Toro. The Last Jedi follows Rey as she seeks the aid of Luke Skywalker in hopes of turning the tide for the Resistance in the fight against Kylo Ren and the First Order while General Leia Organa, Finn, and Poe Dameron attempt to escape a First Order attack on the dwindling Resistance fleet. The film features the first posthumous film performance by Fisher, who died in December 2016, and the film is dedicated to her memory.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a 2019 American epic space opera film produced, co-written, and directed by J. J. Abrams. Produced by Lucasfilm and Abrams' production company Bad Robot, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the third installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017), and the final episode of the nine-part "Skywalker saga". Its ensemble cast includes Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong'o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, with Ian McDiarmid and Billy Dee Williams. Set after The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker follows Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron as they lead the remnants of the Resistance in a final stand against Supreme Leader Kylo Ren and the First Order, who are allied by the resurrected Sith Lord, Emperor Palpatine.
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a 2018 American fantasy adventure film directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston and produced by Mark Gordon and Larry Franco, from a screenplay by Ashleigh Powell. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures with The Mark Gordon Company, it is a retelling of E. T. A. Hoffmann's 1816 short story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King", as well as of Marius Petipa and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's 1892 ballet The Nutcracker, about a young girl who is gifted a locked egg from her deceased mother and sets out in a magical land to retrieve the key. The film stars Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Eugenio Derbez, Matthew Macfadyen, Richard E. Grant, Misty Copeland, Helen Mirren, and Morgan Freeman.
Seven Bucks Productions is a production company involved with various platforms and mediums, credited with creating original releases for television, film, emerging technologies, and digital networks. The studio was co-created and founded by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Dany Garcia. The company produces a variety of projects, directly in relation with Johnson's film slate, these films have grossed $4.6 billion at box office.
Citadel is an American spy action television series created by Josh Appelbaum, Bryan Oh, and David Weil for Amazon Prime Video, with the Russo brothers acting as executive producers. Starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra as Citadel agents Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh, respectively. In the show, Kane, a spy for Citadel, discovers a new organization, Manticore, led by Dahlia, leading to a bad accident. Eight years later, he's living quietly as Kyle Conroy, with his memory wiped, until an old colleague needs his help.
As previously reported, the pic's original director Joe Johnston will be back