Roland Emmerich

Emmerich was born in Stuttgart, West Germany, and grew up in the nearby town of Sindelfingen.{{cite magazine|author=Rebecca Ascher-Walsh|title=Space Under Fire|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=22 August 1995|url=http://www.ew.com/article/1996/07/12/timeline-independence-day-filmshoot|access-date=8 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816215337/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,293332_4,00.html|archive-date=16 August 2011|url-status=live}} As a youth, he traveled extensively throughout Europe and North America on vacations financed by his father, Hans, the wealthy founder of a garden machinery production company.{{cite news|author=Hilary Whiteman|title=Roland Emmerich, the accidental director|agency=CNN|date=7 March 2008|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/02/28/emmerich.history/index.html|access-date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306020702/http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/02/28/emmerich.history/index.html|archive-date=6 March 2009|url-status=live}} In 1977, he began attending University of Television and Film Munich with the intention of studying to become a production designer. After watching Star Wars, he instead decided to enroll in the school's film director program.The Force Is With Them: The Legacy of Star Wars Star Wars Original Trilogy DVD Box Set: Bonus Materials, [2004] Required to create a short film as his final thesis in 1981, he wrote and directed the full-length feature The Noah's Ark Principle, which was screened as the opening film of the 34th Berlin International Film Festival in 1984.{{cite news|author=Hilary Whiteman|title=Roland Emmerich: Making it big|agency=CNN|date=10 March 2008|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/02/28/emmerich.director/index.html|access-date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306010139/http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/02/28/emmerich.director/index.html|archive-date=6 March 2009|url-status=live}}

In 1985, he founded Centropolis Film Productions (now Centropolis Entertainment) in partnership with his sister, producer Ute Emmerich, and directed his major film debut, a fantasy feature named Joey. He subsequently directed the 1987 comedy Hollywood-Monster and the 1990 science-fiction film Moon 44. Theatrically, these were only released in and near his native country, although Emmerich filmed them in English and went against conventional German styles in an attempt to appeal to a larger market. This subsequently resulted in Moon 44 being released direct-to-video in the U.S. in early 1991. Joey and Hollywood-Monster eventually also saw home video releases in the U.S. (as Making Contact and Ghost Chase, respectively) once Emmerich achieved more prominence in America.

Producer Mario Kassar invited Emmerich to come to the United States to direct a futuristic action film entitled Isobar.{{cite news|author=Patrick Lee, Maria Virobik|title=Devlin's Isobar Moves Forward|publisher=Sci Fi Wire|date=21 July 2006|url=http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=37195|access-date=8 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070903164714/http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=37195|archive-date=3 September 2007|url-status=dead}} Dean Devlin, who appeared in Moon 44, soon joined Emmerich as his writing and producing partner, and served in this capacity until 2000. Emmerich subsequently refused the offer to direct after producers rejected Devlin's re-write of the script, and the Isobar project was eventually scrapped. Instead, Emmerich was hired to replace director Andrew Davis for the action movie Universal Soldier. The film was released in 1992.

Emmerich next helmed the 1994 science-fiction film Stargate. At the time, it set a record for the highest-grossing opening weekend for a film released in the month of October.{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/month/?mo=10&p=.htm|title=Top Opening Weekends by Month|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605030103/http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/month/?mo=10&p=.htm|archive-date=5 June 2011|url-status=live}} It became more commercially successful than most film industry insiders had anticipated,{{cite magazine|author=Rebecca Ascher-Walsh|title=Space Under Fire|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=28 July 1995|url=https://ew.com/article/1996/07/12/timeline-independence-day-filmshoot/|access-date=8 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709002618/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,293332,00.html|archive-date=9 July 2008|url-status=live}} and spawned a highly popular media franchise.

Emmerich then directed Independence Day, an alien invasion feature, released in 1996, that became the first film to gross $100 million in less than a week{{cite magazine|author=A.J. Jacobs|title=The Day After|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=19 July 1996|url=https://ew.com/article/1996/07/19/independence-day-breaks-new-record/|access-date=8 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017122000/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,293427,00.html|archive-date=17 October 2013|url-status=live}}[http://www.filmsite.org/90sintro3.html Film History of the 1990s] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107190841/http://www.filmsite.org/90sintro3.html |date=7 January 2017 }} filmsite.org. Retrieved on 8 July 2008. and went on to become one of the most financially successful films of all time,[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=independenceday.htm "Independence Day."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923135752/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=independenceday.htm |date=23 September 2016 }} Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on 8 July 2008. at one point having been the second-highest-grossing film in terms of worldwide box office.[http://www.10000bcmovie.com/ "William Fay Bio."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218101034/http://www.10000bcmovie.com/ |date=18 February 2012 }} www.10000bcmovie.com. Retrieved on 4 March 2008. Emmerich and Devlin then created the television series The Visitor, which aired on the Fox Network during 1997–1998 before being cancelled after one season.

His next film, Godzilla, opened in 1998. An extensive advertising and marketing campaign generated significant hype during the months leading up to the film's release. The film was a box office success but was met with negative reviews from critics and fans. It garnered a Saturn Award for Best Special Effects, a BMI Film Music Award, and the Audience Award for Best Director at the European Film Awards while also receiving a Razzie Award for Worst Remake or Sequel. It has only a 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.{{Cite web | title = Godzilla (1998) |work=Rotten Tomatoes |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/godzilla/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070116044902/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/godzilla/ |archive-date=16 January 2007 |access-date=7 June 2012 }} Emmerich said that prior to getting involved with Godzilla he and Devlin had planned a disaster movie centered around an asteroid fall, which wound up cancelled after Armageddon went for a similar idea.

Taking a short break from science-fiction, Emmerich next directed the American Revolutionary War epic The Patriot (2000). One of only five films (Universal Soldier, Anonymous, White House Down, and Midway being the others) Emmerich has directed in which he did not contribute to the screenplay, the film received a generally favorable critical and commercial response,{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/patriot |title=The Patriot|website=Metacritic|access-date=16 March 2009}} and is Emmerich's best-reviewed film to date.{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/search/process?sort=relevance&termType=all&ts=roland+emmerich&ty=1&x=42&y=6|title=Roland Emmerich (search results)|website=Metacritic|access-date=16 March 2009}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/roland_emmerich/|title=Roland Emmerich|website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618013308/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/roland_emmerich/|archive-date=18 June 2010|url-status=live}} After teaming up with new screenwriting partner Harald Kloser, Emmerich returned once again to directing a visual effects-laden adventure with 2004's blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow, another disaster film about a rapidly oncoming ice age brought upon by the effects of global warming. Soon afterward, he founded Reelmachine, another film production company based in Germany.

In 2008, Emmerich directed 10,000 BC, a film about the journeys of a prehistoric tribe of mammoth hunters. It was a box office hit, but consistently regarded by professional critics as his worst film, as well as one of the worst films of the year.{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/browser.php?navsection=home&type=2&genre=&subgenre=&tomatometer=0%s&numreviews=&mpaa=&letter=&decade=2000s&year=&video_format=&title_search=&person_search=&plot_search=&sort=OrigReleaseYear+DESC&start_index=0&page=1|title=Tomato Picker 2008 films with <10% "fresh" ratings|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=16 March 2009}} He was slated to direct a remake of the 1966 science-fiction film Fantastic Voyage,{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/markets-festivals/emmerich-to-captain-voyage-2-1117970307/ |title=Emmerich to captain 'Voyage'|date=15 August 2007|magazine=Variety|access-date=15 August 2007|first=Michael|last=Fleming|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014175205/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117970307.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&query=fantastic+voyage|archive-date=14 October 2007|url-status=live}} but he eventually left project, due to clashing with its producer James Cameron.{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/roland-emmerich-james-cameron-fantastic-voyage-1235959190/ |title=Roland Emmerich Calls James Cameron "Very Overbearing", Explains Why He Exited 'Fantastic Voyage' |website=The Hollywood Reporter |first=Ryan |last=Gajewski |date=July 26, 2024 |access-date=August 3, 2024}} In 2009, Emmerich directed 2012,{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/sony-buys-emmerich-s-2012-1117981245/ |title=Sony buys Emmerich's '2012'|date=21 February 2008|magazine=Variety|access-date=21 February 2008|first=Michael|last=Fleming|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929150401/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117981245.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2562|archive-date=29 September 2008}} an apocalyptic disaster film based on the conspiracy theory that the ancient Mayans prophesied the world's ending on 21 December 2012.{{cite web |first=Agnes |last=Pawlowski |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/01/27/2012.maya.calendar.theories/ |title=Apocalypse in 2012? Date spawns theories, film |website=CNN |agency=CNN |date=27 January 2009 |access-date=5 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201150739/http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/01/27/2012.maya.calendar.theories/ |archive-date=1 February 2009|url-status=live}} Despite mixed reviews, the film went on to be his second-highest-grossing film to date (after Independence Day) and received praise from audiences. Emmerich usually finishes production of a large-scale movie both in a time frame shorter and on a budget lower than what is typically requested by other directors.{{cite news |author=Richard Corliss |title=The Invasion Has Begun |magazine=Time |date=8 July 1996|url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,984815-5,00.html |access-date=8 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815102703/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,984815-5,00.html|archive-date=15 August 2009|url-status=dead}}

File:Roland Emmerich (6973286762).jpg

Emmerich's next film, Anonymous, released on 28 October 2011, is based on the premise that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford is the real author of the plays and sonnets of William Shakespeare.{{cite web|url=http://www.coronacomingattractions.com/scoops/october-9-2009-anonymous-roland-emmerich-talks-about-his-next-project|title=October 9, 2009 – Anonymous / Roland Emmerich talks about his next project – Corona Coming Attractions|website=www.coronacomingattractions.com|access-date=23 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125234914/http://coronacomingattractions.com/scoops/october-9-2009-anonymous-roland-emmerich-talks-about-his-next-project|archive-date=25 November 2010|url-status=live}} According to Emmerich, "It's an historical thriller because it's about who will succeed Queen Elizabeth and the struggle of the people who want to have a hand in it. It's the Tudors on one side and the Cecils on the other, and in between [the two] is the Queen. Through that story we tell how the plays written by the Earl of Oxford ended up labelled 'William Shakespeare.'"{{cite news|url=https://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=27133 |title=Roland Emmerich's Next Is 'Anonymous' About Shakespeare|last=de Semlyen|first=Phil|date=25 February 2010|work=Empire Online|access-date=12 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814084816/http://www.empireonline.com/News/story.asp?nid=27133|archive-date=14 August 2011 |url-status=dead }} The film's box-office failures signaled a decline of Emmerich's career.

In 2011, Sony Pictures had purchased a pitch for Emmerich's project Singularity, a sci-fi epic about a man composed of nanomachines. Originally planned for a 2013 release, the project has since gone into development hell.[https://collider.com/roland-emmerich-singularity-failed-blockbuster-what-happened/ What Happened to 'Singularity,' the Roland Emmerich Blockbuster That Never Was?]

Emmerich directed the action-thriller film White House Down, which involved a terrorist attack on the White House by a paramilitary group. The spec script was written by James Vanderbilt and was purchased by Sony Pictures for {{nowrap|$3 million}} in March 2012. The Hollywood Reporter called it "one of the biggest spec sales in quite a while". The journal said the script was similar "tonally and thematically" to the films Die Hard, Air Force One and Olympus Has Fallen (2013). Emmerich began filming in July 2012 at the La Cité Du Cinéma in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The film was released on 28 June 2013 in the United States.

Whenever asked about making a personal project, Emmerich thought it would be "a gay film", and after friends during production of Anonymous asked if he could make a film on the Stonewall riots, Emmerich got interested in the idea.{{cite web|url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/615375-director-roland-emmerich-on-telling-the-story-of-stonewall|title=Director Roland Emmerich on Telling the Story of Stonewall|work=ComingSoon.net|date=23 September 2015|access-date=8 July 2018}} Stonewall was released in 2015.{{cite web|last1=Buchanan|first1=Kyle|title=Roland Emmerich Discusses His Gay-Rights Drama Stonewall and Debuts the Exclusive Poster|url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/07/roland-emmerich-on-gay-rights-drama-stonewall.html#|website=Vulture|date=31 July 2015 |access-date=23 September 2015}} He followed it with a sequel to his most successful film in Independence Day: Resurgence, released twenty years after the original Independence Day on 24 June 2016.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/outthere/2016/06/24/independence_day/#.WBFgr8mxUog|title=Getting Under the Alien Skin of the New 'Independence Day'|last=Powell|first=Corey S.|work=Esquire|date=24 June 2016|access-date=18 October 2016|archive-date=26 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026025034/http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/outthere/2016/06/24/independence_day/#.WBFgr8mxUog|url-status=dead}}

In November 2019, Emmerich directed the film Midway based on the battle of Midway during the Pacific Theater of World War II.

In 2020, it was announced that Emmerich's next film project would be entitled Moonfall, released in 2022 by Lionsgate. The project is a space disaster film about a mysterious force knocking the moon from its orbit around Earth, sending it on a collision course with the planet. In response, a ragtag team launches a last-ditch mission to land on the lunar surface and save Earth from annihilation.{{cite news |last1=Kit |first1=Borys |title=Halle Berry to Star in Roland Emmerich's Sci-Fi Movie 'Moonfall' (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/halle-berry-star-roland-emmerich-sci-fi-film-moonfall-1294852 |access-date=19 May 2020 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=19 May 2020 |language=en}}{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/josh-gad-star-roland-emmerichs-disaster-thriller-moonfall-1294354 |title=Josh Gad to Star in Roland Emmerich's Disaster Thriller 'Moonfall' |work=Hollywood Reporter |access-date=13 May 2020}} with the production budget standing at $150 million.{{cite news|first=Andreas |last=Wiseman |url=https://deadline.com/2020/01/roland-emmerichs-sci-fi-moonfall-gets-china-distribution-funding-from-huayi-production-lined-up-for-spring-1202833344/ |title=Roland Emmerich's 'Moonfall' Gets China Distribution, Spring Start |work=Deadline |date=16 January 2020 |access-date=13 May 2020}}

Following the release of Moonfall, Emmerich said he has been working on a TV series based on T. E. Lawrence for around a decade, and stated he has three projects he would like to make, a mistaken identity period piece set in 1919 about a young writer having to take control of a film set, another about a conquistador, and a third about the death of Marilyn Monroe.

In June 2023, Emmerich announced a franchise titled Space Nation which will consist of a MMORPG, a TV series, animated shorts and spinoff games.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/06/roland-emmerich-unveils-space-nation-franchise-tv-series-game-1235424714/|title=Roland Emmerich Unveils 'Space Nation', Franchise Encompassing TV Series, Online Game & Animated Shorts|first=Peter|last=White|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=June 28, 2023|access-date=June 29, 2023}}

Emmerich owns homes in Los Angeles, New York City, London and Stuttgart.{{cite news|title=BRILLIANT OR BAD TASTE? Director Roland Emmerich's Knightsbridge Townhouse|publisher=Cottage Industries|date=5 September 2008|url=http://www.ctcottageindustries.com/2008/09/brilliant-or-bad-taste-director-roland.html|access-date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205124359/http://www.ctcottageindustries.com/2008/09/brilliant-or-bad-taste-director-roland.html|archive-date=5 February 2017|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|author=Kathryn Harris|title=There's no manifesto|work=The Guardian|date=25 October 2008|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/oct/25/roland-emmerich|access-date=16 March 2009|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017095532/http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/oct/25/roland-emmerich|archive-date=17 October 2013|url-status=live}} He likes to decorate his homes in a self-described "outlandish" manner, adorning them with rare Hollywood memorabilia, murals and portraits of dictators and Communist figures, and World War II militaria.

Emmerich is gay and is an LGBT rights activist. He is married to Omar De Soto.{{cite web|url=https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/roland-emmerich-engagement/|title=Director of worst gay film ever to tie the knot this summer|work=Gay Star News|date=20 March 2017|access-date=17 January 2022|archive-date=24 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124185548/https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/roland-emmerich-engagement/|url-status=dead}} He has stated that he witnessed overt racism when producers and studio executives were opposed to allowing him to cast Will Smith for the lead in Independence Day, and reluctant to allow him to portray an interracial couple in The Day After Tomorrow.The Day After Tomorrow Director/Producer DVD Commentary (2004) He has also stated that he has encountered homophobia from the same groups, and is vocal in his opposition to such behavior. He has stated that sometimes he does "[not like working in] the movie business", describing it as a sometimes "very cold, brutal business", but his motivation to keep directing is that he genuinely "like[s] making movies".

In 2006, he pledged $150,000 to the Legacy Project, a campaign dedicated to gay and lesbian film preservation. Emmerich made the donation on behalf of Outfest, making it the largest gift in the festival's history.{{cite news|url=http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/entertainment-news/2006/01/25/hollywood-director-helps-save-gay-and-lesbian-films|title=Hollywood director helps save gay and lesbian films|date=25 January 2006|work=The Advocate|access-date=28 March 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810094124/http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/entertainment-news/2006/01/25/hollywood-director-helps-save-gay-and-lesbian-films|archive-date=10 August 2014|url-status=live}} In 2007, on behalf of the LGBT community, he held a fundraiser at his Los Angeles home for Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.{{cite web|url=http://www.4seasons-photography.com/Event_Hillary_Clinton.html|title=LGBT hold fundraiser for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton at Roland Emmerich's Hollywood Home|date=22 July 2007|publisher=4seasons Photography|access-date=21 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080313203809/http://www.4seasons-photography.com/Event_Hillary_Clinton.html|archive-date=13 March 2008|url-status=live}}

In 2011, he became a U.S. citizen while keeping his German citizenship. He stated he did so because he "wanted to have a vote in the next US elections" and that he waited because he "didn’t want to become an American under Bush."{{Cite web |date=2011-09-12 |title=Hollywood director Emmerich says mum won't let him vote Green |url=https://www.thelocal.de/20110912/37539 |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=The Local Germany |language=en}}

He is a collector of art.{{cite news|first=Aaron|last=Couch|date=25 June 2013|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/roland-emmerich-independence-day-2-574512|title=Roland Emmerich: Independence Day 2 to Feature Gay Character|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=23 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140315020007/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/roland-emmerich-independence-day-2-574512|archive-date=15 March 2014|url-status=live}} Emmerich's extensive collection of artwork includes a painting of Jesus Christ wearing a Katharine Hamnett-styled T-shirt during his crucifixion, prints of Alison Jackson's works of a Princess Diana lookalike making obscene gestures and engaging in sex acts, a wax sculpture of Pope John Paul II laughing as he reads his own obituary, and a Photoshopped image of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a homoerotic pose. Emmerich, a financial supporter of U.S. progressive politics,{{cite news|title=FUNDRACE 2008|work=The Huffington Post|url=http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=Emmerich&fname=Roland|access-date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002005634/http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=Emmerich&fname=Roland|archive-date=2 October 2011|url-status=dead}} states that the decorations and pieces are not declarations of any beliefs, but rather reflections of his "predilection for art with a political edge".{{cite news|author=Hruska, Rachelle J.|author-link=Rachelle Hruska|title=Roland Emmerich's Far From Conservative Style|publisher=Guest of a Guest|date=7 October 2008|url=http://guestofaguest.com/things-we-love/roland-emmerichs-far-from-conservative-style/|access-date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091115081946/http://guestofaguest.com/things-we-love/roland-emmerichs-far-from-conservative-style/|archive-date=15 November 2009|url-status=dead}}

Emmerich is in favor of the campaign for stunt performers to receive recognition at the Academy Awards, and has worked to raise awareness over the issue of global warming.{{cite web|url=http://www.blackfilm.com/20040528/features/rolandemmerich.shtml|title=An interview with Roland Emmerich|date=1 May 2004|publisher=blackfilm.com|access-date=21 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080306110853/http://www.blackfilm.com/20040528/features/rolandemmerich.shtml|archive-date=6 March 2008|url-status=live}} He once was a chain-smoker who was known to smoke as many as four packs of cigarettes a day,{{cite magazine|author=Rebecca Ascher-Walsh|title=Space Under Fire|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=12 July 1996|url=https://ew.com/article/1996/07/12/timeline-independence-day-filmshoot/|access-date=8 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709002618/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,293332,00.html|archive-date=9 July 2008|url-status=live}} Emmerich has often included in his films characters who are trying to quit smoking or warn against the dangers of tobacco use. Along with several other celebrities, he is a producer of The 1 Second Film, a non-profit project intended to raise money for women's rights in the developing world.{{cite web|url=http://the1secondfilm.com/producer/562|title=Roland Emmerich|publisher=The 1 Second Film|access-date=21 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825155603/http://the1secondfilm.com/producer/562|archive-date=25 August 2009|url-status=dead}}

In addition to film, Emmerich also co-created and produced the short-lived television series The Visitor, and, in 2001, directed a one-minute commercial titled "Infinite Possibilities" for DaimlerChrysler.{{cite web|url=http://www.clipland.com/Summary/501001908|title=Infinite Possibilities|publisher=clipland.com|access-date=10 August 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080531205053/http://www.clipland.com/Summary/501001908/|archive-date=31 May 2008|url-status=live}}

Executive producer

{{colbegin|colwidth=22em}}

• Eye of the Storm (1991)
• Eight Legged Freaks (2002)
• Hell (2011)
• Last Will & Testament (2012) (Documentary)

{{colend}}

Producer

{{colbegin|colwidth=22em}}

• The High Crusade (1994)
• The Thirteenth Floor (1999)
• Trade (2007)
• The Magic Flute (2022)

{{colend}}

• Roland Emmerich's unrealized projects

Reviewers often criticize Emmerich's films for relying heavily on visual effects and suffering from clichéd dialogue, flimsy and formulaic narratives, numerous scientific and historical inaccuracies, illogical plot developments, and lack of character depth.{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/godzilla/|title=The Day After Tomorrow (2004)|access-date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213143730/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/godzilla/|archive-date=13 February 2009|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1098149-patriot/|title=The Patriot (2000)|access-date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204144620/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1098149-patriot/|archive-date=4 February 2009|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10000_bc/|title=10,000 BC (2008)|access-date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309101512/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10000_bc/|archive-date=9 March 2008|url-status=live}} Emmerich contends that he is not discouraged by such criticism and that he aims to provide enjoyable "popcorn" entertainment to movie-going audiences. Stating that he is "a filmmaker, not a scientist", he creates his own fiction based on actual science or history to make the messages he sends "more exciting".{{cite news|first=Todd|last=Gilchrist|title=The Day After Tomorrow: An Interview with Roland Emmerich|publisher=blackfilm.com|date=May 2004|url=http://www.blackfilm.com/20040528/features/rolandemmerich.shtml|access-date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116213143/http://www.blackfilm.com/20040528/features/rolandemmerich.shtml|archive-date=16 January 2009|url-status=live}}

In response to accusations of insensitivity for including scenes of New York City being destroyed in The Day After Tomorrow, less than three years after the September 11 attacks, Emmerich said that it was necessary to depict the event as a means to showcase the increased unity people now have when facing a disaster, because of the attacks.{{cite news|first=Thomas|last=Chau|title=INTERVIEW: Director Roland Emmerich on "The Day After Tomorrow"|work=Cinema Confidential|date=27 May 2004|url=http://www.cinecon.com/news.php?id=0405271|access-date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040606125634/http://www.cinecon.com/news.php?id=0405271|archive-date=6 June 2004|url-status=live}} When accused of resorting too often to scenes of cities being subjected to epic disasters, Emmerich says that it is a justified way of increasing awareness about both global warming, and the lack of a government preparation plan for a global doomsday scenario in the cases of The Day After Tomorrow and 2012, respectively.{{cite news|first=Alex|last=Billington|title=Roland Emmerich (Almost) Explains What Happens in 2012|website=Firstshowing.net|date=3 March 2008|url=http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/03/03/roland-emmerich-almost-explains-what-happens-in-2012/|access-date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305005356/http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/03/03/roland-emmerich-almost-explains-what-happens-in-2012/|archive-date=5 March 2009|url-status=live}}

Acknowledging what he characterized as flaws with Godzilla, Emmerich admitted he regretted having agreed to direct it. He stated that his lack of interest in the previous Godzilla movies, the short time he promised it would take for him to complete the film, and the studio's refusal to screen it for test audiences were all factors that may have negatively affected the quality of the final product, and cited the former reason as to why he turned down an offer to direct Spider-Man, as he was not interested in comic books or superhero-related fiction.{{cite news|first=Daniel Robert|last=Epstein|title=Roland Emmerich of The Day After Tomorrow (20th Century Fox) Interview|website=UGO|url=http://www.ugo.com/channels/filmTv/features/thedayaftertomorrow/rolandemmerich.asp|access-date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107212214/http://www.ugo.com/channels/filmTv/features/thedayaftertomorrow/rolandemmerich.asp|archive-date=7 January 2009|url-status=dead}} However, Emmerich still defends Godzilla, noting that the film was highly profitable and claiming that, of all his movies, people tell him Godzilla is the one they and their kids watch the most repeatedly.

Emmerich has also faced criticism from the LGBT community. His film Stonewall was criticized for being whitewashed and diminishing the contributions of transgender women of color to starting the Stonewall riots,{{cite web|last1=Keeley|first1=Matt|title=UPDATED: Roland Emmerich's 'Stonewall' Has A White/Cis Hero, And That's A Problem|website=Unicorn Booty|url=https://unicornbooty.com/roland-emmerichs-stonewall-has-a-white-cis-hero-and-thats-a-problem/|access-date=29 June 2016|date=6 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512184044/https://unicornbooty.com/roland-emmerichs-stonewall-has-a-white-cis-hero-and-thats-a-problem/|archive-date=12 May 2016|url-status=live}} and for being sex-negative.{{cite web|last1=Villarreal|first1=Daniel|title=5 Problems Besides Whitewashing in the Film "Stonewall" |website=Unicorn Booty|url=https://unicornbooty.com/5-problems-besides-whitewashing-in-the-film-stonewall/|access-date=29 June 2016|date=28 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817234825/https://unicornbooty.com/5-problems-besides-whitewashing-in-the-film-stonewall/|archive-date=17 August 2016|url-status=live}} In response to these claims, Emmerich has said the Stonewall riots were "a white event".{{cite web|last1=Bernstein|first1=Jonathan|title=Roland Emmerich: 'I like to say I was driven out of Germany by the critics'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jun/18/roland-emmerich-on-independence-day-resurgence|website=The Guardian|access-date=29 June 2016|date=18 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160622071426/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jun/18/roland-emmerich-on-independence-day-resurgence|archive-date=22 June 2016|url-status=live}} The film received generally negative reviews from critics.{{cite web | url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stonewall_2015/ | title=Stonewall (2015) | work=Rotten Tomatoes | access-date=4 July 2019}}

Similarly, Emmerich touted his 2016 film Independence Day: Resurgence as having a gay couple,{{cite web|last1=Gardner|first1=Chris|title=Roland Emmerich on 'Independence Day 2's' Gay Couple: It's Not "a Big Deal"|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/roland-emmerich-independence-day-2s-781706|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=21 March 2015|access-date=29 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011025412/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/roland-emmerich-independence-day-2s-781706|archive-date=11 October 2016|url-status=live}} but when the film was released, Johnny Gayzmonic of Unicorn Booty criticized the film because the couple in question was two trivial characters lacking in believable chemistry who were utilized solely for comic relief, one of whom was needlessly killed off in a way that was not vital to the plot (the other having been depicted as strictly heterosexual in tie-in material to the first film), the characters only being revealed to have been a gay couple during the aforementioned death scene (with references to their relationship being cut from the Chinese version of the film), a fate that Gayzmonic observed befell many gay couples in film.{{cite web|last1=Gayzmonic|first1=Johnny|title=The Gay Couple In Independence Day: Resurgence Don't Get Their Due |url=https://unicornbooty.com/gay-couple-independence-day-resurgence-dont-get-due/|website=Unicorn Booty|access-date=29 June 2016|date=24 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625125149/https://unicornbooty.com/gay-couple-independence-day-resurgence-dont-get-due/|archive-date=25 June 2016|url-status=live}}

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|386}}
• [http://the1secondfilm.com/producer/562 Roland Emmerich Producer Profile for The 1 Second Film] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825155603/http://the1secondfilm.com/producer/562 |date=25 August 2009 }}
• [http://www.hossli.com/articles/2009/07/13/the-day-i-stop-making-movies-ill-die/ Interview with Roland Emmerich from July 2009]
• [http://www.centropolis.com/ Centropolis Entertainment] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829063636/http://www.centropolis.com/ |date=29 August 2018 }}

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{{Berlin International Film Festival jury presidents}}

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Category:1955 births

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Category:Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

Category:Recipients of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg

Category:German science fiction film directors

Category:University of Television and Film Munich alumni

Category:Shakespeare authorship theorists

Category:German fantasy film directors