Joe Johnston
| Joe Johnston | |
|---|---|
 Johnston at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International. | |
| Born |
Joseph Eggleston Johnston II May 13, 1950 Austin, Texas, United States |
| 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 | 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). These movies include a number of period films such as The Rocketeer (1991), The Wolfman (2010), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). In 1999 Johnston won acclaim for the biographical drama October Sky.
Early life
Johnston was born in Austin, Texas,[2] and attended California State University, Long Beach, and Pasadena's Art Center College of Design.
Career
Design and visual effects
Much of the work at the beginning of Johnston's screen career combined design and special effects. He began his career as a concept artist and effects technician on the first Star Wars film, directed by George Lucas, and was art director on one of the effects teams for the sequel. His association with Lucas would later prove fruitful, when he became one of four to win an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for Lucas and Steven Spielberg's film Raiders of the Lost Ark.[3] Johnston continued to work on many films as an effects expert.
He was also associate producer on fantasy Willow, and production designer on two mid-80s TV movies which featured the Ewoks seen in Return of the Jedi.
Johnston is also author of Star Wars novel The Adventures of Teebo: A Tale of Magic and Suspense, which ties into Return of the Jedi (New York: Random House, 1984; ISBN 0-394-86568-5, ISBN 0-394-96568-X).[4]
In 1984, Lucas gave Johnston a sabbatical, with salary, and paid his tuition to attend the USC School of Cinematic Arts.[5] Johnston left after a year, saying he "was asked not to return" because he "broke too many rules".[6]
Directing
Johnston made his directorial debut in 1989 with hit comedy adventure Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, starring Rick Moranis. He followed it with comic-book adaptation The Rocketeer (1991). The film was a commercial failure, as was his next, the animated and live-action The Pagemaster. Johnston rebounded, directing the family hit Jumanji, starring Robin Williams. The film overcame lukewarm reviews to gross over $260 million.[7]
Johnston was set to direct Hulk,[8] but dropped out in July 1997. Johnston then switched gears from effects-driven action films to the more personal October Sky (1999), starring a teenage Jake Gyllenhaal as a 1950s West Virginia high school student who dreams of being a rocket scientist for NASA against his father's wishes. Based on a true story, the film won Johnston both acclaim and awards.
Johnston's first project of the 2000s was the sequel Jurassic Park III, which made over US$300 million at the box office. Johnston followed it with western Hidalgo, starring Viggo Mortensen. Johnston then took a six-year directorial break before signing on at a month's notice to take over the 2010 remake of 1941 horror classic The Wolfman. Shot in England, the film starred Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins.
In part thanks to his experience with the period superhero film The Rocketeer, Johnston was selected to direct Marvel Studios superhero adaptation Captain America: The First Avenger. Released on July 22, 2011,[9] the film stars Chris Evans as the comic book hero and Hugo Weaving as his archenemy the Red Skull.
In 2012 Johnston began directing thriller Not Safe for Work.
Filmography
Feature films
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Effects Artist | Art Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope | Yes | ||||
| 1980 | The Empire Strikes Back | Yes | Yes | |||
| 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Yes | Yes | |||
| 1983 | 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 | ||||
| 2014 | Not Safe for Work | Yes |
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 |
|---|---|
| Overall | |
| *batteries not included (1987) | 64%[10] |
| Willow (1988) | 48%[11] |
| Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) | 73%[12] |
| The Rocketeer (1991) | 61%[13] |
| The Pagemaster (1994) | 18%[14] |
| Jumanji (1995) | 50%[15] |
| October Sky (1999) | 90%[16] |
| Jurassic Park III (2001) | 50%[17] |
| Hidalgo (2004) | 47%[18] |
| The Wolfman (2010) | 35%[19] |
| Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) | 79%[20] |
| Not Safe for Work (2014) | 27%[21] |
Accolades
References
- 1 2 "Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997".
- ↑ Diaz, Victor. "Austin-born Oscar winner directs 'Captain America'", Austin.YNN.com, July 22, 2011.
- ↑ Buchanan, Jason. "Film > Film Biography > Joe Johnston", AllMovie.com, n.d.
- ↑ Joe Johnston. "''The Adventures of Teebo''". OpenLibrary.org. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ↑ "2004 interview with Joe Johnston. Retrieved 12 August 2012". Articles.baltimoresun.com. 2004-03-08. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ↑ "2001 ''filmschoolrejects'' website interview with Joe Johnston. Retrieved 12 August 2012". Filmschoolrejects.com. 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ↑ "Jumanji (1995) - Box Office Mojo". boxofficemojo.com.
- ↑ Michael Fleming (April 14, 1997). "A Mania For Marvel". Variety. Retrieved November 10, 2008.
- ↑ Nicholson, Amy. "Exclusive: 'Captain America' & 'JP4' News". Boxoffice, January 13, 2010
- ↑ "*batteries not included". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ↑ "Willow". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ↑ "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ↑ "The Rocketeer". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ↑ "The Pagemaster". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ↑ "Jumanji". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ↑ "October Sky". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ↑ "Jurassic Park III". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ↑ "Hidalgo". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ↑ "The Wolfman". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ↑ "Captain America: The First Avenger". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
- ↑ "Not Safe For Work". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2015-05-25.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Joe Johnston. |
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