Kirk DeMicco

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Kirk DeMicco
Kirk DeMicco, Golden Globes 2014 (crop).jpg
Kirk DeMicco at the 2014 Golden Globe Awards
Born (1969-05-15) May 15, 1969 (age 54) [1]
Alma mater University of Southern California
Occupations
Years active1998–present
Notable work Space Chimps
The Croods
Vivo
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

Kirk DeMicco (born May 15, 1969) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on animated films, such as writing and directing Space Chimps (2008), The Croods (2013), Vivo (2021), and Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023).

Contents

Raised in Wyckoff, New Jersey and a former resident of Franklin Lakes, DeMicco attended Ramapo High School. [2] [3]

Journalism

After graduation in 1991 from the University of Southern California, where he double majored in economics and political science, [4] he spent three years in Italy, where he worked as a journalist, interviewing individuals involved in the Italian movie industry for an Italian film-business magazine. After returning to the United States, he worked for the William Morris Agency in New York City, before relocating to the firm's office in Los Angeles in a transfer arranged by talent agent Lee Stollman. [5]

Career

DeMicco's first script sale was called "A Day in November" which he sold to Warner Bros. and producer Arnold Kopelson for $1 million before signing to write Quest for Camelot . [6] Later he wrote and co-produced Racing Stripes for director Frederik Du Chau. John Cleese and DeMicco co-wrote the film adaptation of the Roald Dahl's children classic The Twits . [7] He also wrote "Splitting Adam" a movie that was set up at United Artists. [8] He then worked as a writer on Here Comes Peter Cottontail: The Movie and later worked on Casper's Scare School . While working at Warner Bros., he and Du Chau also wrote a script for the upcoming live-action–animated film based on the Hanna-Barbera character, Hong Kong Phooey, which they sold to Alcon Entertainment. He adapted the Jack Kirby comic New Gods, and collaborated with filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld on an adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel. [9] He has also done many production rewrites for Disney, Warner Bros., DreamWorks and Spyglass. In television, he is the creator and executive producer of the Discovery Channel documentary HALO: Freefall Warriors. [10]

Space Chimps

In 2008, he wrote and directed the movie Space Chimps for John H. Williams and his company Vanguard Animation; the film is inspired by the first chimpanzee to go to space, Ham.

The Croods

In 2013, DeMicco co-wrote and co-directed DreamWorks Animation's The Croods with Chris Sanders, which they also both co-wrote the film’s theme song Shine Your Way. [11] DeMicco began writing the film with John Cleese in 2005. [12] The Croods grossed over $582 million worldwide at the box office, [13] and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. [14] It was also nominated for a Golden Globe. [15] DeMicco and Sanders then worked on The Croods sequel for three and a half years, before its cancellation in late 2016, until it was revived a year later. [16] [17]

Vivo

In December 2016, it was reported that DeMicco was directing Vivo for Sony Pictures Animation released on August 6, 2021. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote new songs for this musical animated feature. [18] [19] Lin-Manuel Miranda reported that Vivo has been 10 years in the making and that it's in amazing shape. And that and Quiara [Alegría Hudes], my cowriter on [In the] Heights, is working on the screenplay with Kirk [De Micco], our director." [20] In May of 2021, it was reported that Netflix has licensed all global rights, sans China, to Sony Pictures Animation’s Vivo. The movie, directed by Oscar nominee DeMicco, was written by DeMicco and Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegría Hudes, who wrote the book for Miranda’s Tony-winning Broadway musical In the Heights. Said Miranda, “Bringing Vivo to life has been an incredible artistic journey. I couldn’t ask for better creative partners than Kirk, Quiara, Alex and the entire team at Sony Animation. I’m so excited Vivo will have a home at Netflix, where kids of all ages will be able to enjoy the film’s songs and adventures again and again.” [21]

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

In March 2023, DeMicco was announced as the director for Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (replacing the film's original director Paul Tibbitt), which was released on June 30, 2023. [22]

Filmography

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<i>The Croods</i> 2013 film by Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders

The Croods is a 2013 American animated adventure comedy-drama film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film was written and directed by Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders, and stars the voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, and Cloris Leachman. The film is set in a historically inaccurate prehistoric Pliocene era known as "The Croodaceous" when Grug, patriarch of the Croods, is threatened by the arrival of a genius named Guy, who comes up with revolutionary new inventions as they trek through a dangerous but exotic land in search of a new home.

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<i>Vivo</i> (film) 2021 film by Kirk DeMicco

Vivo is a 2021 American animated musical comedy film directed by Kirk DeMicco and co-directed by Brandon Jeffords, from a screenplay written by DeMicco and Quiara Alegría Hudes. Based on an original idea by Hudes and Peter Barsocchini, the film is produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, with songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also serves as an executive producer and voices the title character. The film also features the voices of Zoe Saldaña, Juan de Marcos, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Rooker, Nicole Byer, Gloria Estefan, and introduces Ynairaly Simo in her film debut as Gabi. Vivo marks Sony Pictures Animation's first musical film. The story follows Vivo (Miranda), a music-loving kinkajou, who embarks on the journey of a lifetime to fulfill his destiny and must deliver a love song to Marta Sandoval (Estefan), a retiring singer.

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<i>Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken</i> 2023 DreamWorks Animation film

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is a 2023 American animated action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Kirk DeMicco, co-directed by Faryn Pearl, and written by Pam Brady and the writing team of Brian C. Brown and Elliott DiGuiseppi. The film stars the voices of Lana Condor, Toni Collette, Annie Murphy, Sam Richardson, Liza Koshy, Will Forte, Colman Domingo, Jaboukie Young-White, Blue Chapman, and Jane Fonda. The film follows a shy 16-year-old anthropomorphic kraken girl named Ruby Gillman (Condor) who is desperate to fit in at Oceanside High. When she breaks her mother's (Collette) rule by going into the ocean with any would-be friends, she discovers that she is a direct descendant of battle-hardened krakens who have protected the sea from evil mermaids for generations, and is also destined to inherit the throne from her grandmother (Fonda).

<i>Vivo</i> (soundtrack) 2021 soundtrack album by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alex Lacamoire and various artists

Vivo (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2021 film of the same name. The soundtrack consisted of eleven songs (with reprise versions of two of the tracks) written and co-composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and performed by the film's cast, with twelve instrumental tracks from the film's score composed by Alex Lacamoire, Miranda's longtime collaborator. The soundtrack was led by the single "Keep The Beat" released on July 22, 2021, and the album in its entirety was released on August 6, 2021 through Atlantic Records, coinciding with the film's release through Netflix. A separate album for Lacamoire's score was released on August 20.

References

  1. Eischen, B. (March 12, 2013). "Ramapo Grad Comes Back Home for Premiere of 'The Croods'". Wyckoff Patch. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2013. At 43, DeMicco a Sicomac Elementary School, Eisenhower Middle School and Ramapo High School alum has returned back to his original cave to wow his old pals with his latest creation.
  2. Wassel, Bryan. "Wyckoff native talks up prehistoric adventure" Archived 2013-11-13 at the Wayback Machine , Wyckoff Suburban News, March 16, 2013. Accessed November 13, 2013. "On March 9, Kirk DeMicco returned to where it all began.'The Croods,' opening March 22.... The Wyckoff native and former Franklin Lakes resident said his passion for movies was born at a screening of "Star Wars" in the now-demolished movie theater on Route 4 that the AMC has replaced."
  3. McGinley, Devin. "Wyckoff Native Driving Profits in Hollywood; Wyckoff native Kirk DeMicco's "The Croods" is reportedly responsible for a surge in profits at DreamWorks Animation." Archived 2013-11-13 at the Wayback Machine , WyckoffPatch, August 1, 2013. Accessed November 13, 2013. "DeMicco, a former Wyckoff resident who attended Sicomac Elementary, Eisenhower Middle School and Ramapo High School, returned to Bergen County in 2012 for a prerelease screening of the film for friends and family."
  4. Engel, Allison (July 1, 2008). "Cinematic Simians on a Space Safari". USC Dornsife. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
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  18. 1 2 Trumbore, Dave (December 13, 2016). "Lin-Manuel Miranda Can't Stop, Won't Stop; Sony Fast-Tracks His Animated Movie 'Vivo'". Collider.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
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  20. "His Dark Materials gave Lin-Manuel Miranda 'new perspective' on adapting Kingkiller Chronicle". MSN . Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
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