Joe Johnston

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Joe Johnston

Johnston at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International.
Born Joseph Eggleston Johnston II
(1950-05-13) May 13, 1950
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Nationality American
Education Art Center College of Design
Alma mater California State University
Occupation Film director, film producer, effects artist, art director
Years active 1977–present
Notable work(s) Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, The Rocketeer, Jumanji, October Sky, Jurassic Park III, Hidalgo, The Wolfman, Captain America: The First Avenger

Joseph Eggleston "Joe" Johnston II[1] (born May 13, 1950)[1] is an American film director and former effects artist best known for such effects-driven movies as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), Jumanji (1995) and Jurassic Park III (2001), also known for period films such as The Rocketeer (1991), October Sky (1999), The Wolfman (2010), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).

Early life

Johnston was born in Austin, Texas,[2] and attended California State University, Long Beach, as well as the Art Center College of Design.

Career

Visual effects

He began his career as a concept artist and effects technician on the first Star Wars film, directed by George Lucas. His association with Lucas would later prove fruitful, as he won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for his work on Lucas and Steven Spielberg's film Raiders of the Lost Ark.[3] He continued to work on many films as an effects expert, and acted as associate producer on the film Willow.

In 1984, Lucas gave him a sabbatical, with salary, and paid his tuition to attend film school at the University of Southern California.[4] Johnston studied there but left after a year, saying he "was asked not to return" because he "broke too many rules".[5]

Directing

Johnston made his directorial debut with the hit Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and followed this with the comic-book adaptation The Rocketeer (1991). The film was a commercial failure, as was his next, the animated and live-action The Pagemaster. Johnson would rebound, however, directing the family hit Jumanji, starring Robin Williams. The film overcame lukewarm reviews to gross over US$260 million.[citation needed] Johnston would then switch gears from effects-driven action films to the more personal and critically acclaimed October Sky (1999), starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a 1950s West Virginia high school student who dreams of being a rocket scientist for NASA despite his father's wishes.

Johnston entered the 2000s with the sequel Jurassic Park III. The film continued his relationship with Spielberg and made over US$300 million at the box office. Johnston followed this with the western Hidalgo, starring Viggo Mortensen. Johnston then took a six-year break before directing the 2010 remake of the 1941 horror classic The Wolfman, starring Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins. In part for his experience with period superhero films with The Rocketeer, Johnston was selected to direct the Paramount Pictures superhero adaptation Captain America: The First Avenger, released July 22, 2011.[6] The film stars Chris Evans as the comic-book hero and Hugo Weaving as his archenemy the Red Skull. The film is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe group of films that also includes Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, and The Avengers.

Johnston was at one point set to direct Hulk but dropped out in July 1997.[7]

He is the author of the Star Wars book The Adventures of Teebo: A Tale of Magic and Suspense, a fantasy novel tied to Return of the Jedi (New York: Random House, 1984; ISBN 0-394-86568-5, ISBN 0-394-96568-X).[8]

In 2010, Johnston said he was involved in plans for a new Jurassic Park trilogy[6] that "sends the whole franchise off in a new direction. It's not about the dinosaur park anymore."[9]

Filmography

Feature Films

Year Title Director Producer Effects Artist Art Director Notes
1977 Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope Yes
1980 Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Yes Yes
1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark Yes Yes
1983 Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi Yes
1984 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Yes
1986 Howard the Duck Yes Ultralight sequence designer
1987 *batteries not included Second unit director, production manager
1988 Willow Yes
1989 Always Yes Aerial sequence designer
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Yes
1991 The Rocketeer Yes
1994 The Pagemaster Yes Live-action scenes
1995 Jumanji Yes
1999 October Sky Yes
2001 Jurassic Park III Yes
2004 Hidalgo Yes
2010 The Wolfman Yes
2011 Captain America: The First Avenger Yes Yes
2013 Not Safe for Work Yes Filming

Television

Year Title Notes
1978–1979 Battlestar Galactica Effects illustration and design
1984 The Ewok Adventure Production Designer
TV movie
1985 Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
Star Wars: Droids Writer
Episode: "Coby and the Starhunters"
1993 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Director
Episode: "Princeton, February 1916"

Critical reception

Film Rotten Tomatoes IMDb
Overall
*batteries not included (1987) 64%[10] 6.3[11]
Willow (1988) 46%[12] 7.1[13]
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) 73%[14] 6.2[15]
The Rocketeer (1991) 61%[16] 6.3[17]
The Pagemaster (1994) 18%[18] 5.3[19]
Jumanji (1995) 50%[20] 6.6[21]
October Sky (1999) 90%[22] 7.7[23]
Jurassic Park III (2001) 50%[24] 5.8[25]
Hidalgo (2004) 47%[26] 6.6[27]
The Wolfman (2010) 35%[28] 5.9[29]
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) 79%[30] 6.8[31]

Awards and Nominations

Year Award Category Film Result
1981 Academy Award Best Visual Effects Shared with Richard Edlund, Kit West and Bruce Nicholson Raiders of the Lost Ark Won
1990 International Fantasy Film Award Best Film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Nominated
1992 Hugo Award Best Dramatic Presentation Shared with Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, William Dear and Dave Stevens The Rocketeer Nominated
1995 International Fantasy Film Award Best Film Shared with Pixote Hunt The Pagemaster Nominated
1996 Saturn Award Best Director Jumanji Nominated
Young Artist Award Best Family Feature - Action-Adventure Won
1999 Ajijic International Film Festival Award Best Film October Sky Won
2001 Saturn Award Best Science Fiction Film Jurassic Park III Nominated
Golden Trailer Award Best Horror/Thriller Film Nominated
Golden Raspberry Award Worst Remake or Sequel Nominated
2004 Golden Trailer Award Best Drama Hidalgo Nominated
2010 Saturn Award Best Horror/Thriller Film The Wolfman Nominated
2012 Hugo Award Best Dramatic Presentation Shared with Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely Captain America: The First Avenger Nominated
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Award Best Film Nominated

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997". 
  2. ↑ Diaz, Victor. "Austin-born Oscar winner directs 'Captain America'", Austin.YNN.com, July 22, 2011.
  3. ↑ Buchanan, Jason. "Film > Film Biography > Joe Johnston", AllMovie.com, n.d.
  4. ↑ "2004 interview with Joe Johnston. Retrieved 12 August 2012". Articles.baltimoresun.com. 2004-03-08. Retrieved 2014-01-11. 
  5. ↑ "2001 ''filmschoolrejects'' website interview with Joe Johnston. Retrieved 12 August 2012". Filmschoolrejects.com. 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2014-01-11. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Nicholson, Amy. "Exclusive: 'Captain America' & 'JP4' News". Boxoffice, January 13, 2010
  7. ↑ Michael Fleming (April 14, 1997). "A Mania For Marvel". Variety. Retrieved November 10, 2008. 
  8. ↑ Joe Johnston. "''The Adventures of Teebo''". OpenLibrary.org. Retrieved 2014-01-11. 
  9. ↑ McWeeny, Drew. "'Jurassic Park IV' absolutely does not feature gun-toting dinosaurs", HitFix.com, February 7, 2010
  10. ↑ "*batteries not included". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11. 
  11. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092494/
  12. ↑ "Willow". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11. 
  13. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096446/
  14. ↑ "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11. 
  15. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097523/
  16. ↑ "The Rocketeer". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11. 
  17. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102803/
  18. ↑ "The Pagemaster". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11. 
  19. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110763/
  20. ↑ "Jumanji". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11. 
  21. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113497/
  22. ↑ "October Sky". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11. 
  23. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0132477/
  24. ↑ "Jurassic Park III". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11. 
  25. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163025/
  26. ↑ "Hidalgo". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11. 
  27. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317648/
  28. ↑ "The Wolfman". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11. 
  29. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780653/
  30. ↑ "Captain America: The First Avenger". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11. 
  31. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458339/

External links

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