Jonathan Goldstein (filmmaker) explained

Jonathan Goldstein
Birth Date:September 2, 1968
Birth Place:New York City, U.S.
Birth Name:Jonathan Michael Goldstein
Alma Mater:University of Michigan
Harvard Law School
Occupation:Film director, Screenwriter, Television writer/producer
Years Active:1999present

Jonathan Michael Goldstein (born September 2, 1968) is an American filmmaker best known for his work on , Game Night, , and Horrible Bosses.

He has worked collaboratively with John Francis Daley as a film-making duo, whom he met on The Geena Davis Show.[1] Daley and Goldstein's earlier work was predominantly based in the comedy genre where they were co-screenwriters for Horrible Bosses (2011), co-writers for The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013), co-story writers for Horrible Bosses 2 (2014), and also co-wrote/co-directed the fifth film in the National Lampoon's Vacation film series, Vacation (2015). The duo received co-writer credits for (2017) with other screenwriters, which was met with critical and financial success; and they co-directed the 2018 black comedy Game Night, which also met with critical and financial success.

Prior to his feature film career, Goldstein wrote for numerous situation comedies, including The PJs starring Eddie Murphy, The Geena Davis Show, Good Morning Miami, Four Kings, and The New Adventures of Old Christine.

Personal life

Born in New York City, Goldstein moved to Beachwood, Ohio, in 1980, where he graduated from Beachwood High School in 1986.[2] He attended the University of Michigan and then Harvard Law School, graduating in 1995.[3] He worked for two years as a corporate litigator at the New York office of Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue.[4] Goldstein lives in Los Angeles with his wife, novelist Adena Halpern, who he married in 2007.[5]

Career

Finding the legal profession less than fulfilling, he moved to Los Angeles in 1998 to pursue a career in comedy writing. Shortly thereafter, he began writing for network television comedies and eventually films.

In 2007, in collaboration with his writing partner, John Francis Daley, Goldstein sold his first film script, The $40,000 Man, to New Line Cinema.[6] Since that first sale, Goldstein and Daley have been engaged on a number of other feature projects, including Hours of Fun,[7] The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, starring Steve Carell and Jim Carrey,[8] Cal of the Wild for Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks,[9] [10] and an adaptation of the documentary Of All the Things for Warner Bros. Pictures, also with Steve Carell set to play the lead.[11] New Line's Horrible Bosses was released on July 8, 2011, and has made over $200 million in worldwide box office.[12] In 2009, the team were hired to rewrite the sequel to the animated film, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.[13]

Goldstein and Daley co-wrote and directed[14] their script for Vacation, a follow-up to the 1983 comedy film National Lampoon's Vacation. Ed Helms played the adult Rusty Griswold.[15] The film grossed $104 million in worldwide box office off a budget of $32 million.[16]

Goldstein and Daley wrote the screenplay for the 2017 film ,[17] and were both considered to direct[18] before Jon Watts was hired.[19]

Goldstein and Daley directed the 2018 black comedy Game Night, based on a screenplay by Mark Perez which they rewrote. The film, starring Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, "earned a raft of glowing reviews for its whip-smart script, energetic performances, and deliberate avoidance of modern comedy's ubiquitous tropes," and grossed $117 million at the worldwide box office, versus a $37 million budget. While they did not receive screenwriter credit, they later said they rewrote "almost all of the original script's dialogue, totally overhauled the characters — most notably a creepy cop portrayed by Jesse Plemons — and comprehensively reworked the original script's third act."[20]

In 2018, it was announced that the filmmaking duo would direct a film adaptation of DC Comics' The Flash for the DC Extended Universe,[21] but it was announced in July that they have left the project. Despite this, both Goldstein and Daley received story by credit alongside Joby Harold.[22] [23]

In 2019, it was announced that Goldstein and Daley were in talks be directing the reboot of (2023).[24] In January 2020, it was announced that, in addition to directing, they would be writing a new draft of the screenplay.[25] As of May 11, 2023, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has grossed $91.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $111.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $203 million.

Filmography

Short film

YearTitlewidth=65 Directorwidth=65 Writer
2001What Babies Do
2011Audio Tour

Feature film

YearTitlewidth=65 Directorwidth=65 WriterExecutive
Producer
2011Horrible Bosses
2013The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
2014Horrible Bosses 2
2015Vacation
2017
2018Game Night
2021Vacation Friends
2023
The Flash
TBAMayday

Television

YearTitlewidth=65 Directorwidth=65 WriterNotes
2011BonesEpisode "The Truth in the Myth"
2019In the DarkEpisode "All About the Benjamin";
Also consulting producer
2021Welcome to Georgia

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jonathan M. Goldstein . Rotten Tomatoes . January 16, 2022.
  2. Web site: 2014 Inductees.
  3. https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/fashion/weddings/26halpern.html Adena Halpern, Jonathan Goldstein – New York Times
  4. http://www.nbcnewyork.com/blogs/popcornbiz/Horrible-Bosses-Scribes-125032379.html Meet the Guys Behind the "Horrible Bosses" | NBC New York
  5. http://www.adenahalpern.com/about.html adena halpern – pinch me
  6. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nl-assembles-40000-man-139427 NL assembles '$40,000 Man' – The Hollywood Reporter
  7. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/scott-rudin-disney-have-fun-110839 Scott Rudin, Disney have 'Fun' – The Hollywood Reporter
  8. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pair-rewrite-magician-117634 Pair to rewrite 'Magician' – The Hollywood Reporter
  9. https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118004738 Writers set for DreamWorks' 'Wild' – Entertainment News, DreamWorks SKG, Media – Variety
  10. https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118015026 New Line ready for another 'Vacation' – Entertainment News, Los Angeles, Media – Variety
  11. Web site: Steve Carell Taps Scribes For Rock Star Pic . . Mike Flemming . September 28, 2010 . May 14, 2022.
  12. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/scribes-tapped-bosses-88902 Scribes tapped for 'Bosses' – The Hollywood Reporter
  13. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/07/cloudy-chance-meatballs-sequel-ickles-horrible-bosses-jason-bateman.html With sequel, 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs' looks to continue its rain – latimes.com
  14. Web site: Chapman. Glen. National Lampoon's Vacation reboot/sequel latest. www.denofgeek.com. March 18, 2013.
  15. Web site: Ed Helms in Talks to Star in 'Vacation' Reboot. The Hollywood Reporter. July 11, 2012.
  16. Web site: Vacation.
  17. Web site: Back To Walley World: The Griswolds Go On 'Vacation' Again . . July 25, 2015 . July 26, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150728161216/http://www.npr.org/2015/07/25/424643616/back-to-walley-world-the-griswolds-go-on-vacation-again . July 28, 2015 . live .
  18. Web site: 'Spider-Man' Director Short List Topped By Ted Melfi & Jonathan Levine . Fleming . Mike Jr. . . June 2, 2015 . June 2, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150603011534/http://deadline.com/2015/06/spider-man-director-ted-melfi-jonathan-levine-marvel-sony-pictures-1201436220/ . June 3, 2015 . live .
  19. Web site: Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios Find Their 'Spider-Man' Star and Director . . June 23, 2015 . June 23, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150624232902/http://marvel.com/news/movies/24758/sony_pictures_and_marvel_studios_find_their_spider-man_star_and_director . June 24, 2015 . live .
  20. News: Lee . Chris . How Game Night Broke Modern Comedy's Rules to Win at the Box Office . July 12, 2018 . Vulture.com . June 21, 2018.
  21. Web site: Exclusive: 'Flashpoint' Directors Reveal How They Landed the Job . Chitwood . Adam . . February 12, 2018 . February 13, 2018.
  22. Web site: December 22, 2021. Michael Shannon Appears on 'The Flash' Movie Cast List. January 2, 2022. Collider. en-US.
  23. Web site: https://directories.wga.org/project/1206053/the-flash . April 24, 2023 . directories.wga.org.
  24. Web site: Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley in Talks to Direct 'Dungeons & Dragons' Movie. Kroll. Justin. July 30, 2019. Variety. en. May 15, 2020.
  25. Web site: This just in... #dndpic.twitter.com/gBVNhwSi8h. Goldstein. Jonathan. January 21, 2020. @JM_Goldstein. en. May 15, 2020.