Phil Johnston (filmmaker)

Last updated
Phil Johnston
Phil Johnston.jpg
Johnston in 2018
Born (1971-10-26) October 26, 1971 (age 52)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Education University of Wisconsin-Madison (BA)
Columbia University (MFA)
Occupations
  • Screenwriter
  • film director
  • film producer
  • voice actor
Years active2004–present
Spouse Jill Cordes

Philip Johnston (born October 26, 1971) is an American filmmaker and voice actor, best known as one of the writers for the Walt Disney Animation Studios films Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Zootopia (2016) [1] and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), the latter of which he directed alongside Rich Moore.

Contents

Early life and career

Johnston was born in Minneapolis to Beverly & William Johnston. [2] He was raised in Neenah, Wisconsin. [3] [4] His father was an Episcopal priest. [4] When he was young, he received an annual pass that allowed him free entry into the Marcus Theatres, a Wisconsin-based theater chain, through a connection at his father's church. [4] Johnston is a graduate of Neenah High School. [2]

He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1994 with a degree in journalism. [5] After graduation he worked in regional news television for nine years. [3] His first job was as a weatherman in Rochester, Minnesota despite knowing nothing about meteorology. [6] [3] He then worked as a bureau reporter at the Omaha, Nebraska, ABC affiliate, KETV. [7] Afterwards, he transferred to KARE station in Minneapolis. [8] [4]

Johnston graduated with a MFA in film from Columbia University School of the Arts' Film Program in 2004. [9] He was classmates with Jennifer Lee, whom he later brought on to co-write Wreck-It Ralph with. [10]

His short, Flightless Birds, about a community of five trying to save their town was shot in South Dakota. [11]

After graduation, Johnston sold his first work to ABC. [12] The half hour comedy, Life is Super, is about a woman who adopts several children and subsequently turning her experience into a podcast. [12]

Johnston optioned his first feature script to ThinkFilm before it went bankrupt. [3] Jeremy Orm Is a Pervert is about the intersection of a preacher's career and his son's pornography business. [3] This was loosely based on his side hustle back in middle school selling pornographic magazines he acquired from upperclassmen to his classmates. [6] He managed to buy a pair of Air Jordans with the profits before eventually getting the operation shut down by his parents. [6]

His script for Cedar Rapids (2011) was included in the 2009 Black List (survey), a list voted by members of the entertainment industry for favorite, unproduced screenplays. [13]

Personal life

Johnston met his wife, Jill Cordes, while working as a reporter at KETV, Nebraska, where she was a morning anchor. [14]

While attending Columbia, he lived in Brooklyn with his wife, Jill. [4] He was neighbors with film critic Christy Lemire. [4]

Filmography

Feature films

YearTitle Director Writer Producer Other Voice Role Notes
2006 The Night Listener NoNoNoYesAssistant to Patrick Stettner
2007 Savage Grace NoNoNoYesResearcher
2010 Ghosts/Aliens NoYesExecutiveNoTelevision Film
2011 Cedar Rapids NoYesNoNo
2012 Wreck-It Ralph NoYesNoYesSurge Protector
2014 A Merry Friggin' Christmas NoYesNoNoCredited as "Michael Brown"
2016 Zootopia NoYesNoYesGideon Grey / Annoyed Citizen
2017 The Brothers Grimsby NoYesExecutiveNo
2018 Ralph Breaks the Internet YesYesNoYesSurge ProtectorSong Lyrics: "A Place Called Slaughter Race", "In This Place"; Creative Leadership
2025 The Twits YesYesYesNo

Short films

YearTitle Director Writer Producer Film Editor OtherRole
2004A Thousand WordsYesYesYesYesNo
2005Two MenNoNoYesNoNo
RuptureNoNoNoNoYesChet Rimson (Radio Announcer)
Flightless BirdsYesYesYesYesNo
2007BombNoNoYesNoNo
2013Garlan Hulse: Where Potential LivesNoNoYesNoYesGarlan Hulse

Other credits

YearTitleRole
2016 Moana Creative Leadership
2019 Frozen II
2020 Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Special Thanks
2022 The Sea Beast

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultRef.
2004WorldFest HoustonIndependent Student Film & Videos - Graduate Level Student ProductionsA Thousand WordsWon
2012 Independent Spirit Awards Best First Screenplay Cedar Rapids Nominated
2013 Annie Awards Writing in an Animated Feature Production Wreck-It Ralph Won
2017 Annie Awards Writing in an Animated Feature Production Zootopia Won [15]
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Ray Bradbury Award Zootopia Nominated
2018 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Best Animated Feature Ralph Breaks the Internet Nominated
Detroit Film Critics Society Best Animated Feature Ralph Breaks the Internet Nominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards Best Animated Feature Ralph Breaks the Internet Nominated
2019 Golden Globe Awards Best Animated Feature Film Ralph Breaks the Internet Nominated
Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Animated Feature Film Ralph Breaks the Internet Nominated
Critics' Choice Awards Best Animated Feature Ralph Breaks the Internet Nominated
Annie Awards Annie Award for Directing in a Feature Production Ralph Breaks the Internet Nominated
Annie Award for Music in a Feature Production Ralph Breaks the Internet Nominated
Annie Award for Writing in a Feature Production Ralph Breaks the Internet Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature Ralph Breaks the Internet Nominated
Academy Awards Best Animated Feature Ralph Breaks the Internet Nominated

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References

  1. ↑ "Welcome to Zootopia at D23 EXPO!" . D23. August 15, 2015. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "COMMON COUNCIL MINUTES" (PDF). May 3, 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Kaufman, Anthony (July 28, 2009). "Phil Johnston - 10 Screenwriters to Watch". Variety. Archived from the original on December 8, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Breakfast All Day: Episode 018: A La Carte With Phil Johnston". bfastallday.libsyn.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  5. ↑ "Badgerwood: Video series features UW-Madison alumni in Hollywood". news.wisc.edu. Archived from the original on 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  6. 1 2 3 "Cartoon Pyramid With Phil Johnston And Mo Willems". NPR.org. Archived from the original on 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  7. ↑ Robinson, Laurann. "Oscars Preview: What goes in to making an Oscar-winning animated film?". Omaha, Nebraska: KETV. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Former KARE reporter now an Oscar nominee". KARE. Archived from the original on 2023-07-29. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  9. ↑ "'Green Book' by Writing Alumnus Peter Farrelly '86 Wins Three Golden Globes". Columbia - School of the Arts. Archived from the original on 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  10. ↑ Stewart, Jill (2013-05-15). "Jennifer Lee: Disney's New Animation Queen". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  11. ↑ Taylor Rick, Lynn (7 March 2004). "Big Dreams in a small town". Rapid City Journal Media Group. Archived from the original on 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  12. 1 2 "The Bricks of Breaking In: 'Wreck-It Ralph's' Phil Johnston on Screenwriting as a Second Career". blog.finaldraft.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-08. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  13. ↑ Finke, Nikki (2009-12-11). "The Black List 2009: Full Roster". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  14. ↑ "AN ATYPICAL LIFE AFTER TV NEWS – NewsBlues.com". Archived from the original on 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  15. ↑ "44th Annie Award Nominees". International Animated Film Society. November 28, 2016. Archived from the original on July 17, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
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