Joe Johnston
{{Short description|American film director and effects artist (born 1950)}}
{{about|the film director|similar names|Joseph Johnston (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Joe Johnston.jpg
| caption = Johnston at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con
| name = Joe Johnston
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|5|13}}
| birth_place = Austin, Texas, U.S.
| birthname = Joseph Eggleston Johnston II
| education = ArtCenter College of Design
| alma_mater = California State University
| occupation = {{hlist|Film director|film producer|effects artist|art director|writer}}
| yearsactive = 1977–present
| notable_works = {{Plainlist|
- Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
- The Rocketeer
- Jumanji
- Jurassic Park III
- The Wolfman
- Captain America: The First Avenger
}}
| networth =
| spouse =
| children =
| website =
}}
Joseph Eggleston Johnston II (born May 13, 1950)[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/joe_johnston Joe Johnston], Rotten Tomatoes.com is an American film director, producer, writer, and visual effects artist. He is best known for directing effects-driven films, including Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), The Rocketeer (1991), Jumanji (1995), Jurassic Park III (2001), The Wolfman (2010), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
Early life
Johnston was born Joseph Eggleston Johnston II in Austin, Texas,Diaz, Victor. [http://austin.ynn.com/content/entertainment/movies_and_film/279552/austin-born-oscar-winner-directs--captain-america- "Austin-born Oscar winner directs 'Captain America'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331100542/http://austin.ynn.com/content/entertainment/movies_and_film/279552/austin-born-oscar-winner-directs--captain-america- |date=March 31, 2012}}, Austin.YNN.com, July 22, 2011. and attended California State University, Long Beach, and Pasadena's Art Center College of Design, both for industrial 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. He was the creative designer of the Millennium Falcon spacecraft{{cite book |last=Bouzereau|first=Laurent|author-link=Laurent Bouzereau|title=Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays|date=1997|publisher=Ballantine Books|isbn=0345409817|page=53}} and co-created the design of Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back,[https://www.starwars.com/news/empire-at-40-joe-johnston-boba-fett-interview EMPIRE AT 40 | DESIGNING AN ICON: JOE JOHNSTON ON THE JOURNEY TO CREATE BOBA FETT] while working for Industrial Light & Magic in the 1970s and was art director on one of the effects teams for the sequel Return of the Jedi. 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.Buchanan, Jason. [https://www.allmovie.com/artist/joe-johnston-an12766 Joe Johnston Profile], AllMovie.com Johnston continued to work on many films as an effects expert.
He was also associate producer on fantasy film Willow, and production designer on two mid-1980s 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}}).{{cite book|author=Joe Johnston |url=https://openlibrary.org/b/OL22325365M/adventures_of_Teebo |title=The Adventures of Teebo |year=1984 |publisher=OpenLibrary.org |ol=22325365M |access-date=January 11, 2014}}
In 1984, at 34, Johnston went to George Lucas and stated his desire to leave Lucasfilm for a year. However, Lucas offered him to go to USC School of Cinematic Arts and study there for a year, complete with paid tuition and half-salary that would let Johnston take any class he wanted.{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2004-03-08-0403080253-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111053935/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2004-03-08/features/0403080253_1_joe-johnston-hidalgo-johnston-earned |url-status=live |archive-date=January 11, 2014 |title=2004 interview with Joe Johnston. Retrieved 12 August 2012 |publisher=Articles.baltimoresun.com |date=March 8, 2004 |access-date=January 11, 2014}}{{cite web | url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/07/17/back-to-jurassic-park-with-joe-johnston | title=Back to Jurassic Park with Joe Johnston | date=July 17, 2001 }} Johnston left after a year, saying he "was asked not to return" because he "broke too many rules".{{cite web |url=https://www.filmschoolrejects.com/features/interview-director-joe-johnston-captain-america-the-first-avenger.php |title=2001 filmschoolrejects website interview with Joe Johnston. Retrieved 12 August 2012 |publisher=Filmschoolrejects.com |date=July 18, 2011 |access-date=January 11, 2014 |archive-date=July 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722024342/https://www.filmschoolrejects.com/features/interview-director-joe-johnston-captain-america-the-first-avenger.php |url-status=dead}}
= 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, starring Macaulay Culkin. Johnston rebounded, directing the family hit Jumanji, starring Robin Williams. The film overcame lukewarm reviews to gross over $260 million.{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=jumanji.htm|title=Jumanji (1995) – Box Office Mojo|work=boxofficemojo.com}}
Johnston was set to direct Hulk,{{cite news | author = Michael Fleming | url = https://variety.com/1997/voices/columns/a-mania-for-marvel-1117434784/ | title = A Mania For Marvel | work = Variety | date = April 14, 1997 | access-date = November 10, 2008}} 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.
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,Nicholson, Amy. [http://www.boxofficemagazine.com/articles/2010-01-exclusive-captain-america-jp4-news "Exclusive: 'Captain America' & 'JP4' News"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305222940/http://www.boxofficemagazine.com/articles/2010-01-exclusive-captain-america-jp4-news |date=March 5, 2012}}. Boxoffice, January 13, 2010 the film stars Chris Evans as the comic book hero and Hugo Weaving as his archenemy the Red Skull. In 2014, Johnston directed the thriller Not Safe for Work for Blumhouse Productions.
On December 12, 2017, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Johnston would direct 32 days of reshoots on the film The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, due to its director Lasse Hallström being unavailable.{{cite magazine|last=Kit|first=Borys|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/joe-johnston-direct-disneys-nutcracker-four-realms-reshoots-1066990|title=Joe Johnston to Direct Disney's 'Nutcracker and the Four Realms' Reshoots (Exclusive)|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|date=December 12, 2017|access-date=December 13, 2017}}
On December 5, 2019, it was reported that Joe Johnston was in negotiations with Walt Disney Pictures to direct Shrunk, a legacy sequel to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.{{cite web |date=5 December 2019 |last1=Kroll |first1=Justin |title='Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' Director in Talks to Return for Reboot Starring Josh Gad (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/honey-i-shrunk-the-kids-reboot-josh-gad-joe-johnston-1203425344 |website=Variety}}{{cite web |date=12 February 2020 |last1=D'Alessandro |first1=Anthony |title=Rick Moranis Closes Deal To Return To 'Honey, I Shrunk The Kids' Franchise With 'Shrunk' At Disney |url=https://deadline.com/2020/02/honey-i-shrunk-the-kids-reboot-rick-moranis-1202858344 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212184658/https://deadline.com/2020/02/honey-i-shrunk-the-kids-reboot-rick-moranis-1202858344/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |website=Deadline Hollywood |quote=As previously reported, the pic’s original director Joe Johnston will be back }}
Filmography
= Director=
Film
Television
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Notes |
|---|
| 1993
| The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | Episode "Princeton, February 1916" |
| 2015
| Lumen | TV movie; |
= Other credits =
Film
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Director ! Role |
|---|
| 1977
| Visual effects artist / Cameo as "Death Star Trooper" |
| 1980
| Visual effects artist and art director / Cameo as "Captain Shawn Valdez" |
| 1981
|Steven Spielberg |Visual effects artist and art director |
| 1983
| rowspan="2" | Art director |
| 1984
|Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom |Steven Spielberg |
| 1986
| Ultralight sequence designer |
| 1987
| Second unit director and production manager |
| 1988
|Associate producer |
| 1989
|Steven Spielberg | Aerial sequence designer |
| 1999
| Designer of the Iron Giant |
| 2014
|The Lawful Truth |Mollie Fitzgerald |Cameo as "Captain Waters" |
Television
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role |
|---|
| 1978–1979
| Effects illustration and design |
| 1984
| rowspan="2" |Production designer (TV movie) |
| 1985 |
| 1985–1986
|Star Wars: Droids – The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO |Screenwriter (Episode "Coby and the Starhunters"), |
| 2017
|The Creeps |Executive producer (TV short) |
| 2025
| Light & Magic (Season 2) | Director and executive producer (All 3 episodes, docuseries) |
Bibliography
- 1977: The Star Wars Sketchbook
- 1980: The Empire Strikes Back Sketchbook (with Nilo Rodis-Jamero)
- 1983: Return of the Jedi Sketchbook (with Nilo Rodis-Jamero)
- 1984: The Adventures of Teebo: A Tale of Magic and Suspense
- 2005: Star Wars: Aux origines du mythe (with Doug Chiang)
- 2007: The Hill Culture
- 2011: The Mack Marsden Murder Mystery
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable" | ||||
| 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 | {{nom}} |
| 1992 | Hugo Award | Best Dramatic Presentation (Shared with Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, William Dear and Dave Stevens) | The Rocketeer | {{nom}} |
| 1995 | International Fantasy Film Award | Best Film (Shared with Pixote Hunt) | The Pagemaster | {{nom}} |
| rowspan="2"|1996 | Saturn Award | Best Director | rowspan="2"|Jumanji | {{nom}} |
| Young Artist Award | Best Family Feature – Action-Adventure | {{won}} | ||
| 1999 | Ajijic International Film Festival Award | Best Film | October Sky | {{won}} |
| rowspan="2"|2001 | Saturn Award | Best Science Fiction Film | rowspan="2"|Jurassic Park III | {{nom}} |
| Golden Trailer Award | Best Horror/Thriller Film | {{nom}} | ||
| 2004 | Golden Trailer Award | Best Drama | Hidalgo | {{nom}} |
| 2010 | Saturn Award | Best Horror/Thriller Film | The Wolfman | {{nom}} |
| rowspan="2"|2012 | Hugo Award | Best Dramatic Presentation (Shared with Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely) | rowspan="2"|Captain America: The First Avenger | {{nom}} |
| Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Award | Best Film | {{nom}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{IMDb name|2653|Joe Johnston}}
{{Joe Johnston}}{{Academy Award Best Visual Effects}}{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, Joe}}
Category:Best Visual Effects Academy Award winners
Category:California State University, Long Beach alumni
Category:Film directors from Texas
Category:American action film directors
Category:American people of German descent
Category:American people of Scottish descent
Category:Mass media people from Austin, Texas
Category:American role-playing game artists
Category:American visual effects artists
Category:USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni
Category:American storyboard artists