Jon Hurwitz

Last updated

Jon Hurwitz
Jon Hurwitz (2).jpg
Hurwitz at the American Reunion
premiere in 2012
Born
Jonathan Benjamin Hurwitz

(1977-11-15) November 15, 1977 (age 46)
Byram, New Jersey [1]
Alma materUniversity of Pennsylvania
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, director, producer
Known for Cobra Kai
Harold & Kumar
Spouse
Randy Hurwitz
​
(m. 2007)​
Children2

Jonathan Benjamin Hurwitz (born November 15, 1977) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer best known for his work on Cobra Kai (with Hayden Schlossberg and Josh Heald), the Harold & Kumar films, and American Reunion (with Schlossberg).

Contents

Early life

Hurwitz was born in Byram, New Jersey, [1] to Jewish parents. [2] [3] and lived there for two years. He then moved to Roxbury for 5 years, although following that he grew up mostly in Upper St. Clair Township, Pennsylvania and Randolph, New Jersey. [1] He met Hayden Schlossberg when they both attended Randolph High School.

Hurwitz was studying finance at the University of Pennsylvania, with Josh Heald who lived in the same dorm with him during freshman year. [4] As Schlossberg (who was in college at The University of Chicago) frequently came to visit, he got to know Heald as well. [4]

Career

Hurwitz was studying finance at the University of Pennsylvania, while Schlossberg was a history major at the University of Chicago with plans of attending law school. It was during this time that they sold their first script Filthy to MGM. Upon selling Filthy, they moved to Hollywood to begin their career in the entertainment industry. [5]

The idea for the first Harold and Kumar film, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle developed while they were living in Los Angeles. Hurwitz and Schlossberg 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. [6] 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, writing and directing American Reunion (2012). [7] In 2015, the trio signed a deal with Lionsgate. [8]

They currently work on Cobra Kai , a continuation of The Karate Kid franchise. Hurwitz & Schlossberg created the show, along with their close friend Josh Heald. The trio serve as executive producers, show runners, writers, and directors on the series. [9] As of 2021, he and his friend Hayden Schlossberg, along with Josh Heald via Counterbalance Entertainment has signed a deal with Sony Pictures Television. [10]

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 Obliterated YesYesYes

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Karate Kid</i> 1984 film by John Avildsen

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). 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randolph, New Jersey</span> Township in Morris County, New Jersey, US

Randolph is a township in southwestern Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 26,504, an increase of 770 (+3.0%) from the 2010 census count of 25,734, which in turn reflected an increase of 887 (+3.6%) from the 24,847 counted in the 2000 census.

<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, Neil Patrick Harris, Anthony Anderson and Fred Willard. 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">Hayden Schlossberg</span> American screenwriter and director

Hayden Schlossberg 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), is the second installment in the Harold & Kumar franchise, and stars John Cho, Kal Penn, Rob Corddry, Roger Bart 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.

Harold & Kumar is 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 3D Christmas</i> 2011 film by Todd Strauss-Schulson

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D 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 sex comedy film written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. It is the fourth and final installment in the American Pie theatrical series. The film's ensemble cast features many actors who reprise their roles from the previous three films, including Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Seann William Scott, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Eugene Levy, Tara Reid, and Mena Suvari, among others. The film follows former East Great Falls High School classmates who return to their hometown for a reunion for their graduating class.

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> American action comedy-drama television series

Obliterated is an American action comedy-drama television series created by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald. The series stars Nick Zano and Shelley Hennig. It was released on Netflix on November 30, 2023. In February 2024, the series was canceled after one season.

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

<i>Cobra Kai</i> season 6 Season of television series

The sixth and final season of Cobra Kai, also known as Cobra Kai VI, consists of 15 episodes and is releasing on Netflix. Unlike previous seasons, the sixth season will be released in three parts of five episodes each. The first of these was released on July 18, 2024. A second part is set to release on November 15, followed by the final part in 2025. 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 titular film. The season was originally set to release in 2023, but experienced delays as a result of the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes. The second part however, got an early release date after originally receiving a November 28 release window. The season features 12 starring roles, all of which returned from previous seasons, including Gianni DeCenzo who was a series regular in seasons 2–4, but was demoted to a recurring cast member in the previous season.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hurwitz, Jon [@jonhurwitz] (August 31, 2020). "Nice to hear from a Randolphian. I was born in Byram, NJ, but only lived there 2 years. Then lived in Roxbury for 5 years. Then a town called Upper St. Clair, outside of Pittsburgh for 7 years. Then to Randolph. Loved my high school years in Randolph" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ↑ "Schlossberg, Hurwitz Create a Heartfelt 'Reunion' of Raunch". April 4, 2012.
  3. ↑ "The real smart kids". Los Angeles Times . July 29, 2004.
  4. 1 2 "Wax On, Wax Off (Interview)". The Creative Influencer Podcast, PFIEFFER Law. April 24, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  5. ↑ 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."
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ "'Harold & Kumar' creators to direct 'American Pie 4′ (exclusive)". Archived from the original on June 7, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  8. ↑ Friedlander, Whitney (November 19, 2015). "Hurwitz & Schlossberg Sign First-Look Deal With Lionsgate". Variety. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  9. ↑ Heald, Josh (May 1, 2018). "The Inside Story of How 'Fuller House' Inspired 'Karate Kid' Sequel 'Cobra Kai' (Guest Column)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  10. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (September 9, 2021). "'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 September 11, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.