Jonathan Goldstein (filmmaker)

Last updated

Jonathan Goldstein
Born
Jonathan Michael Goldstein

(1968-09-02) September 2, 1968 (age 55)
New York City, U.S.
Alma mater University of Michigan
Harvard Law School
Occupation(s)Film director, Screenwriter, Television writer/producer
Years active1999–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2007)​

Jonathan Michael Goldstein (born September 2, 1968) is an American filmmaker best known for his work on Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves , Game Night , Spider-Man: Homecoming , and Horrible Bosses .

Contents

He has worked collaboratively with John Francis Daley as a film-making duo, whom he met on The Geena Davis Show . [1] Daley and Goldstein's earlier work was predominantly based in the comedy genre where they were co-screenwriters for Horrible Bosses (2011), co-writers for The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013), co-story writers for Horrible Bosses 2 (2014), and also co-wrote/co-directed the fifth film in the National Lampoon's Vacation film series, Vacation (2015). The duo received co-writer credits for Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) with other screenwriters, which was met with critical and financial success; and they co-directed the 2018 black comedy Game Night , which also met with critical and financial success.

Prior to his feature film career, Goldstein wrote for numerous situation comedies, including The PJs starring Eddie Murphy, The Geena Davis Show , Good Morning Miami , Four Kings , and The New Adventures of Old Christine .

Personal life

Born in New York City, Goldstein moved to Beachwood, Ohio, in 1980, where he graduated from Beachwood High School in 1986. [2] He attended the University of Michigan and then Harvard Law School, graduating in 1995. [3] He worked for two years as a corporate litigator at the New York office of Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue. [4] Goldstein lives in Los Angeles with his wife, novelist Adena Halpern, who he married in 2007. [5]

Career

Finding the legal profession less than fulfilling, he moved to Los Angeles in 1998 to pursue a career in comedy writing. Shortly thereafter, he began writing for network television comedies and eventually films.

In 2007, in collaboration with his writing partner, John Francis Daley, Goldstein sold his first film script, The $40,000 Man, to New Line Cinema. [6] Since that first sale, Goldstein and Daley have been engaged on a number of other feature projects, including Hours of Fun, [7] The Incredible Burt Wonderstone , starring Steve Carell and Jim Carrey, [8] Cal of the Wild for Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks , [9] [10] and an adaptation of the documentary Of All the Things for Warner Bros. Pictures, also with Steve Carell set to play the lead. [11] New Line's Horrible Bosses was released on July 8, 2011, and has made over $200 million in worldwide box office. [12] In 2009, the team were hired to rewrite the sequel to the animated film, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs . [13]

Goldstein and Daley co-wrote and directed [14] their script for Vacation , a follow-up to the 1983 comedy film National Lampoon's Vacation . Ed Helms played the adult Rusty Griswold. [15] The film grossed $104 million in worldwide box office off a budget of $32 million. [16]

Goldstein and Daley wrote the screenplay for the 2017 film Spider-Man: Homecoming , [17] and were both considered to direct [18] before Jon Watts was hired. [19]

Goldstein and Daley directed the 2018 black comedy Game Night , based on a screenplay by Mark Perez which they rewrote. The film, starring Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, "earned a raft of glowing reviews for its whip-smart script, energetic performances, and deliberate avoidance of modern comedy's ubiquitous tropes," and grossed $117 million at the worldwide box office, versus a $37 million budget. While they did not receive screenwriter credit, they later said they rewrote "almost all of the original script's dialogue, totally overhauled the characters — most notably a creepy cop portrayed by Jesse Plemons — and comprehensively reworked the original script's third act." [20]

In 2018, it was announced that the filmmaking duo would direct a film adaptation of DC Comics' The Flash for the DC Extended Universe, [21] but it was announced in July that they have left the project. Despite this, both Goldstein and Daley received story by credit alongside Joby Harold. [22] [23]

In 2019, it was announced that Goldstein and Daley were in talks be directing the reboot of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023). [24] In January 2020, it was announced that, in addition to directing, they would be writing a new draft of the screenplay. [25] As of May 11, 2023, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has grossed $91.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $111.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $203 million.

Filmography

Short films

YearTitleDirectorWriter
2001What Babies DoYesNo
2011Audio TourYesYes

Feature films

YearTitle Director Writer Executive
Producer
2011 Horrible Bosses NoYesNo
2013 The Incredible Burt Wonderstone NoYesNo
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 NoYesNo
2014 Horrible Bosses 2 NoStoryNo
2015 Vacation YesYesNo
2017 Spider-Man: Homecoming NoYesNo
2018 Game Night YesUncreditedNo
2021 Vacation Friends NoYesNo
2023 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves YesYesYes
The Flash NoStoryNo
TBA Mayday YesYesNo

Television

YearTitleDirectorWriterNotes
2011 Bones NoYesEpisode "The Truth in the Myth"
2019 In the Dark YesYesEpisode "All About the Benjamin";
Also consulting producer
2021Welcome to GeorgiaNoYes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Ratner</span> American film director and producer (born 1969)

Brett Ratner is an American film director and producer. He directed the Rush Hour film series, The Family Man, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Tower Heist. He is also a producer of several films, including the Horrible Bosses series, The Revenant and War Dogs, and was an executive producer of Prison Break.

Alfred Gough is an American screenwriter, producer and showrunner.

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Carell</span> American actor and comedian (born 1962)

Steven John Carell is an American actor and comedian. He played Michael Scott in the sitcom The Office, in which he also worked at several points as a producer, executive producer, writer, and director. Carell has received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award for The Office. He was recognized as "America's Funniest Man" by Life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Francis Daley</span> American filmmaker and actor (born 1985)

John Francis Daley is an American filmmaker and actor. He is best known for playing high school freshman Sam Weir on the NBC comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks and FBI criminal profiler Dr. Lance Sweets on the crime drama series Bones, for which he was nominated for a 2014 PRISM Award. He plays keyboards and sings for the band Dayplayer.

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

Andrew Brion Hogan Goddard is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He began his career writing episodes for the television shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Alias, and Lost. After moving into screenwriting in film, he wrote Cloverfield (2008), World War Z (2013), and The Martian (2015), the latter earning him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2011, he made his directorial debut with The Cabin in the Woods.

<i>National Lampoons Vacation</i> (film series) 1983 American film

National Lampoon's Vacation film series is a comedy film series initially based on John Hughes' short story "Vacation '58" that was originally published by National Lampoon magazine. The series is distributed by Warner Bros. and consists of five main films, two of which are not sponsored by National Lampoon, and one spin-off. In recent years, the series has been the inspiration for various advertising campaigns featuring some of the original cast members. The series portrays the misadventures of the Griswold family, whose attempts to enjoy vacations and holidays are plagued with continual disasters and strangely embarrassing predicaments.

<i>Horrible Bosses</i> 2011 American comedy film

Horrible Bosses is a 2011 American black comedy film directed by Seth Gordon, written by Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley, and Jonathan Goldstein, from a story by Markowitz. It stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis, alongside Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey, and Jamie Foxx in their supporting roles. The plot follows three friends, played by Bateman, Day, and Sudeikis, who decide to murder their respective overbearing, abusive bosses, portrayed by Spacey, Aniston, and Farrell.

<i>The Incredible Burt Wonderstone</i> 2013 American film by Don Scardino

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is a 2013 American comedy film directed by Don Scardino and written by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, based on a story by Chad Kultgen and Tyler Mitchell, along with Daley and Goldstein. The film follows Las Vegas magician Burt Wonderstone as he attempts to reunite with his former partner Anton Marvelton to take on dangerous street magician Steve Gray. It also features Alan Arkin, Olivia Wilde, and James Gandolfini in his final film appearance during his lifetime.

<i>Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day</i> (film) 2014 American family comedy film

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a 2014 American comedy film directed by Miguel Arteta from a screenplay written by Rob Lieber. The film stars Steve Carell, Ed Oxenbould and Jennifer Garner, and is loosely based on Judith Viorst’s 1972 children's book of the same name. Co-produced by Shawn Levy and Lisa Henson for Walt Disney Pictures through their respective production companies, 21 Laps Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company, the film was released in North America on October 10, 2014. The film received mixed reviews from critics but was a success at the box office, grossing $100.6 million worldwide against a $28 million budget. It is one of the only films produced by The Jim Henson Company to not feature any puppets.

<i>Horrible Bosses 2</i> 2014 American film

Horrible Bosses 2 is a 2014 American crime comedy film directed by Sean Anders and written by Anders and John Morris. A sequel to 2011's Horrible Bosses, the film stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Chris Pine, and Christoph Waltz. The plot follows Nick (Bateman), Kurt (Sudeikis), and Dale (Day) as they kidnap the son (Pine) of a billionaire investor (Waltz) in order to blackmail him out of revenge after he screws them over on a business deal. It was released by Warner Bros. Pictures on November 26, 2014, received mixed reviews and grossed $107 million worldwide.

<i>Vacation</i> (2015 film) 2015 American family comedy film

Vacation is a 2015 American road comedy film written and directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. It stars Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Leslie Mann, Beverly D'Angelo, Chris Hemsworth, and Chevy Chase. It is the fifth and final theatrical installment of the Vacation film series, serving as a standalone sequel to Vegas Vacation (1997). It is also the second not to carry the National Lampoon name after Vegas Vacation, and was released by New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. on July 29, 2015. It successfully grossed $104 million on a $31 million budget but received generally negative reviews.

<i>Spider-Man: Homecoming</i> 2017 Marvel Studios film

Spider-Man: Homecoming is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man, co-produced by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. It is the second Spider-Man film reboot and the 16th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Jon Watts from a screenplay by the writing teams of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, Watts and Christopher Ford, and Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Tom Holland stars as Peter Parker / Spider-Man, alongside Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Gwyneth Paltrow, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Bokeem Woodbine, Tyne Daly, Marisa Tomei, and Robert Downey Jr. In the film, Peter Parker tries to balance high school life with being Spider-Man while facing the Vulture (Keaton).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Muschietti</span> Argentine film director and screenwriter

Andrés Walter Muschietti is an Argentine film director and screenwriter who achieved wide recognition with the 2013 film Mama. He gained further recognition for directing both films in the It film series, the 2017 film adaptation of the Stephen King novel and its sequel, It Chapter Two. In 2023, he directed the DC Extended Universe film The Flash.

<i>Game Night</i> (film) 2018 film by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein

Game Night is a 2018 American action comedy film directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein and written by Mark Perez. It stars Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams and follows a group of friends whose game night turns into a real-life mystery after one of them is kidnapped. The film's supporting cast includes Billy Magnussen, Sharon Horgan, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Jesse Plemons, Michael C. Hall, and Kyle Chandler.

The Hasbro Universe refers to several shared fictional universes featuring characters from several franchises owned by toy and entertainment company Hasbro.

Geneva Robertson-Dworet is an American screenwriter. She rose to prominence after being hired in 2015 to rewrite the script for the 2018 Tomb Raider reboot, starring Alicia Vikander and directed by Roar Uthaug. She co-wrote the screenplay for Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel (2019).

<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i> (film series) Film series

Dungeons & Dragons is an action-adventure fantasy film series based on the role-playing game of the same name currently owned by Wizards of the Coast. The original trilogy consisted of a theatrical film, a made-for-TV second installment, and a direct-to-video third installment.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves</i> 2023 film directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a 2023 American fantasy heist action comedy film directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, who co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Gilio from a story by Chris McKay and Gilio. Based on the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, it is set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting and has no connections to the previous film trilogy released between 2000 and 2012. The film stars Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, and Hugh Grant.

Michael Gilio is an American writer, director, and actor. He is known for the independent film Kwik Stop (2001), Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023), and Dark Harvest (2023).

References

  1. ↑ "Jonathan M. Goldstein". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  2. ↑ "2014 Inductees".
  3. ↑ Adena Halpern, Jonathan Goldstein – New York Times
  4. ↑ Meet the Guys Behind the "Horrible Bosses" | NBC New York
  5. ↑ adena halpern – pinch me Archived August 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ NL assembles '$40,000 Man' – The Hollywood Reporter
  7. ↑ Scott Rudin, Disney have 'Fun' – The Hollywood Reporter
  8. ↑ Pair to rewrite 'Magician' – The Hollywood Reporter
  9. ↑ Writers set for DreamWorks' 'Wild' – Entertainment News, DreamWorks SKG, Media – Variety
  10. ↑ New Line ready for another 'Vacation' – Entertainment News, Los Angeles, Media – Variety
  11. ↑ Mike Flemming (September 28, 2010). "Steve Carell Taps Scribes For Rock Star Pic". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  12. ↑ Scribes tapped for 'Bosses' – The Hollywood Reporter
  13. ↑ With sequel, 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' looks to continue its rain – latimes.com
  14. ↑ Chapman, Glen. "National Lampoon's Vacation reboot/sequel latest". www.denofgeek.com. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Ed Helms in Talks to Star in 'Vacation' Reboot". The Hollywood Reporter . July 11, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Vacation".
  17. ↑ "Back To Walley World: The Griswolds Go On 'Vacation' Again". NPR. July 25, 2015. Archived from the original on July 28, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  18. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 2, 2015). "'Spider-Man' Director Short List Topped By Ted Melfi & Jonathan Levine". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on June 3, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios Find Their 'Spider-Man' Star and Director". Marvel.com . June 23, 2015. Archived from the original on June 24, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  20. ↑ Lee, Chris (June 21, 2018). "How Game Night Broke Modern Comedy's Rules to Win at the Box Office". Vulture.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  21. ↑ Chitwood, Adam (February 12, 2018). "Exclusive: 'Flashpoint' Directors Reveal How They Landed the Job". Collider . Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Michael Shannon Appears on 'The Flash' Movie Cast List". Collider . December 22, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  23. ↑ directories.wga.org https://directories.wga.org/project/1206053/the-flash . Retrieved April 24, 2023.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  24. ↑ Kroll, Justin (July 30, 2019). "Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley in Talks to Direct 'Dungeons & Dragons' Movie". Variety. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  25. ↑ Goldstein, Jonathan (January 21, 2020). "This just in... #dndpic.twitter.com/gBVNhwSi8h". @JM_Goldstein. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
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.