James Gunn Explained

James Gunn
Birth Name:James Francis Gunn Jr.
Birth Date:5 August 1966
Birth Place:St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Education:Loyola Marymount University
Saint Louis University (BA)
Columbia University (MFA)
Yearsactive:1989–present
Employer:Warner Bros. Discovery
Co-chairman and Co-CEO of DC Studios

James Francis Gunn Jr. (born August 5, 1966) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer.

He began his career as a screenwriter in the mid-1990s, starting at Troma Entertainment with Tromeo and Juliet (1997). He then began working as a director, starting with the horror-comedy film Slither (2006), and moving to the superhero genre with Super (2010), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), The Suicide Squad (2021), and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).

In 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery hired Gunn and Peter Safran to become co-chairmen and co-CEOs of DC Studios.[1] Under DC Studios, Gunn will co-produce and executive produce every film and television series under the upcoming DC Universe (DCU) media franchise alongside Safran, which will act as a soft-reboot of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). He will also continue to write and direct various projects set in the DCU, including the upcoming film Superman (2025). He also wrote and directed the web series James Gunn's PG Porn (2008–2009), the HBO Max original series Peacemaker (2022–present) and Creature Commandos (2024), and the Disney+ original special The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022). Other projects he is known for is writing for the 2004 remake of George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead (1978), writing the live-action adaptation of Scooby Doo (2002), and its sequel (2004), writing and producing the horror-action film The Belko Experiment (2016), producing the superhero-horror film Brightburn (2019), and contributing to comedy-anthology film Movie 43 (2013) (directing the segment "Beezel") and the 2012 hack-and-slash video game Lollipop Chainsaw.

Early life

James Francis Gunn Jr.[2] was born on August 5, 1966[3] in St. Louis, Missouri, to parents James F. Gunn, an attorney, and Leota "Lee" (Hynek).[4] [5] [6] He was raised Catholic[7] in the St Louis suburb municipality of Manchester, Missouri.[8] [9] He has five siblings — actor Sean, actor and political writer Matt, screenwriter Brian, Patrick, and Beth.[10] [11] [12] Gunn is of Irish and Jewish descent[13] his father coming from an Irish immigrant family.[14] Gunn has stated that his family's surname was originally the Irish name MacGilgunn and that it means "sons to the servants of the god of the dead"; it actually means "son of the brown youth."[15] [16] [17] [18]

Growing up, Gunn was influenced by low-budget films such as Night of the Living Dead and Friday the 13th. He read magazines like Fangoria and attended genre movie screenings, including the original Dawn of the Dead at the Tivoli Theatre in St. Louis. At the age of 12, he began making 8 mm zombie films with his brothers in the woods near their home.[19]

Gunn and his brothers all attended the Jesuit St. Louis University High School, where he graduated in 1984.[20] He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Louis University.[21] While at Saint Louis University, Gunn created political cartoons for the school's student weekly, The University News.[22] Gunn said that, at an unspecified time in his college education, "I went to two years undergraduate film school at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. But I was pretty screwed up at the time, and had to leave. Years later I went to graduate school at the Columbia University School of Fine Arts but I studied prose writing, not film writing."[23] He earned a Master of Fine Arts from Columbia University in 1995.[24]

Career

Music

While living in St. Louis, Gunn founded a band, The Icons, in 1989, serving as lead vocalist. The group released the album Mom, We Like It Here on Earth in 1994, and its songs "Sunday" and "Walking Naked" were featured in the film Tromeo and Juliet. The Icons disbanded in the mid-1990s.[25] Gunn has continued to work in music, composing songs for Scooby-Doo, , and Movie 43.

Film and television

Gunn began his career in filmmaking with Troma Entertainment in 1995, for which he co-wrote the independent film Tromeo and Juliet. Working alongside his mentor Lloyd Kaufman, the co-founder of Troma, Gunn learned how to write screenplays, produce films, scout locations, direct actors, distribute films, and create his own poster art.[19] After contributing to several other Troma films, Gunn in 2000 wrote, produced and performed in the superhero comedy The Specials, directed by Craig Mazin and featuring Rob Lowe, Thomas Haden Church, Paget Brewster, Judy Greer and Jamie Kennedy.

Gunn's first major Hollywood screenplay was Scooby-Doo in 2002. In 2004, he wrote the screenplays for the remake of Dawn of the Dead and the sequel Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. With these films, Gunn became the first screenwriter to have two films top the box office in consecutive weeks.[26] That same year, he executive produced and starred in the mockumentary LolliLove, directed by and starring his then-wife Jenna Fischer. His film directorial debut was the 2006 horror-comedy Slither, which was included on Rotten Tomatoes' list of the 50 Best Ever Reviewed Horror Movies.[27]

Gunn's next projects included the comedy short film "Humanzee!" which was originally intended exclusively for the Xbox Live's Horror Meets Comedy series of short comedy films by horror directors, it was replaced with "Sparky and Mikaela" which debuted on Xbox Live on December 31, 2008. In an April 2009 interview on The Jace Hall Show, Gunn described "Sparky and Mikaela" as being "about a human [and] racoon crime fighting team and they fight crime in both the forest world, among the furry animals, and in the human world".[28] Gunn also has a short-form web series for Spike.com titled James Gunn's PG Porn.

In 2008, Gunn was a judge on the VH1 reality television show Scream Queens, where 10 unknown actresses compete for a role in the film Saw VI.[29]

In 2009, Gunn announced he was going to write and direct Pets, a comedy about a man who is abducted by aliens who want to turn him into a household pet, with Ben Stiller, Stuart Cornfeld and Jeremy Kramer producing.[30] However, by March 2009, Gunn announced, "Pets unfortunately, is done. I'm gone. I left the project for various reasons. I hope it sees the light of day somehow, but it won't be with me attached as director."[31]

In 2010, Gunn released Super, a dark comedy and superhero satire starring Rainn Wilson and Elliot Page. He also directed a segment of the 2013 comedy anthology film Movie 43 (2013); the segment starred Elizabeth Banks and Josh Duhamel. The film was critically panned.

Gunn co-wrote and directed the Marvel Studios adaptation of Guardians of the Galaxy, which was released on August 1, 2014.[32] His brother, Sean, has a role in the film. Gunn has appeared as an actor, mostly in smaller roles or uncredited appearances in his own projects. After Dan Gilroy and Jack Black separately lamented the proliferation of superhero films,[33] Gunn responded in a Facebook post, saying in part:

Gunn wrote and produced the horror film The Belko Experiment, which was released in 2017.[34] In 2016, he directed three Stan Lee cameo scenes in one day, for the film Doctor Strange and two unrevealed projects.[35] [36] [37]

Gunn wrote and directed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017).[38] [39] [40] Gunn was slated to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in July 2018, but before the project started, Disney severed ties with Gunn as the director amid controversy over off-color jokes he had tweeted.[41] Gunn was rehired in March 2019 after a mass public appeal, many saying he was the reason of the previous movies' successes.

In October 2018, Gunn was hired to write a completely new script for the DC Extended Universe film The Suicide Squad, with the intention of also serving as director, after its original director Gavin O'Connor left due to scheduling issues.[42] [43] In January 2019, he was officially confirmed to direct The Suicide Squad.[44] He also wrote, directed, and produced the spin-off television series for the film centered on the character Peacemaker played by John Cena for Max.[45] Gunn also co-wrote and co-produced a live-action/animated film titled Coyote vs. Acme, based on the Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote, for Warner Bros. Pictures Animation.[46] He is also executive-producing a Peacemaker spin-off centered on Amanda Waller, with Christal Henry writing and Viola Davis reprising her role from previous DCEU projects.[47] In addition, Gunn is writing and directing another project for DC.[48] Gunn is also involved in multiple other DC projects, including television series.[48]

Other media

Gunn wrote a novel in 2000, The Toy Collector, a story of a hospital orderly who steals drugs from the hospital which he sells to help keep his toy collection habit alive. In 1998, he and Troma's President Lloyd Kaufman co-wrote All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avenger, about his experiences with Kaufman while working at Troma.

He wrote the story for Grasshopper Manufacture's video game Lollipop Chainsaw, working with game designer Suda 51.[49]

Firing from Disney and reinstatement

In July 2018, in reaction to Gunn's public criticisms of Donald Trump, commentator Mike Cernovich drew attention to controversial jokes that Gunn posted on social media between 2008 and 2012 involving pedophilia and the Holocaust.[50] [51] Amid criticism of the tweets, Disney severed ties with Gunn as the director of the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 film at the time;[52] Gunn responded: "I have regretted [those jokes] for many years since. [...] Regardless of how much time has passed, I understand and accept the business decisions taken today. Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then. All I can do now [is offer] my sincere and heartfelt regret [...] To everyone inside my industry and beyond, I again offer my deepest apologies."[52] [53]

Walt Disney Studios's decision received criticism from many entertainers and journalists, including actors Dave Bautista, Selma Blair, Patton Oswalt, David Dastmalchian, Michael Ian Black, Mikaela Hoover, Mike Colter, Alex Winter, David Hasselhoff, directors Joe Carnahan and Fede Álvarez, comics artist Jim Starlin, musician Rhett Miller, comedian Jim Jefferies, Rick and Morty creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, journalist David A. French and Troma Entertainment founder and president Lloyd Kaufman. Bobcat Goldthwait, who worked as a voice actor on the 1997 Disney film Hercules, responded to the incident by asking Disney to remove his voice from an upcoming park attraction based on the film.[54]

A number of media outlets criticized Disney's decision, including Collider, Cartoon Brew, The Daily Dot, The Independent, National Review, MovieWeb, and Vulture.[55] [56] [57] [58] [59] [60] An online petition urging Disney to re-hire Gunn received over 400,000 signatures.[61] [62] [63] On July 30, 2018, Guardians of the Galaxy cast members Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Sean Gunn, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and Michael Rooker released a joint statement through social media expressing their support for Gunn.[64]

Because of the situation, Sony Pictures decided to not promote the horror film Brightburn, which Gunn produced, at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con.[65] However, when the first trailer for the film was released on December 8, 2018, Gunn's name was prominently featured. The film opened in May 2019.[66]

In March 2019, Gunn was reinstated by Disney as director of the film after meeting with Alan Horn, chairman of Walt Disney Studios. Gunn started production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in October 2021, after The Suicide Squad had been completed.[67]

DC Studios

Gunn and frequent producing partner Peter Safran had advised David Zaslav, the CEO of the newly created Warner Bros. Discovery, during his search for a new head of DC Films. The duo impressed Zaslav who decided to appoint them as the co-chairpersons and CEOs of DC Films, rebranded as "DC Studios", with control over films, animation and television projects based on characters from DC Comics. Gunn oversees the creative aspects and will be exclusive to Warner Bros. Discovery during his tenure, except for his prior commitments to Disney. The two assumed their positions on November 1, 2022.[68] [69] [70] [71]

In December 2022, Gunn announced that he was writing a film about a young Superman during his early years in Metropolis,[72] later revealed to be titled Superman and scheduled for release in July 2025; in March 2023 it was confirmed Gunn would also direct the project.[73] In January 2023, Gunn and Safran revealed their plans for future DCU films, with the first chapter being titled "Gods and Monsters". Gunn was also revealed to be writing a seven-episode animated series titled Creature Commandos, based on the comic book team of the same name,[74] and working on the HBO Max series Waller, a spin-off of Peacemaker focusing on the character of Amanda Waller.[75]

Personal life

Gunn married actress Jenna Fischer on October 7, 2000.[4] After seven years of marriage, Gunn and Fischer announced their separation in a joint statement on September 5, 2007,[76] divorcing in 2008.[77] The two remained friends. In 2010, Fischer persuaded Gunn to cast Rainn Wilson, her co-star on The Office, in Gunn's film Super.[19]

Gunn has been in a relationship with actress Jennifer Holland since 2015.[78] In February 2022, Holland and Gunn became engaged,[79] and were married at the end of September 2022.[80]

He has a dog named Oz, adopted from a shelter in 2022. Gunn has regularly shared photos of the dog and promoted #AdoptDontShop.[81] For that reason as well as his CGI work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, PETA declared Gunn to be their 2023 Person of the Year.[82]

Gunn was raised in a Catholic family and has mentioned how prayer continues to play an important role in his life,[83] but has also said that he is, "in some ways, anti-religion".

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes
1997Tromeo and JulietCo-written with Lloyd Kaufman
2000The Specials
2002Scooby-DooStory co-written with Craig Titley
2004Dawn of the Dead
2006SlitherFeature film directorial debut
2010Super
2014Guardians of the GalaxyCo-written with Nicole Perlman
2016The Belko Experiment
2017Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
2019Brightburn[84]
2021The Suicide Squad
2023Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
2025Superman
N/ACoyote vs. AcmeUnreleased

Executive producer

YearTitleNotes
2004LolliLoveAlso uncredited writer
2018Also additional dialogue[85] [86]
2019

Other roles

YearTitleRole
1996Tromeo and JulietExecutive in charge of production
1999Terror FirmerBased on the book "All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger"
by Gunn and Lloyd Kaufman
2001Thirteen GhostsUncredited additional writing[87]
2013Second unit Director: mid-credit sequence
2016Doctor StrangeUncredited director: Stan Lee's cameo scene
2017

Short films

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes
1997Hamster PSA
2004Tube
2008Sparky & MikaelaWeb short
Humanzee!
2013BeezelSegment of Movie 43

Acting roles

YearTitleRoleNotes
1996Tromeo and JulietFound a peanut father
2000The SpecialsMinute Man
Doctor Flem Hocking
2003Doggie Tails, Vol. 1: Lucky's First Sleep-OverRileyDirect-to-video
The GhoulsDetective Cotton
Melvin Goes to DinnerScott
2004LolliLoveJames
2006SlitherHankUncredited
2008Humanzee!JamesWeb short
2010SuperDemonswill
2014Guardians of the GalaxyMaskless Sakaaran, Baby GrootAlso CGI actor in end-credits scene[88]
2017Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2Baby Groot
2023Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3LambshankVoice cameo[89]

Television

YearTitleDirectorWriterExecutive ProducerCreatorNotes
1997–2000The Tromaville Café
2008–2009James Gunn's PG PornWeb series
2022–presentPeacemakerDirected 5 episodes
I Am GrootShorts series
Season 1 only
Special thanks
Season 2
2022The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday SpecialTelevision special
2024[90] [91] Creature Commandos

Acting roles

YearTitleRole
1997Sgt. Kabukiman Public Service AnnouncementInsane Masturbator
1997–2000The Tromaville CaféMike the Crazy Boom Guy
2008–2009James Gunn's PG PornVarious roles
2013HollistonJohn Anguish
2015Con ManRaaker 2.0
2022Harley Quinn[92] Himself (voice)
I Am GrootWrist Watch (voice)
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday SpecialGroot

Video games

YearTitleRole
2012Lollipop ChainsawWriter
2013LocoCycle[93] Actor: Big Arms Chairman

Theme parks

YearTitleRole
2017Writer, director; show scenes
2022Writer, director; show scenes

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryRecipient(s) and nominee(s)Result
2005Bram Stoker AwardBest ScreenplayDawn of the Dead
2006Chainsaw AwardHighest Body CountSlither
2007Saturn AwardsThe Filmmakers Showcase Award
2014Golden Raspberry AwardWorst Screenplay (shared with co-writers)Movie 43 [94]
Worst Director (shared with co-directors)
2015Critics' Choice AwardsBest Action FilmGuardians of the Galaxy [95]
Grammy AwardsBest Compilation Soundtrack for Visual MediaGuardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1[96]
Hollywood Film AwardsBlockbuster of the YearGuardians of the Galaxy[97]
Hugo AwardsBest Dramatic Presentation, Long Form[98]
Nebula AwardsRay Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation[99]
Saturn AwardsBest Comic-to-Film Motion Picture[100]
Best Director
Best Writing
Writers Guild of America AwardsBest Adapted Screenplay (shared with Nicole Perlman)[101]
2018Grammy AwardsBest Compilation Soundtrack for Visual MediaGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2[102]
Saturn AwardsBest Comic-to-Film Motion PictureGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2[103]
[104]
2022Hollywood Critics Association TV AwardsBest Writing in a Streaming Series, ComedyPeacemaker[105]
Georgia Film Critics Association AwardsOglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia CinemaThe Suicide Squad[106]
Hollywood Critics AssociationBest Action Film[107]
Critics' Choice Super AwardsBest Superhero Movie[108]
Saturn AwardsBest Superhero Film[109]
2023Children's and Family Emmy AwardsOutstanding Fiction SpecialThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special[110]
[111]
Outstanding Directing for a Single Camera Program
Outstanding Short Form ProgramI Am Groot

Bibliography

YearTitleNotes
1998All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avengerwith Lloyd Kaufman
2000The Toy Collector
2003Make Your Own Damn Movie: Secrets of a Renegade DirectorIntroduction only

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: D'Alessandro . Anthony . James Gunn And Peter Safran Named Co-Chairmen And CEOs Of DC Studios . October 25, 2022 . Deadline . October 25, 2022.
  2. Web site: Songwriter/Composer: Gunn, James Francis Jr.. Broadcast Music Inc.. July 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180721014519/http://repertoire.bmi.com/Catalog.aspx?detail=writerid&page=1&fromrow=1&torow=25&keyid=817219&subid=0. July 21, 2018. live.
  3. Web site: A Star Is Born: James Gunn turns 51 today . August 5, 2017 . . July 22, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180723034335/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-entertainment-news-updates-august-a-star-is-born-james-gunn-turns-51-1501753740-htmlstory.html . July 23, 2018 . live .
  4. Web site: St. Louis director James Gunn goes galactic . Joe . Williams . . July 31, 2014 . December 6, 2014 . August 20, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140820020418/http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/movies/joe-williams/st-louis-director-james-gunn-goes-galactic/article_45cca4d9-6106-51bc-a665-26ea1e0ee660.html . live . Gunn graduated from SLUH in 1984..
  5. Web site: James Gunn says 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' a family affair. Lovece. Frank. Frank Lovece. Newsday. May 4, 2017. May 5, 2017. May 8, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170508170400/http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/james-gunn-says-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-2-a-family-affair-1.13566331. live. Additional on May 5, 2017.
  6. Web site: James Gunn Sr. Obituary (1941 - 2019) St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Legacy.com.
  7. News: How 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' reflects its director's painful childhood - The Washington Post. The Washington Post.
  8. Web site: 5 Weird Things about STL Native and Guardians of the Galaxy Director James Gunn . Allison . Babka . August 1, 2014 . Riverfront Times. St. Louis, Missouri . December 6, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141129030813/http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2014/08/things_to_know_about_stl_nativeguardians_of_the_galaxy_director_james_gunn.php . November 29, 2014 . dead .
  9. Web site: James Gunn . Facebook Page . Facebook . September 1, 2010 . February 2, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171029033413/https://www.facebook.com/jgunn/info . October 29, 2017 . live .
  10. jamesgunn. 617789201459888128 . My brother Brian's dream about Guardians Vol. 2. https://instagram.com/p/4xH3d7IzXG/ . James . Gunn . July 5, 2015 . November 7, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305124034/https://twitter.com/jamesgunn/status/617789201459888128 . March 5, 2016 . live .
  11. http://qualiacapital.com/patrick-gunn Patrick Gunn profile
  12. jamesgunn. 546750656300593152 . My sister Beth gave me this as a Christmas gift - a painting by Brendan Wiufff of me as a child with Baby Groot! . James . Gunn . December 21, 2014 . November 7, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160307144208/https://twitter.com/jamesgunn/status/546750656300593152 . March 7, 2016 . live .
  13. Web site: Palmer . Jordan . August 5, 2021 . Happy Birthday, James Gunn: The St. Louis filmmaker who conquered both the Marvel and DC movie universe . October 27, 2022 . St. Louis Jewish Light.
  14. JamesGunn. 812059184787165185 . My Dad is from a family of Irish immigrants. Growing up his mother made him clean up not only… https://instagram.com/p/BOVfn-Thdwe/. James . Gunn . December 22, 2016 . July 7, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180726141940/https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/812059184787165185 . July 26, 2018 . live .
  15. Interview with James Gunn (April 4, 2012). The 404 Podcast episode 1047
  16. Web site: Mac Giolla Dhuinn – Irish Names and Surnames . Library Ireland . March 16, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130127202048/http://www.libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-giolla-dhuinn.php . January 27, 2013 . live .
  17. Book: MacLysaght . Edward . The Surnames of Ireland . 1988 . Irish Academic Press . 9781911024644 . Sixth . March 16, 2019.
  18. JamesGunn. 736640431031779329 . I'm part Jewish, brother. In a world of DNA testing, I can't imagine that would be an option for me.. James . Gunn . May 28, 2016 . July 7, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200217050722/https://twitter.com/jamesgunn/status/736640431031779329 . February 17, 2020 . live .
  19. News: A Conversation With Director James Gunn . St. Louis Magazine . November 25, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812212651/http://www.stlmag.com/A-Conversation-With-Director-James-Gunn/ . August 12, 2014 . live.
  20. Web site: Notable Alumni: SLUH . St. Louis University High School . December 6, 2014 . September 19, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150919075433/http://www.sluh.org/alumni/notable/ . dead . James Gunn '84, filmmaker and screenwriter; Brian Gunn '88, screenwriter; Matt Gunn '90, writer for HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher; Sean Gunn '92, actor..
  21. Web site: SCA Network Screening and Q&A: Guardians of the Galaxy > About the Guests . . June 30, 2014 . November 25, 2014 . May 26, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150526025053/http://cinema.usc.edu/events/event.cfm?id=14402 . live.
  22. News: Gunn known for his comedy, horror and 'Scooby-Doo' . July 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160310131911/http://www.unewsonline.com/2011/04/14/gunn-known-for-his-comedy-horror-and-%E2%80%98scooby-doo%E2%80%99/ . March 10, 2016 . dead .
  23. Web site: About . James Gunn official website . November 25, 2014 . June 29, 2013 . https://archive.today/20130629134731/http://jamesgunn.com/about-2/ . dead .
  24. Web site: James Gunn ('95) Co-Writes and Directs 'Guardians of the Galaxy' . . November 25, 2014 . September 20, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150920223850/http://arts.columbia.edu/writing/news/2014/guardians-of-the-galaxy . dead .
  25. Web site: The Icons. Discogs. August 6, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180806085413/https://www.discogs.com/artist/2644841-The-Icons-2. August 6, 2018. live.
  26. Web site: Strike Let St. Louisan James Gunn Widen His Horizons . . October 24, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140905101107/http://business.highbeam.com/435553/article-1G1-188874524/strike-let-st-louisan-james-gunn-widen-his-horizons . dead . September 5, 2014 . June 16, 2014.
  27. Web site: RT's 50 Best-Reviewed Horror Movies. Rotten Tomatoes. October 24, 2008. October 8, 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080713103723/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/features/special/2007/top_horror/?r=27&mid=1156313. July 13, 2008.
  28. James Gunn & Brutal Legend . The Jace Hall Show . April 16, 2009 . 2 . 5.
  29. Web site: A Search For Authenticity on the Set of 'Scream Queens' Season 2 . December 30, 2009 . BloodyDisgusting . December 4, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141208234329/http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/18545/ . December 8, 2014 . live .
  30. News: Michael Fleming . New Regency adopts 'Pets' pitch – James Gunn to write and direct comedy . . September 20, 2007 . January 3, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091022160420/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117972404.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1 . October 22, 2009 . dead .
  31. Web site: James Gunn . Re: A Few Things.. . March 31, 2009 . August 5, 2010 .
  32. Web site: Silas. Lesnick. James Gunn Confirmed to Direct and Rewrite Guardians of the Galaxy. Superherohype.com. September 18, 2012. September 18, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120919120207/http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/172755-james-gunn-confirmed-to-direct-and-rewrite-guardians-of-the-galaxy. September 19, 2012. live.
  33. Web site: Superhero Movies Dissed at Oscars Despite 9 Acting Nominees With Comic Book Roles. TheWrap.com. Jeff. Sneider. February 22, 2015. February 6, 2015. January 6, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160106115950/http://www.thewrap.com/superhero-movies-dissed-at-oscars-despite-9-acting-nominees-with-comic-book-roles. live.
  34. Web site: Brent Sexton Signs Up For 'The Belko Experiment'. . Kinsey. Lowe. June 6, 2015. November 7, 2015. September 26, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150926035729/http://deadline.com/2015/06/brent-sexton-the-belko-experiment-jason-stuart-the-birth-of-a-nation-1201438820. live.
  35. While Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson believed Gunn directed four cameos, Gunn said on social media, "To be honest, I think I only did THREE cameos — one was shot by someone else. And my third probably isn't what you think it is….": James Gunn directed the next four Stan Lee Marvel cameos. Entertainment Weekly. October 29, 2016. October 29, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161101145857/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/10/29/james-gunn-stan-lee-marvel-cameos?xid=entertainment-weekly_socialflow_twitter. November 1, 2016. live.
  36. Web site: And it was definitely one of the most fun times I've ever had on set ..... James Gunn verified Facebook page. October 29, 2016. October 29, 2016. April 20, 2017. https://archive.today/20170420155228/https://www.facebook.com/jgunn/posts/10153721692566157. live.
  37. Web site: James Gunn says 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' a family affair. Lovece. Frank. Frank Lovece. Newsday. New York City/Long Island. May 4, 2017. May 5, 2017. May 8, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170508170400/http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/james-gunn-says-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-2-a-family-affair-1.13566331. live. And while he directed the Stan Lee cameo in director Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange, he did not direct the Marvel Comics impresario's cameos in the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok or Spider-Man: Homecoming. But, he reveals, 'I did do one that I can't talk about.'. Additional on May 5, 2017.
  38. Web site: Marvel announces 'Guardians of the Galaxy' sequel. yahoo.com. July 26, 2014. January 14, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305002205/http://news.yahoo.com/marvel-announces-guardians-galaxy-sequel-020623567.html. March 5, 2016. live.
  39. Web site: James Gunn comments on directing Stan Lee Marvel cameos. Entertainment Weekly. Rosen. Christopher. July 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180721014345/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/10/29/james-gunn-stan-lee-marvel-cameos/. July 21, 2018. live.
  40. Web site: James Gunn. ew.com. October 29, 2016. https://archive.today/20170420155228/https://www.facebook.com/jgunn/posts/10153721692566157. April 20, 2017. live.
  41. News: Disney Severs Ties with James Gunn, Former Director of Guardians of the Galaxy 3' . July 20, 2018 . Backlock Magazine . July 20, 2018 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20200918180502/https://www.cgmbacklot.com/2018/07/20/disney-parts-with-james-gunn/ . September 18, 2020 . live .
  42. Web site: Flameing. Mike Jr.. James Gunn Boards Suicide Squad 2 To Write And Possibly Direct. October 9, 2018. Deadline Hollywood. October 9, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181009185105/https://deadline.com/2018/10/james-gunn-boards-suicide-squad-2-to-write-and-possibly-direct-1202479455/. October 9, 2018. live.
  43. Web site: Gonzalez. Umberto. Verhoeven. Beatrice. James Gunn in Talks to Write Suicide Squad 2 for DC, Eyed to Direct (Exclusive). October 9, 2018. TheWrap. October 9, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181009184648/https://www.thewrap.com/james-gunn-suicide-squad-2-for-dc/. October 9, 2018. live.
  44. Web site: Mancuso. Vinnie Jr.. James Gunn to direct Suicide Squad 2 for Warner Bros. January 30, 2019. Collider. May 2, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200526044559/https://collider.com/james-gunn-suicide-squad-2-director/. May 26, 2020. live.
  45. 1308805855974834176 . jamesgunn . I'm over-the-moon excited to be working on #PEACEMAKER with my pals @JohnCena & #TheSuicideSquad producer Peter Safran on this new @hbomax original series from @warnerbrostv @DCComics . September 23, 2020 . September 23, 2020 .
  46. Web site: Rubin . Rebecca . Warner Bros. to Release 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Prequel and 'The Color Purple' Musical in Theaters in 2023 . . December 23, 2020 . December 28, 2020.
  47. Web site: Otterson . Joe . May 3, 2022 . Viola Davis in Talks to Star as Amanda Waller in 'Peacemaker' Spinoff Series at HBO Max . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220503200127/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/viola-davis-amanda-waller-series-hbo-max-peacemaker-suicide-squad-1235257198/ . May 3, 2022 . May 4, 2022 . Variety.
  48. Web site: Bentz . Adam . Peacemaker Amanda Waller Spinoff Update Shared By James Gunn . Screenrant.com . June 6, 2022 . June 30, 2022.
  49. News: Johnny Cullen. Warner to publish Grasshopper's Lollipop Chainsaw. vg247.com. August 1, 2011. August 1, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110901193447/http://www.vg247.com/2011/08/01/warner-to-publisher-grasshoppers-lollipop-chainsaw/. September 1, 2011. live.
  50. Web site: Benjamin . Lee . July 21, 2018 . Disney fires Guardians of the Galaxy franchise director after offensive tweets . October 13, 2021 . .
  51. Web site: Bishop . Bryan . July 20, 2018 . James Gunn fired from Guardians of the Galaxy 3 over offensive tweets . October 13, 2021 . .
  52. News: Khan. Zubi. Disney Severs Ties with James Gunn, Former Director of Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Backlot Magazine. July 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20200918180502/https://www.cgmbacklot.com/2018/07/20/disney-parts-with-james-gunn/. September 18, 2020. live.
  53. Briers . Michael . 50,000 sign petition for Disney to rehire James Gunn for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 . . July 22, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180722020443/http://ew.com/movies/2018/07/21/james-gunn-petition-disney-rehire-guardians-of-the-galaxy-3/ . July 22, 2018 . live .
  54. News: Bobcat Goldthwait Rises In Support Of James Gunn, Asks Disney To Remove His Voice From Park Attraction . . Dawn C. . Chmielewski . July 23, 2018 . July 24, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180724003837/https://deadline.com/2018/07/james-gunn-bobcat-goldthwait-support-disneyland-attraction-voice-1202432151/ . July 24, 2018 . live .
  55. News: Disney appeased the alt-right by firing James Gunn—here's why that's a big problem. Knoot. Joseph. July 21, 2018. The Daily Dot. July 24, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180724213320/https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/james-gunn-firing-alt-right/. July 24, 2018. live.
  56. News: With James Gunn's Firing, Disney Destroyed the Message of 'Guardians of the Galaxy' . . Vinnie . Mancuso . July 23, 2018 . July 24, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180724011504/http://collider.com/james-gunns-firing-guardians-of-the-galaxy/ . July 24, 2018 . live .
  57. News: French. David. The Difference between James Gunn and Roseanne Barr. July 23, 2018. National Review The Corner. July 30, 2018. en-US.
  58. News: Disney executives have let Twitter trolls do their jobs for them by firing James Gunn – and that sets a terrible precedent . . Jacob . Stolworthy . July 23, 2018 . July 24, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180724121724/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/james-gunn-guardians-of-the-galaxy-3-director-twitter-fired-disney-petition-selma-blair-a8459891.html . July 24, 2018 . live .
  59. News: Disney Should Know the Difference Between James Gunn and Roseanne . . Mark . Harris . July 23, 2018 . July 24, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180723164649/http://www.vulture.com/2018/07/james-gunn-is-not-roseanne-and-disney-should-know-it.html . July 23, 2018 . live .
  60. Web site: James Gunn's Firing Sets A Worrying Precedent . Birth.Movies.Death. . Andrew . Todd . July 23, 2018 . July 24, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180724183640/https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2018/07/23/james-gunns-firing-sets-a-worrying-precedent . July 24, 2018 . live .
  61. News: Petition for Disney to rehire James Gunn reaches quarter of a million signatures and counting. Matthew. Jackson. July 24, 2018. Syfy Wire. February 19, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20190111220538/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/petition-for-disney-to-rehire-james-gunn-reaches-quarter-of-a-million-signatures-and. January 11, 2019. live.
  62. News: A petition for Disney to rehire James Gunn to direct 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3' has over 250,000 signatures. Business Insider. July 2018. July 22, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180724151625/https://www.businessinsider.com/petition-to-rehire-gunn-for-guardians-3-has-250000-signatures-2018-7. July 24, 2018. live.
  63. News: Parker. Ryan. 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Stars Respond to James Gunn Firing. The Hollywood Reporter. July 23, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180723184844/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/guardians-galaxy-stars-respond-james-gunn-firing-1129215. July 23, 2018. live.
  64. News: 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Cast Says It 'Fully Supports' James Gunn. Lopez. Alex. Stedman. Ricardo. July 30, 2018. Variety. July 30, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180730234506/https://variety.com/2018/film/news/guardians-of-the-galaxy-cast-james-gunn-support-1202889736/. July 30, 2018. live.
  65. Web site: Disney Reinstates Director James Gunn For 'Guardians Of The Galaxy 3'. Fleming. Mike Jr.. March 15, 2019. Deadline Hollywood. https://web.archive.org/web/20190315181052/https://deadline.com/2019/03/james-gunn-reinstated-guardians-of-the-galaxy-3-disney-suicide-squad-2-indefensible-social-media-messages-1202576444/. March 15, 2019. live. March 15, 2019.
  66. Web site: BRIGHTBURN – Official Trailer (HD) . December 8, 2018 . March 10, 2019 . YouTube . https://web.archive.org/web/20190309001045/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6eB0JT1DI4 . March 9, 2019 . live .
  67. Web site: Disney Reinstates Director James Gunn For 'Guardians Of The Galaxy 3'. Fleming. Mike Jr.. Deadline Hollywood. March 15, 2019. March 15, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190315235747/https://deadline.com/2019/03/james-gunn-reinstated-guardians-of-the-galaxy-3-disney-suicide-squad-2-indefensible-social-media-messages-1202576444/. March 15, 2019. live.
  68. Web site: D'Alessandro . Anthony . How James Gunn & Peter Safran Landed Top Spots At DC Studios . October 25, 2022 . Deadline Hollywood . October 25, 2022.
  69. Web site: Couch . Aaron . Kit . Borys . October 25, 2022 . DC Shocker: James Gunn, Peter Safran to Lead Film, TV and Animation Division (Exclusive) . October 27, 2022 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.
  70. Web site: James Gunn, Peter Safran to Lead DC Studios for Warner Bros. Discovery. Joe Otterson. Variety. October 25, 2022. October 30, 2022.
  71. McMillan . Graeme . November 1, 2022 . DC Has a Chance to Save Superman. Here's What It Needs to Do . November 1, 2022 . Wired.
  72. Web site: James Gunn Writing New 'Superman' Film; Henry Cavill Will Not Return, but Eyed to Play Different DC Character. Donnelly. Matt. Variety.com. December 14, 2022. December 14, 2022. en.
  73. Web site: Couch. Aaron. March 15, 2023. James Gun to Direct Superman: Legacy Movie. March 16, 2023. The Hollywood Reporter.
  74. Web site: DC Slate Unveiled: New Batman, Supergirl Movies, a Green Lantern TV Show, and More From James Gunn, Peter Safran. Kit. Borys. TheHollywoodReporter. January 31, 2023. January 31, 2023. en.
  75. Web site: 'Peacemaker' Spinoff Series 'Waller' With Viola Davis A Go, 'Doom Patrol' Creator Jeremy Carver Joins As Scribe. Anthony D'Alessandro. Deadline Hollywood. January 31, 2023. February 3, 2023.
  76. News: Reuters. 'Office' actress Fischer, husband separate. September 12, 2007. January 3, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20081220011342/http://www.reuters.com/article/peopleNews/idUSN0525685020070906. December 20, 2008. live.
  77. Web site: James Gunn Shares Post on Ex Jenna Fischer, Says Not All Failed Relationships Make Enemies. April 30, 2016. Cecily. Trowbridge. December 20, 2017. Zimbio.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20171020140956/http://www.zimbio.com/Celebrity+News/articles/4fsUc_JYUNn/James+Gunn+Shares+Post+Ex+Jenna+Fischer+Says. October 20, 2017 . live.
  78. News: Farrell . Paul . Jennifer Holland, James Gunn's Girlfriend: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know . October 27, 2018 . . July 21, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181009172032/https://heavy.com/entertainment/2018/07/james-gunn-girlfriend-jennifer-holland/ . October 9, 2018 . live .
  79. Web site: Juneau . Jen . February 21, 2022 . James Gunn Engaged to Peacemaker Star Jennifer Holland — See the Ring! . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220223213840/https://people.com/tv/james-gunn-engaged-to-jennifer-holland-peacemaker-actress/ . February 23, 2022 . February 26, 2022 . People.
  80. Netzley . Sara . September 30, 2022 . Director James Gunn and Peacemaker actress Jennifer Holland marry at ceremony packed with Marvel and DC stars . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221001023027/https://ew.com/celebrity/director-james-gunn-peacemaker-actress-jennifer-holland-marry-marvel-dc-stars-wedding/ . October 1, 2022 . September 30, 2022 . Entertainment Weekly.
  81. Chris Gardner, "James Gunn Named Person of the Year by PETA," The Hollywood Reporter, 7 December 2023.
  82. James Tangcay et. al, "James Gunn Named PETA’s 2023 Person of the Year – Film News in Brief," Variety, December 4, 2023.
  83. 'Guardians of the Galaxy' director defends Chris Pratt's tweet to Kevin Smith after backlash. Entertainment Weekly. February 19, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200502082645/https://ew.com/news/2018/02/26/james-gunn-defends-chris-pratt-prayer-tweet-backlash/. May 2, 2020. live.
  84. Web site: Couch. Aaron. McClintock. Pamela. Sony Pushes Back James Gunn Horror Movie to 2019. October 8, 2018. October 9, 2018. The Hollywood Reporter. https://web.archive.org/web/20190328080949/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/james-gunn-movie-brightburn-open-may-2019-1150428. March 28, 2019. live.
  85. Web site: James Gunn Reportedly Even Wrote Dialogue For Avengers: Infinity War. Cinema Blend. Holmes. Adam. April 3, 2018. April 1, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190402002743/https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2397191/james-gunn-reportedly-even-wrote-dialogue-for-avengers-infinity-war. April 2, 2019. live.
  86. Gunn on Facebook Live as transribed by Web site: James Gunn directed the next four Stan Lee Marvel cameos . Matthew . Mueller . ComicBook.com . February 5, 2017 . February 6, 2017 . April 20, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170420154949/http://comicbook.com/marvel/2017/02/06/james-gunn-on-making-guardians-work-with-avengers-infinity-war/ . live . Am I going to have any involvement with Infinity War, yes, I'm an executive producer on Infinity War..
  87. Web site: 9 Movies You Didn't Know Were Written By James Gunn . Dee . Jake . ScreenRant . August 20, 2021 . August 9, 2023.
  88. Book: Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy Official Motion Picture Soundtrack ZinePak . ZinePak . 45.
  89. Web site: Dorsch . Rita . May 4, 2023 . Easter Eggs And References You Missed In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 . . May 6, 2023.
  90. Web site: Perry . Spencer . James Gunn Confirms Creature Commandos Release Plans After DC Rumors Swirl . comicbook.com . comic book . 11 November 2023 .
  91. Web site: Gunn . James . creature commandos is not delayed . twitter . James Gunn (Twitter) . 16 November 2023 .
  92. Web site: Burlingame . Russ . James Gunn Making Harley Quinn Season 3 Cameo . Comicbook.com . March 16, 2022.
  93. Web site: Twisted Pixel Games: We Make Awesome . November 6, 2013 . Twistedpixelgames.com . December 6, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141113175223/http://twistedpixelgames.com/lococycle-live-action/ . November 13, 2014 . live .
  94. Web site: Razzie Awards 2014 . IMDb . January 8, 2017.
  95. Web site: Critics' Choice Awards: The Winners. January 15, 2015 . The Hollywood Reporter. January 15, 2015.
  96. News: O'Mally . Zach . December 5, 2014 . Grammy Nominees 2015: The Full List . Forbes . December 6, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190401131142/https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2014/12/05/grammy-nominees-2015-the-full-list/ . April 1, 2019 . live.
  97. Web site: "Hollywood Film Awards 2014: And the winners are.... Blake, Emily. Entertainment Weekly. August 22, 2015.
  98. Web site: Here are all the 2015 Hugo Award winners that you can read online, right now, for free. August 24, 2015 . Polygon. August 24, 2015.
  99. News: Kellogg . Carolyn. "Sci-fi writing's Nebula Awards announced; Jeff Vandermeer takes top prize". LA Times. June 8, 2015 . June 8, 2015.
  100. Web site: Blake, Emily. "2015 Saturn Awards: Captain America: Winter Soldier, Walking Dead lead nominees". Entertainment Weekly. March 14, 2015.
  101. Web site: McNary, Dave. "Grand Budapest Hotel, True Detective Top WGA Awards". Variety. February 14, 2015.
  102. Atkinson . Katie . January 28, 2018 . Grammys 2018 Winners: The Complete List . January 29, 2018 . Billboard . Lynne Segall.
  103. Web site: 'Black Panther,' 'Walking Dead' Rule Saturn Awards Nominations. McNary. Dave. Variety. March 15, 2018. March 15, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180316023438/http://variety.com/2018/film/news/saturn-awards-nominations-2018-black-panther-walking-dead-1202727752/. March 16, 2018. live.
  104. Web site: 'Black Panther' Tops 44th Saturn Awards With Five; 'Blade Runner 2049', 'Shape Of Water', 'Get Out' Also Score. Hammond. Pete. Deadline Hollywood. June 27, 2018. June 28, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180628130417/https://deadline.com/2018/06/saturn-awards-winners-black-panther-blade-runner-2049-shape-of-water-get-out-1202418606/. June 28, 2018. live.
  105. Web site: Nordyke, Kimberly. Nordyke, Kimberly (August 14, 2022). "HCA TV Awards: 'Severance,' 'Ted Lasso,' 'Dopesick' Win Top Streaming Awards on Night 2". The Hollywood Reporter. August 14, 2022.
  106. Web site: Georgia Film Critics Association: 2021 Awards . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220117043335/https://www.georgiafilmcritics.org/p/2021-awards.html . January 17, 2022 . January 9, 2022 . Georgia Film Critics Association.
  107. Web site: . December 2, 2021 . 'Dune,' 'Coda,' And 'Belfast' Lead The 5th Annual HCA Film Awards Nominations . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211202201339/https://hollywoodcriticsassociation.com/dune-coda-and-belfast-lead-the-5th-annual-hca-film-awards-nominations/ . December 2, 2021 . January 1, 2021 . Hollywood Critics Association.
  108. Web site: Hammond . Pete . February 22, 2022 . Critics Choice Super Awards Nominations Include 'Shang-Chi', 'Spider-Man', 'Midnight Mass' & 'Evil' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220222175504/https://deadline.com/2022/02/shang-chi-spider-man-midnight-mass-evil-super-awards-1234957988/ . February 22, 2022 . February 22, 2022 . Deadline Hollywood.
  109. Web site: Tinoco . Armando . August 12, 2022 . Saturn Awards Nominations: 'The Batman', 'Nightmare Alley', 'Spider-Man', 'Better Call Saul' Top List . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220812202430/https://deadline.com/2022/08/saturn-awards-2022-nominations-list-movies-tv-1235089636/ . August 12, 2022 . August 12, 2022 . Deadline Hollywood.
  110. Web site: The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Announces the 2nd Annual Children's and Family Emmy Awards Winners. National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. 3, 4. December 17, 2023. December 18, 2023. December 18, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231218093514/https://theemmys.tv/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2nd-Annual-Childrens-Family-Emmy-Award-Winners.pdf. live.
  111. Web site: Nominees Announced for the 2nd Annual Children's & Family Emmy Awards. National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. November 2, 2023. November 12, 2023.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "James Gunn".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.