Todd Phillips | |
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Born | Todd Philip Bunzl December 19, 1970 [1] New York City, U.S. |
Education | New York University |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1993–present |
Todd Phillips (born Todd Philip Bunzl; December 19, 1970) [1] is an American filmmaker. Phillips began his career in 1993 and directed films in the 2000s such as Road Trip , Old School , Starsky & Hutch , and School for Scoundrels . He came to wider prominence in the early 2010s for directing The Hangover film series. In 2019, he co-wrote and directed the psychological thriller film Joker , based on the DC Comics character of the same name, which premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival where it received the top prize, the Golden Lion. Joker went on to earn Phillips three Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, with his co-writer Scott Silver, his second, third, and fourth Academy Award nominations after also being nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for Borat at the 79th Academy Awards.
Phillips was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to a Jewish family. [2] [3] He was raised in Dix Hills, New York, on Long Island. [4] He attended New York University Film School, but dropped out [5] because he could not afford to complete his first film and pay tuition simultaneously. [6] Around that time, he worked at Kim's Video and Music. [5]
Phillips appeared as one of the drivers in the first season of the HBO hidden camera docu-series Taxicab Confessions . [7] In a New York Times profile, Phillips said he had gotten in trouble for shoplifting as a young man. [4]
Phillips's first documentary film, Hated: GG Allin and the Murder Junkies , centered on the life and death of controversial punk rocker GG Allin, while as a junior at NYU and it went on to become one of the highest grossing student films at the time, even getting a limited theatrical release. [5] Phillips wrote a letter to convicted serial killer, John Wayne Gacy, an acquaintance of GG, asking if he could paint a movie poster for the film. Phillips stated that "Gacy is really the executive producer" of the film, having raised $10,000 from selling replicas of his artwork. [8]
Next, he co-directed with then-partner Andrew Gurland for Frat House , a second documentary about college fraternities; it premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize for documentary features. [9] It was produced by HBO, but never aired on its channel because many of the film's participants claimed they were paid to re-enact their activities. It was never proven either way.
His third documentary Bittersweet Motel centered on the jam band Phish, covering its summer and fall 1997 tours, plus footage from their 1998 spring tour of Europe. It ends at The Great Went, a two-day festival held in upstate Maine which attracted 70,000 people. While at Sundance with Frat House, Phillips met director-producer Ivan Reitman who led Phillips into writing and directing his comedy films, Road Trip and Old School , for Reitman's Montecito Picture Company.
Phillips also wrote and directed the 2004 film Starsky & Hutch starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, as well as the 2006 film School for Scoundrels , starring Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder. In 2005, Details Magazine cited Judd Apatow, Adam McKay and Phillips as "The Frat Packagers". [10] He worked on the satirical comedy Borat (2006), but he resigned his position as a director in early 2005, due to creative differences. [11] Nevertheless, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his role in fashioning the story.
After establishing Green Hat Films in 2008, Phillips directed and produced The Hangover . Made for a reported $35 million, it went on to become the highest-grossing R-rated comedy up to that time. Its worldwide gross stood at $480 million on February 3, 2012. [12] The film went on to win the Golden Globe for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy). [13] It also won Best Comedy at the 2009 Broadcast Film Critics Awards. [14] Phillips took almost no up-front salary in exchange for a large share of the film's profits, and has said that the movie's enormous success, combined with his deal, makes it "my Star Wars ". After a worldwide gross of $467 million, his share in the film made Phillips around $50 million. [15]
In 2010, Phillips directed, produced and co-wrote the comedy Due Date , which starred Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. It was a box office success, grossing $211,780,324 worldwide. [16]
In the fall of 2010, production on The Hangover Part II began in Bangkok, Thailand that Phillips directed, produced and co-wrote. The film shot for 63 days and broke various records upon its release on May 26, 2011. With the film debuting at midnight with showings in 2,600 theaters, the film earned $10.4 million, breaking the record for the biggest midnight opening for an R-rated film. The Hangover Part II went on to accrue a launch day total of $31.6 million; [17] nearly doubling The Hangover's Friday launch opening ($16.7 million). This amount broke two further records; the highest-grossing opening day for a live-action comedy and the highest-grossing opening day for an R-rated comedy film, replacing Sex and the City ($26.7 million). The three-day opening weekend accumulated $85,946,294—an average of $23,923 per theater [18] —becoming the highest grossing opening weekend for a comedy film, replacing The Simpsons Movie ($74 million). For the Memorial Day four-day weekend, the film amassed $103.4 million to become the fourth-highest-grossing Memorial Day weekend opening. [18] Finally, the film's worldwide gross of $581,464,305 beat the previous R-rated comedy record holder The Hangover to become the highest-grossing R-rated comedy film of all time (now surpassed by both Deadpool movies). [19]
He returned to direct, write, and produce The Hangover Part III , which was released in 2013. It grossed over $300 million, pushing The Hangover Trilogy 's total box office gross to $1.4 billion.
In 2016, following the successes of The Hangover trilogy, Phillips directed, produced, and co-wrote the crime film War Dogs , starring Jonah Hill and Miles Teller.
In 2019, Phillips directed, co-wrote, and co-produced an origin story film based on DC Comics' supervillain the Joker, Joker (2019). The script, set in 1981, was co-written by Scott Silver, and the film starred Joaquin Phoenix in the title role. [20] It premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival and was released in October 2019. Its sequel, Joker: Folie a Deux, added Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn; released in 2024, the film was also directed, co-written, and co-produced by Phillips. The film was later panned by critics and audiences.
When asked in a 2014 interview by the BBC if he believes in God, Phillips replied: "Personally I don't. But I believe there's a higher power, a collective energy in people that you might say is God." [21]
Phillips said in 2019, in the aftermath of his dark drama Joker release, that he had stopped making comedy films because of the backlash of "woke culture", saying: "Go try to be funny nowadays... There were articles written about why comedies don't work anymore – I'll tell you why, because all the fucking funny guys are like, 'Fuck this shit, because I don't want to offend you'. It's hard to argue with 30 million people on Twitter." [22]
Phillips spent the weekend Joker: Folie à Deux was released on his ranch, in seclusion. [23]
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | Road Trip | Yes | Yes | No |
2003 | Old School | Yes | Yes | Yes |
2004 | Starsky & Hutch | Yes | Yes | No |
2006 | Borat | Removed [note 1] | Story | No |
All the King's Men | No | No | Yes | |
School for Scoundrels | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2009 | The Hangover | Yes | No | Yes |
2010 | Due Date | Yes | Yes | Yes |
2011 | The Hangover Part II | Yes | Yes | Yes |
2012 | Project X | No | No | Yes |
2013 | The Hangover Part III | Yes | Yes | Yes |
2016 | War Dogs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
2018 | A Star Is Born | No | No | Yes |
2019 | Joker | Yes | Yes | Yes |
2024 | Joker: Folie à Deux | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | Road Trip | Foot Lover | |
2003 | Old School | Gang Bang Guy | |
2009 | The Hangover | Mr. Creepy | |
2010 | Due Date | Barry | |
2013 | The Hangover Part III | Mr. Creepy | |
Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Himself | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1993 | Hated: GG Allin and the Murder Junkies | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
1998 | Frat House | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-directed with Andrew Gurland |
2000 | Bittersweet Motel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Year | Title | Director | Producer | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | Taxicab Confessions | No | Yes | Field producer, 1 episode |
2008 | The More Things Change... | Yes | Executive | TV movie |
2012 | Matthew Broderick's Day Off | Yes | Yes | Commercial for Honda |
2015–2016 | Limitless | No | Executive | 19 episodes |
Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | New Orleans Film Festival | Best Documentary Film | Hated: GG Allin and the Murder Junkies | Won |
1998 | San Francisco International Film Festival | Certificate of Merit | Frat House | Won |
Sundance Film Festival | Grand Jury Prize Documentary | Won | ||
2007 | Writers Guild of America Award | Best Adapted Screenplay | Borat | Nominated |
Academy Award | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
2009 | Golden Globe Award | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | The Hangover | Won |
British Comedy Award | Best Comedy Film | Nominated | ||
2010 | ShoWest Convention | Director of the Year | Won | |
2018 | Awards Circuit Community Award | Best Motion Picture | A Star Is Born | Won |
2019 | Latino Entertainment Journalists Association | Best Picture | Won | |
Music City Film Critics' Association | Jim Ridley Award | Won | ||
Online Film & Television Association | Best Picture | Won | ||
Venice International Film Festival | Golden Lion | Joker | Won | |
2020 | Golden Globe Award | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated | |
Best Director | Nominated | |||
Critics' Choice Movie Award | Best Picture | Nominated | ||
Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | |||
Producers Guild of America Award | Best Theatrical Motion Picture | Nominated | ||
Writers Guild of America Award | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
British Academy Film Award | Best Film | Nominated | ||
Best Director | Nominated | |||
Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | |||
Academy Award | Best Picture | Nominated | ||
Best Director | Nominated | |||
Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | |||
2024 | Venice International Film Festival | Golden Lion | Joker: Folie à Deux | Nominated |
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Old School is a 2003 American comedy film directed and co-written by Todd Phillips. The film stars Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and Will Ferrell as depressed men in their thirties who seek to relive their college days by starting a fraternity, and the tribulations they encounter in doing so. The film was released on February 21, 2003, received mixed reviews from critics, and grossed $87 million worldwide.
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School for Scoundrels is a 2006 American comedy film, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder, and directed by Todd Phillips. The film is based on the 1960 British film School for Scoundrels. The remake was released on September 29, 2006.
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Kung Fu Panda 2 is a 2011 American animated martial arts comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and written by the writing team of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, the film is the sequel to Kung Fu Panda (2008), and the second installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise. It stars Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong and Jackie Chan reprising their roles from the first film, with Gary Oldman, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride, Dennis Haysbert, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Victor Garber voicing new characters. In the film, Po and his Furious Five allies travel to Gongmen City to stop the evil peacock Lord Shen from conquering China, while also rediscovering Po's forgotten past.
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Ted is a 2012 American fantasy comedy film co-produced and directed by Seth MacFarlane and written by MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, and Wellesley Wild based on a story written by MacFarlane. The film stars Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis, with Joel McHale and Giovanni Ribisi in supporting roles, and MacFarlane providing the voice and motion capture of the title character. The film tells the story of John Bennett, a Boston native whose childhood wish brings his teddy bear friend Ted to life. However, in adulthood, Ted and John's friendship begins to interfere with the progression of John's relationship with his girlfriend, Lori Collins.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Steve Kloves. The film is the second of two cinematic parts based on the 2007 novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling. It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) and the eighth and final instalment in the Harry Potter film series. The story concludes Harry Potter's quest to find and destroy Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes in order to stop him once and for all.
The Hangover Part III is a 2013 American action comedy film and the sequel to The Hangover Part II (2011), both produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the third and final installment in The Hangover trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Tambor, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, and John Goodman with Todd Phillips directing a screenplay written by himself and Craig Mazin.
The Hangover is a series of American comedy films created by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, and directed by Todd Phillips. All three films follow the misadventures of a quartet of friends who go on their road trip to attend a bachelor party. While all of the films find three of the four men on a mission to find their missing friend, the first two films focus on the events after the nights of debauchery before a party, respectively in Las Vegas and Bangkok, whereas the third and final film involves a road trip and a kidnapping in lieu of a bachelor party. Each film in the series focuses on how the friends deal with the aftermath of their antics, while they are being humiliated and occasionally physically beaten up at every turn. All three films were released from 2009 to 2013, and have grossed a collective total of $1.4 billion in the United States and worldwide.
Heaven Is for Real is a 2014 American Christian drama film written and directed by Randall Wallace and co-written by Christopher Parker, based on Pastor Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent's 2010 book of the same name. The film stars Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly, Connor Corum, Margo Martindale, and Thomas Haden Church.
Neighbors is a 2014 American bromantic comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and written by Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O'Brien. The film stars Seth Rogen and Zac Efron, with Rose Byrne, Dave Franco, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse in supporting roles. The plot follows a couple who come into conflict with a fraternity that has recently moved in next door, which leads them into an all-out war.
2019 in film is an overview of events, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies, critics' lists of the best films of 2019, festivals, a list of country-specific lists of films released, and movie programming. Avengers: Endgame was the year's highest grossing film and became the highest-grossing film of all-time until Avatar regained the top spot in 2021.
Annabelle is a 2014 American supernatural horror film directed by John R. Leonetti, written by Gary Dauberman and produced by Peter Safran and James Wan. It stars Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, and Alfre Woodard. Principal photography began in January 2014 in Los Angeles. It premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on September 29, 2014, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 3, 2014, by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.
The Hustle is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Chris Addison, starring Anne Hathaway, Rebel Wilson and Alex Sharp. It was written by Stanley Shapiro, Paul Henning, Dale Launer, and Jac Schaeffer. It is a female-lead remake of the 1988 film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which is a remake of the 1964 film Bedtime Story. The film follows two women who set out to con an Internet millionaire.
Joker is a 2019 psychological thriller film directed by Todd Phillips from a screenplay he co-wrote with Scott Silver. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix and is loosely based on DC Comics characters, including the Joker. It follows Arthur Fleck, a failed clown and aspiring stand-up comedian whose descent into mental illness and nihilism culminates with the emergence of an alter-ego known as "Joker" and inspires a violent countercultural revolution against the wealthy in a decaying Gotham City. Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, and Frances Conroy appear in supporting roles. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, Joker was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Films in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, Bron Creative and Joint Effort.
Joker: Folie à Deux is a 2024 American jukebox musical psychological thriller film directed by Todd Phillips from a screenplay he co-wrote with Scott Silver. Loosely based on DC Comics characters, it is a sequel to Joker (2019). Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as the Joker, with Lady Gaga as his love interest, Lee Quinzel. Zazie Beetz and Leigh Gill also reprise their roles, while Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Steve Coogan and Harry Lawtey join the cast. It is produced by Warner Bros. Pictures in association with Joint Effort and was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Mr. Phillips, 38,...was born Todd Bunzl in Brooklyn and raised in Dix Hills, N.Y., on Long Island, by his mother and two older sisters.