McG
Encyclopedia
Joseph McGinty Nichol better known as McG, is an American
director
and producer
of film
and television
, as well as a former record producer
.
He began his career in the music industry, directing music videos and producing various albums. He later rose to prominence with his first film, Charlie's Angels
, which had the highest-grossing opening weekend for a directorial debut at the time. Since then, he has directed three other films, including Terminator Salvation
, and has executive produced
numerous television programs, such as The O.C.
, Chuck
, and Supernatural
.
McG also owns a production company, Wonderland Sound and Vision
, founded in 2001, which has overseen the production of the films and television shows he has worked on since Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
.
, Michigan
, and grew up in Newport Beach, California
. Because his uncle and grandfather were also named Joe, his mother nicknamed him McG to avoid confusion, which has stuck with him since the day he was born. He had a brother, and his father owned a company that tested drugs for pharmaceutical firms.
McG attended Corona del Mar High School
, where he met Mark McGrath
, initially wanting to become the lead singer of a band he formed with McGrath. However, he failed as a front man and persuaded McGrath to take over, working behind the scenes as producer and marketer for the band, which later scored several hit singles as Sugar Ray
. By the age of 22, after he went to UC Irvine
and earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree for psychology
, Sugar Ray signed onto a label and began touring. Around the time, McG worked as a still photographer, shooting local bands and musicians. This led him to form a record label known as G Recordings in 1993.
Sugar Ray
's first album
and co-wrote
several songs on their second, including their smash hit "Fly
." His music career included directing over fifty music videos, such as Smash Mouth
's "All Star
" and The Offspring
's "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)
", and Basement Jaxx
's "Where's Your Head At?
" and directing documentaries on Korn
and Sugar Ray
. In 1997, he was awarded the Billboard
's Pop Video of the Year Award for Smash Mouth's "Walking on the Sun" and the Music Video Production Association
's Pop Video of the Year Award for Sugar Ray's "Fly
." Eventually, this landed him in the television commercial business, directing advertisements for Major League Baseball
and Coca-Cola
. A notable one was a commercial for Gap
, which was honored at the 1999 London International Film Festival.
approached him about directing a Charlie's Angels
film. He accepted, wanting to take on bigger projects, and pitched the movie to the studio executives, who were initially reluctant but later approved the project after much persistence. Being paid $350,000, the film was released in 2000 and went on to gross over $250 million worldwide with mixed critical reception from critics and fans alike. However, he won the Hollywood Breakthrough Award at the 6th Annual Hollywood Film Festival
held in 2002. Proving himself to be quite bankable, Sony paid him $2.5 million to helm Dreadnought for Red Wagon Entertainment, a military action-drama following the captain of a small ship as he attempts to save the survivors of a shot-down commercial airliner and evade the captain of the Dreadnought, a technologically advanced and heavily armed ship, that tries to cover up the incident. He was also set to develop a sequel to Charlie's Angels and present his film producing debut with Airshow, the latter of which has yet to be made.
Afterward, in February 2002, Jon Peters
and Lorenzo di Bonaventura
attached him onto the fifth installment in the Superman film series that was in development hell
, thus putting his previous projects on hold. McG and Peters hired J. J. Abrams
to pen a new script for the film entitled Superman: Flyby, which was submitted in July 2002. Bailing out of the project in favor of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
in September 2002, McG was replaced by Brett Ratner
. Meanwhile, he developed and co-created a television series with John McNamara
called Fastlane
(2002), which was eventually canceled after one season due to the high costs of each episode. Josh Schwartz
approached him and his producing partner, Stephanie Savage
, about another television series as well, The O.C.
(2003), which revolved around the lives of several teenagers based in McG's hometown of Newport Beach. McG was set to direct the Pilot, but because of scheduling conflicts with Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
, he was replaced by Doug Liman
. The show ended after four seasons in 2007.
The sequel to Charlie's Angels followed in 2003, and although not as successful as the first, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
(2003) also made over $250 million worldwide. Shortly thereafter, Sony
extended its first-look production deal with Wonderland Sound and Vision
for an additional three years, with Hot Wheels, Airshow, and Radiant on their film slate. Since then, none of those films have been developed, with the former, which was previously supposed to be a directing vehicle for him in 2003 (he later chose to produce instead in 2006), being put into turnaround in 2009.
Warner Bros., still satisfied with his bankability, re-hired him to direct Superman: Flyby in April 2003 after Ratner had dropped out due to casting and pre-production difficulties. During his tenure, McG and the producers spent more than $15 million planning storyboards, concept art, and locations, as well as having script revisions and the film completely pre-visualized. However, McG later left the project, citing his fear of flying
to Sydney
, Australia
. This eventually brought Bryan Singer
on board in July 2004, resulting in Superman Returns
. McG produced the television series, The Mountain
(2004), on the same year, also getting canceled after one season.
His next television work was Supernatural
(2005), for which he serves as an executive producer. The show centers on two brothers who fend off demons, and continues to be on air today. The following year saw Warner Bros. allowing McG, who "looked to improve as a storyteller and wanted to get more substantial material," to direct We Are Marshall
(2006), a sports drama film
. Although the film received mixed critical reception, McG was complimented for his ability of emotional storytelling. Jessica Reaves of the Chicago Tribune
noted that "McG shows new maturity. Scenes that could have been played for ghoulish effect, like the plane crash and its fiery aftermath, are handled with skillful efficiency." At a budget of $35 million, the film only made $43.5 million. He had also produced the horror film Stay Alive
(2006), which received largely negative reception.
Along with Adam Brody
, McG was next set to produce a remake of the cult comedy hit Revenge of the Nerds
, planned for a release in 2007 with a budget of $12.5 million and filming to begin at Emory University
. However, after reviewing the script, university officials backed out two weeks before filming, citing it as "too bawdy." This led the film to be shot at Agnes Scott College
for two weeks, but afterwards, Fox Atomic
and producers shelved it due to the "lack of wide, open space Emory's campus would have afforded them, and [the fact that] winter was fast approaching, making the prospect of shooting the movie's many outdoor scenes problematic." Furthermore, studio executive Peter Rice
was disappointed with the dailies
.
In 2007, McG worked mostly on television, producing Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next Doll
(2007) and Chuck
(2007). Co-created by Josh Schwartz
, his partner on The O.C., he directed the latter's pilot and continues to be an executive producer on the ongoing series. Fox had also given a script commitment to Invisible, a television pilot written by Ari Eisner about a criminal who becomes invisible he was supposed to produce, and We Are Marshall writer Jamie Linden was working with him on a TV pilot called Flash Back. However, as of 2011, there have been no updates on these shows.
, planning to "produce three movies a year" and directing "one of them every year." The first four films set up were Nightcrawlers (now known as Monster Squad), an untitled spy project, Yucatan, and Maintenance. The former, about an aberrant father who must confront his childhood tormentor to rid of his fear of monsters and the dark, was arranged to start in November 2007, but McG dropped out and was later replaced by Mike Mitchell
; the untitled spy project was rewritten by Phil Alden Robinson
and was to be produced by Basil Iwanyk; Yucatan, based on Steve McQueen
's leftover notes and storyboards of his passion project, is an epic
adventurous
heist film
, though Warner Bros. has now placed the project under Team Downey; and Maintenance was a film adaptation
of Jim Massey
's comic book series of the same name about two janitors who work for a weapons manufacturer that supply to the world's most evil super villains, but the rights of the film has moved to DreamWorks Animation
. As a result, none of them will feature the involvement of McG.
On October 30, 2007, Fox approved a pilot for an American remake of the British cult show Spaced
, which McG served as an executive producer, even though Simon Pegg
and fans were outraged at the prospect of having a remake without the original creators' involvement. Nonetheless, the pilot, written by Adam Barr
, was heavily panned before its airing, resulting in Fox scrapping the series. McG then executive produced Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious
(2008). The Pussycat Dolls Present: series was canceled afterward. He was the executive producer for the WB Television Network's online series, Sorority Forever
(2008) and Exposed (2010), as well.
McG's next film project was Terminator Salvation
(2009), a quasi-reboot of the franchise that introduces the future war fought between humanity and Skynet
. After the Halcyon Company purchased the rights, they signed McG onto the project, for which he was paid $6 million. Although he promised fans that he would bring back credibility to the franchise, with the casting of Christian Bale
and the personal talk with James Cameron
, the film, released on May 21, 2009 in the United States and Canada, received the most negative reception out of all the films in the series. It grossed over $370 million worldwide, a moderate success given its budget, but well below industry expectations.
Following Terminator Salvation, he was expected to direct a remake
of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for Disney, for which he was interested in casting Sam Worthington
for Captain Nemo
. However, after spending nearly $10 million on pre-production work, Walt Disney Studios' movie chief Rich Ross put the project on hold indefinitely due to creative concerns, and McG is no longer attached. Subsequently, he went into negotiations with 20th Century Fox
to direct This Means War
, a spy comedy project about two best friends who go to war against each other after falling for the same girl. Though initially troubled with numerous casting dropouts, including Bradley Cooper
, Seth Rogen
, and Sam Worthington
, the film was finally filmed in Vancouver
and is set for a release in 2012. Since then, he has been in negotiations for the directing duties for Universal Pictures
' Ouija (a canceled film based on the Hasbro
board game of the same name
) and has been attached to Lorene Scafaria
's pitch based on a Rolling Stone
article about the true life events of Esther Reed
named "The Girl Who Conned The Ivy League," along with Amanda Seyfried
, and a high-profile untitled space adventure project written by David Callaham
for 20th Century Fox
. McG was also in discussions to supervise development and direct the fifth installment of the Terminator film series, having made a $10 million right-of-first-refusal
deal with the Halcyon Company, but with the rights of the series converted to hedge fund Pacificor, his further involvement is unlikely. The film adaptation of Peter M. Lenkov's graphic novel series R.I.P.D. was another project he was circling, but because of his commitment to This Means War, he was replaced by Robert Schwentke
. McG has also delved into comics with Wonderland set to publish the original Haunted City, written by Chap Taylor, that will expand into a feature film, which he plans to direct, a television show, and a video game.
He has been actively developing a film adaptation
of the rock musical
Spring Awakening
, planning to independently produce and film it in six weeks for $25 million, with additional producing duties for: a film adaptation of Jon Stock
's Dead Spy Running
novel that is meant to reinvent the spy genre
; I Am A Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President, a film adaptation of the book of the same name by Josh Lieb; Medieval, a film he was previously set to direct but is now being helmed by Rob Cohen
; Elysium, a modern retelling of a classic Greek myth written by Matt Cirulnick for New Regency; Medallion, an action thriller starring Nicolas Cage
about a former master thief on the search for his kidnapped daughter; a film adaptation of The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend); Tink, a live action romantic comedy
based on Disney's Tinkerbell
; and CBS Films
' Face It. Other projects he has expressed interest in include a World War II
film and an adaptation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
, which was previously filmed by Ridley Scott
as 1982's Blade Runner
.
For his television work, Wonderland Sound & Vision sold three pilots for the 09–10 season: Thunder Road, a reality show described as an automobile version of Wipeout, for CBS; Limelight, a contemporary version of Fame based on the life of Pharrell Williams
, who was also executive producing, for ABC; and Human Target
, loosely based on the comic book of the same name
about a bodyguard hired to protect his clients, for Fox. Only the latter ended up airing on network TV, however, debuting on
January 17, 2010, and ending after two seasons. On the same year, The CW gave a series order to Nikita
, a remake of La Femme Nikita, which premiered on September 9.
Since 2009, McG and Wonderland Sound & Vision have been lined up to produce numerous shows for a variety of networks: the Josh Friedlander-developed Camp Morningwood; Our Show, an NBC comedy project co-developed with Larry Charles
about "a disparate group of people who begin making episodes of their favorite sci-fi show after it ends"; the Danny Comden-penned The Intruders; an untitled space Western conceived by Scott Rosenbaum
; and Clive Barker's Hotel for ABC, about "a series of ghoulish incidents at a haunted hotel." However, like the majority of shows that get green-lit every season, none of them has actually aired or picked up for a full season.
The recent line-up of shows he's been attached to are Zombies vs. Vampires, a buddy cop series about two officers, one of whom is a vampire, that deal with "zombie crimes"; a private eye
series named I, PI he co-developed with Paul Scheuring
; and the web series Aim High, which is set to premiere on August 1, 2011 on Facebook.
On December 11, 2008, he was awarded the Kodak filmmaker of the year by CineAsia.
and aerophobia, notably refusing to board a plane going to Australia
to shoot Superman: Flyby and subsequently being dropped from the film. His brother died of a cocaine overdose in 2007, which he says has kept his life grounded and reminds him not to take it for granted.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
of film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, as well as a former record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
He began his career in the music industry, directing music videos and producing various albums. He later rose to prominence with his first film, Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels (film)
Charlie's Angels is a 2000 American action comedy film directed by McG, starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women working for a private investigation agency...
, which had the highest-grossing opening weekend for a directorial debut at the time. Since then, he has directed three other films, including Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting...
, and has executive produced
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
numerous television programs, such as The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
, Chuck
Chuck (TV series)
Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central...
, and Supernatural
Supernatural (TV series)
Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
.
McG also owns a production company, Wonderland Sound and Vision
Wonderland Sound and Vision
Wonderland Sound and Vision is the production company of producers McG and Stephanie Savage. They are responsible for producing The O.C. and Supernatural as well as Chuck. Wonderland also co-produced all of McG's films since Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.-History:McG and Stephanie Savage formed...
, founded in 2001, which has overseen the production of the films and television shows he has worked on since Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle is a 2003 American action comedy film. It is the sequel to 2000's Charlie's Angels. It opened in the United States on June 27, 2003, and was number one at the box office for that weekend and made a worldwide total of $259.2 million.The cast again includes Cameron...
.
Early life
Joseph McGinty Nichol was born in KalamazooKalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and grew up in Newport Beach, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Because his uncle and grandfather were also named Joe, his mother nicknamed him McG to avoid confusion, which has stuck with him since the day he was born. He had a brother, and his father owned a company that tested drugs for pharmaceutical firms.
McG attended Corona del Mar High School
Corona del Mar High School
Corona del Mar High School is a school located in the East Bluff neighborhood of Newport Beach, California, and belongs to the Newport Mesa Unified School District...
, where he met Mark McGrath
Mark McGrath
Mark Sayers McGrath is an American singer of the rock band Sugar Ray. McGrath is also known for his work as a co-host of Extra, and he was the host of Don't Forget the Lyrics! in 2010...
, initially wanting to become the lead singer of a band he formed with McGrath. However, he failed as a front man and persuaded McGrath to take over, working behind the scenes as producer and marketer for the band, which later scored several hit singles as Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray is a band from Orange County, California. The band, starting off more as an alternative metal band, first gained fame in 1997 with their release of the song "Fly". This song's success, coupled with its pop rock sound that was quite different from the rest of their material at the time,...
. By the age of 22, after he went to UC Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
and earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree for psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, Sugar Ray signed onto a label and began touring. Around the time, McG worked as a still photographer, shooting local bands and musicians. This led him to form a record label known as G Recordings in 1993.
Early work
In 1995, McG producedRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray is a band from Orange County, California. The band, starting off more as an alternative metal band, first gained fame in 1997 with their release of the song "Fly". This song's success, coupled with its pop rock sound that was quite different from the rest of their material at the time,...
's first album
Lemonade and Brownies
Lemonade and Brownies is the name of Sugar Ray's debut album, released in 1995.DJ Lethal produced for the album, providing all of the DJing...
and co-wrote
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
several songs on their second, including their smash hit "Fly
Fly (Sugar Ray song)
"Fly" is a song by rock band Sugar Ray. It appears on their 1997 album Floored twice: one version with reggae artist Super Cat and the other without ....
." His music career included directing over fifty music videos, such as Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Greg Camp, Paul De Lisle and Kevin Coleman as lead vocals, guitar, bass and drums respectively...
's "All Star
All Star (song)
"All Star" is a single by Smash Mouth, released in 1999.It was featured on their album Astro Lounge and is one of the group's most successful songs. The music video featured cameos of William H...
" and The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
's "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)
Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)
-Australia CD Maxi:-Europe CD Maxi:-Composition and lyrics:Beginning with a sample of the pseudo-German nonsense phrase "Gunter glieben glauchen globen" from Def Leppard's song "Rock of Ages," chanted as a replacement for the traditional "1, 2, 3, 4" to start the recording, the song ridicules a...
", and Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...
's "Where's Your Head At?
Where's Your Head At?
"Where's Your Head At" is a song by British electronic dance music duo Basement Jaxx. It was released as a single from their second album, Rooty, in 2001. The song was recorded in early 2001 and is based around samples from Gary Numan's songs "M.E." and "This Wreckage"...
" and directing documentaries on Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
and Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray is a band from Orange County, California. The band, starting off more as an alternative metal band, first gained fame in 1997 with their release of the song "Fly". This song's success, coupled with its pop rock sound that was quite different from the rest of their material at the time,...
. In 1997, he was awarded the Billboard
Billboard Music Award
The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011...
's Pop Video of the Year Award for Smash Mouth's "Walking on the Sun" and the Music Video Production Association
Music Video Production Association
The Music Video Production Association is a music industry trade organization, based in Los Angeles, that is made up of producers, directors, and other professionals involved in the creation of music videos....
's Pop Video of the Year Award for Sugar Ray's "Fly
Fly (Sugar Ray song)
"Fly" is a song by rock band Sugar Ray. It appears on their 1997 album Floored twice: one version with reggae artist Super Cat and the other without ....
." Eventually, this landed him in the television commercial business, directing advertisements for Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
and Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
. A notable one was a commercial for Gap
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
, which was honored at the 1999 London International Film Festival.
2000–2007
Impressed with McG's music videos, Drew BarrymoreDrew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
approached him about directing a Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
film. He accepted, wanting to take on bigger projects, and pitched the movie to the studio executives, who were initially reluctant but later approved the project after much persistence. Being paid $350,000, the film was released in 2000 and went on to gross over $250 million worldwide with mixed critical reception from critics and fans alike. However, he won the Hollywood Breakthrough Award at the 6th Annual Hollywood Film Festival
Hollywood Film Festival
The Hollywood Film Festival is an annual Film festival which is located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Festival was established in 1997 by Carlos de Abreu and his wife, model Janice Pennington....
held in 2002. Proving himself to be quite bankable, Sony paid him $2.5 million to helm Dreadnought for Red Wagon Entertainment, a military action-drama following the captain of a small ship as he attempts to save the survivors of a shot-down commercial airliner and evade the captain of the Dreadnought, a technologically advanced and heavily armed ship, that tries to cover up the incident. He was also set to develop a sequel to Charlie's Angels and present his film producing debut with Airshow, the latter of which has yet to be made.
Afterward, in February 2002, Jon Peters
Jon Peters
Jon Peters is an American movie producer.-Early life:Peters was born John H. Peters in Van Nuys, California, the son of Helen , a receptionist, and Jack Peters, a cook...
and Lorenzo di Bonaventura
Lorenzo di Bonaventura
-Life and career:He spent the 1990s as an executive at Warner Bros. Pictures, eventually rising to President of Worldwide Production. His production company di Bonaventura Pictures is based at Paramount Pictures. His tenure at Warner Bros. included discovering and shepherding The Matrix into...
attached him onto the fifth installment in the Superman film series that was in development hell
Development hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...
, thus putting his previous projects on hold. McG and Peters hired J. J. Abrams
J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob "J. J." Abrams is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer. He wrote and produced feature films before co-creating the television series Felicity...
to pen a new script for the film entitled Superman: Flyby, which was submitted in July 2002. Bailing out of the project in favor of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle is a 2003 American action comedy film. It is the sequel to 2000's Charlie's Angels. It opened in the United States on June 27, 2003, and was number one at the box office for that weekend and made a worldwide total of $259.2 million.The cast again includes Cameron...
in September 2002, McG was replaced by Brett Ratner
Brett Ratner
Brett Ratner is an American film director, film producer and music video director. He is best known for directing the Rush Hour film series, The Family Man, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Tower Heist. He was also a producer on the Fox drama series, Prison Break.- Early life :Ratner was...
. Meanwhile, he developed and co-created a television series with John McNamara
John McNamara (writer)
John McNamara is an American writer and television producer. He attended East Grand Rapids High School located in Michigan and attended the University of Michigan...
called Fastlane
Fastlane (TV series)
Fastlane is an American action/crime drama series that was broadcast on Fox from 2002 to 2003. On August 14, 2005 G4 began rebroadcasting the complete series. After finishing its initial run on the network, Fastlane stopped airing on G4...
(2002), which was eventually canceled after one season due to the high costs of each episode. Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
-Film school at USC:In 1995, Schwartz realized his boyhood dream of attending film school to study screen and television writing at the University of Southern California...
approached him and his producing partner, Stephanie Savage
Stephanie Savage
Stephanie Savage is a Canadian screenwriter and television producer. Savage is best known for developing The CW's teen drama series, Gossip Girl from the novel series, and being an executive producer of the Fox series The O.C....
, about another television series as well, The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
(2003), which revolved around the lives of several teenagers based in McG's hometown of Newport Beach. McG was set to direct the Pilot, but because of scheduling conflicts with Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle is a 2003 American action comedy film. It is the sequel to 2000's Charlie's Angels. It opened in the United States on June 27, 2003, and was number one at the box office for that weekend and made a worldwide total of $259.2 million.The cast again includes Cameron...
, he was replaced by Doug Liman
Doug Liman
Douglas Eric "Doug" Liman is an American film director and producer best known for Swingers , The Bourne Identity , Mr. & Mrs. Smith , Jumper , and Fair Game .-Early life:...
. The show ended after four seasons in 2007.
The sequel to Charlie's Angels followed in 2003, and although not as successful as the first, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle is a 2003 American action comedy film. It is the sequel to 2000's Charlie's Angels. It opened in the United States on June 27, 2003, and was number one at the box office for that weekend and made a worldwide total of $259.2 million.The cast again includes Cameron...
(2003) also made over $250 million worldwide. Shortly thereafter, Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
extended its first-look production deal with Wonderland Sound and Vision
Wonderland Sound and Vision
Wonderland Sound and Vision is the production company of producers McG and Stephanie Savage. They are responsible for producing The O.C. and Supernatural as well as Chuck. Wonderland also co-produced all of McG's films since Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.-History:McG and Stephanie Savage formed...
for an additional three years, with Hot Wheels, Airshow, and Radiant on their film slate. Since then, none of those films have been developed, with the former, which was previously supposed to be a directing vehicle for him in 2003 (he later chose to produce instead in 2006), being put into turnaround in 2009.
Warner Bros., still satisfied with his bankability, re-hired him to direct Superman: Flyby in April 2003 after Ratner had dropped out due to casting and pre-production difficulties. During his tenure, McG and the producers spent more than $15 million planning storyboards, concept art, and locations, as well as having script revisions and the film completely pre-visualized. However, McG later left the project, citing his fear of flying
Fear of flying
A fear of flying is a fear of being on an airplane , or other flying vehicle, such as a helicopter, while in flight. It is also sometimes referred to as aerophobia, aviatophobia, aviophobia or pteromerhanophobia....
to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. This eventually brought Bryan Singer
Bryan Singer
Bryan Singer is an American film director and film producer. Singer won critical acclaim for his work on The Usual Suspects, and is especially well-known among fans of the science fiction and superhero genres for his work on the X-Men films and Superman Returns.-Early life:Singer was born in New...
on board in July 2004, resulting in Superman Returns
Superman Returns
Superman Returns is a 2006 superhero film directed by Bryan Singer. It is the fifth and final installment in the original Superman film series and serves as a alternate sequel to Superman and Superman II by ignoring the events of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace .The film stars...
. McG produced the television series, The Mountain
The Mountain (TV series)
The Mountain is an American television series that was broadcast on the WB Television Network for one season, from 2004 to 2005. The show received very low ratings and was canceled after only thirteen episodes. The theme song, "I Miss You" is sung by blink-182.-Plot:The plot centers on a ski resort...
(2004), on the same year, also getting canceled after one season.
His next television work was Supernatural
Supernatural (TV series)
Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
(2005), for which he serves as an executive producer. The show centers on two brothers who fend off demons, and continues to be on air today. The following year saw Warner Bros. allowing McG, who "looked to improve as a storyteller and wanted to get more substantial material," to direct We Are Marshall
We Are Marshall
We Are Marshall is a 2006 American drama film directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 football players on the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team as well as five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters and...
(2006), a sports drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
. Although the film received mixed critical reception, McG was complimented for his ability of emotional storytelling. Jessica Reaves of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
noted that "McG shows new maturity. Scenes that could have been played for ghoulish effect, like the plane crash and its fiery aftermath, are handled with skillful efficiency." At a budget of $35 million, the film only made $43.5 million. He had also produced the horror film Stay Alive
Stay Alive
Stay Alive is a 2006 horror film directed by William Brent Bell, who cowrote it with Matthew Peterman. It was produced by McG, co-produced by Hollywood Pictures and released on March 24, 2006 in the US. In the U.S. the film was rated PG-13 for horror violence, disturbing images, language, and brief...
(2006), which received largely negative reception.
Along with Adam Brody
Adam Brody
Adam Jared Brody is an American film and television actor and part time musician. He began his career in 1995, appearing on Gilmore Girls and other series, and subsequently came to fame for his role as Seth Cohen on The O.C. Brody later appeared in several film roles, including Mr. & Mrs...
, McG was next set to produce a remake of the cult comedy hit Revenge of the Nerds
Revenge of the Nerds
Revenge of the Nerds is a 1984 comedy film satirizing social life on a college campus. The film stars Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards, with Curtis Armstrong, Ted McGinley, Julia Montgomery, Brian Tochi, Larry B. Scott, John Goodman, and Donald Gibb...
, planned for a release in 2007 with a budget of $12.5 million and filming to begin at Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
. However, after reviewing the script, university officials backed out two weeks before filming, citing it as "too bawdy." This led the film to be shot at Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College is a private undergraduate college in the United States. Agnes Scott's campus lies in downtown Decatur, Georgia, nestled inside the perimeter of the bustling metro-Atlanta area....
for two weeks, but afterwards, Fox Atomic
Fox Atomic
Fox Atomic was a production label of film studio 20th Century Fox created in 2006 to generate comedy and genre films.In 2008, Fox Atomic scaled back its production operations and shut down all marketing divisions...
and producers shelved it due to the "lack of wide, open space Emory's campus would have afforded them, and [the fact that] winter was fast approaching, making the prospect of shooting the movie's many outdoor scenes problematic." Furthermore, studio executive Peter Rice
Peter Rice
Peter Rice was an Irish structural engineer.Born in 52 Brigid Street, Dundalk in County Louth, he spent his childhood between the town of Dundalk, and the villages of Gyles' Quay and Inniskeen. He was educated at the Queen's University of Belfast where he received his primary degree, and spent a...
was disappointed with the dailies
Dailies
Dailies, in filmmaking, are the raw, unedited footage shot during the making of a motion picture. They are so called because usually at the end of each day, that day's footage is developed, synched to sound, and printed on film in a batch for viewing the next day by the director and some members...
.
In 2007, McG worked mostly on television, producing Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next Doll
Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next Doll
Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll is the first season of Pussycat Dolls Present: that premiered on March 6, 2007 on The CW, and took place over the course of eight weeks...
(2007) and Chuck
Chuck (TV series)
Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central...
(2007). Co-created by Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
-Film school at USC:In 1995, Schwartz realized his boyhood dream of attending film school to study screen and television writing at the University of Southern California...
, his partner on The O.C., he directed the latter's pilot and continues to be an executive producer on the ongoing series. Fox had also given a script commitment to Invisible, a television pilot written by Ari Eisner about a criminal who becomes invisible he was supposed to produce, and We Are Marshall writer Jamie Linden was working with him on a TV pilot called Flash Back. However, as of 2011, there have been no updates on these shows.
2007–present
McG continued producing for the next couple of years. On August 2, 2007, McG signed a three-year first-look production deal for his Wonderland Sound and Vision company with Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, planning to "produce three movies a year" and directing "one of them every year." The first four films set up were Nightcrawlers (now known as Monster Squad), an untitled spy project, Yucatan, and Maintenance. The former, about an aberrant father who must confront his childhood tormentor to rid of his fear of monsters and the dark, was arranged to start in November 2007, but McG dropped out and was later replaced by Mike Mitchell
Mike Mitchell (director)
Mike Mitchell is an American film director, producer, actor and former animator. He is well known for directing the films Surviving Christmas, Sky High and Shrek Forever After.-Life and career:...
; the untitled spy project was rewritten by Phil Alden Robinson
Phil Alden Robinson
Phil Alden Robinson is an American film director and screenwriter whose films include Field of Dreams, Sneakers and The Sum of All Fears.-Life and career:...
and was to be produced by Basil Iwanyk; Yucatan, based on Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
's leftover notes and storyboards of his passion project, is an epic
Epic film
An epic is a genre of film that emphasizes human drama on a grand scale. Epics are more ambitious in scope than other film genres, and their ambitious nature helps to differentiate them from similar genres such as the period piece or adventure film...
adventurous
Adventure film
Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....
heist film
Heist film
A heist film is a film that has an intricate plot woven around a group of people trying to steal something. Versions with dominant or prominent comic elements are often called caper movies. They could be described as the analogues of caper stories in film history...
, though Warner Bros. has now placed the project under Team Downey; and Maintenance was a film adaptation
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of Jim Massey
Jim Massey
Jim Massey is an American humorist and comic book writer. He is most famous for his work on Death Takes a Holiday, Maintenance and Stephen Colbert's Tek Jansen.-External links:*** on MySpace...
's comic book series of the same name about two janitors who work for a weapons manufacturer that supply to the world's most evil super villains, but the rights of the film has moved to DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is an American animation studio based in Glendale, California that creates animated feature films, television program and online virtual worlds...
. As a result, none of them will feature the involvement of McG.
On October 30, 2007, Fox approved a pilot for an American remake of the British cult show Spaced
Spaced
Spaced is a British television sitcom written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, and directed by Edgar Wright. It is noted for its rapid-fire editing, frequent pop culture references and jokes, eclectic music, and occasional displays of surrealism and non-sequitur humour...
, which McG served as an executive producer, even though Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg is an English actor, comedian, writer, film producer, and director. He is best known for having co-written and stared in various Edgar Wright features, mainly Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the comedy series Spaced.He also portrayed Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the 2009 Star Trek film...
and fans were outraged at the prospect of having a remake without the original creators' involvement. Nonetheless, the pilot, written by Adam Barr
Adam Barr
Adam Barr is a television screenwriter and producer best known for his comedy credits, including the hit NBC series Will and Grace.In the early nineties he teamed up with Peter Ocko, with whom he wrote 12 episodes of Parker Lewis Can't Lose...
, was heavily panned before its airing, resulting in Fox scrapping the series. McG then executive produced Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious
Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious
The Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious is the second and final season of Pussycat Dolls Present:, in which young aspiring female singers/dancers compete in order to claim their spots to become the group "Girlicious"...
(2008). The Pussycat Dolls Present: series was canceled afterward. He was the executive producer for the WB Television Network's online series, Sorority Forever
Sorority Forever
Sorority Forever is a web television series created and produced by web production company Big Fantastic, the creators of SamHas7Friends and Prom Queen. Film director McG is an executive producer of the show...
(2008) and Exposed (2010), as well.
McG's next film project was Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting...
(2009), a quasi-reboot of the franchise that introduces the future war fought between humanity and Skynet
Skynet (Terminator)
Skynet is the main antagonist in the Terminator franchise—an artificially intelligent system which became self-aware and revolted against its creators...
. After the Halcyon Company purchased the rights, they signed McG onto the project, for which he was paid $6 million. Although he promised fans that he would bring back credibility to the franchise, with the casting of Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
and the personal talk with James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
, the film, released on May 21, 2009 in the United States and Canada, received the most negative reception out of all the films in the series. It grossed over $370 million worldwide, a moderate success given its budget, but well below industry expectations.
Following Terminator Salvation, he was expected to direct a remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for Disney, for which he was interested in casting Sam Worthington
Sam Worthington
Samuel Henry J. "Sam" Worthington is an English born, Australian actor. After almost a decade of roles in Australian TV shows and films, Worthington gained Hollywood's attention by playing Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation and the lead role, Jake Sully, in James Cameron's science...
for Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo, also known as Prince Dakkar, is a fictional character featured in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island ....
. However, after spending nearly $10 million on pre-production work, Walt Disney Studios' movie chief Rich Ross put the project on hold indefinitely due to creative concerns, and McG is no longer attached. Subsequently, he went into negotiations with 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
to direct This Means War
This Means War (film)
This Means War is an upcoming 2012 action comedy film directed by McG, starring Tom Hardy, Chris Pine and Reese Witherspoon.-Plot:Two CIA agents go to war with one another after they discover they are dating the same woman .-Cast:* Reese Witherspoon as Lauren Scott* Chris Pine* Tom Hardy* Chelsea...
, a spy comedy project about two best friends who go to war against each other after falling for the same girl. Though initially troubled with numerous casting dropouts, including Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper is an American film, theater, and television actor. He is known for his roles in the films The Hangover, The A-Team, and Limitless. In 2011, People magazine named Cooper "Sexiest Man Alive".-Early life:...
, Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
, and Sam Worthington
Sam Worthington
Samuel Henry J. "Sam" Worthington is an English born, Australian actor. After almost a decade of roles in Australian TV shows and films, Worthington gained Hollywood's attention by playing Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation and the lead role, Jake Sully, in James Cameron's science...
, the film was finally filmed in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and is set for a release in 2012. Since then, he has been in negotiations for the directing duties for Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
' Ouija (a canceled film based on the Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
board game of the same name
Ouija
The Ouija board also known as a spirit/fire key board or talking board, is a flat board marked with the letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0-9, the words "yes", "no", "hello" and "goodbye", and other symbols and words are sometimes also added to help personalize the board...
) and has been attached to Lorene Scafaria
Lorene Scafaria
Lorene Scafaria is an American screenwriter, playwright, actor and singer best known for her work on the 2008 film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.-Early life:...
's pitch based on a Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
article about the true life events of Esther Reed
Esther Reed
Esther Elizabeth Reed is an American convicted on fraud and identity theft charges. She is best known for assuming a number of identities, including that of missing person Brooke Henson, to gain entry to universities....
named "The Girl Who Conned The Ivy League," along with Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Michelle Seyfried is an American actress, singer-songwriter and former child model. She began her career as a child model when she was 11, and at 15 began her career as an actress, starting off with uncredited roles and moving on to recurring roles on As the World Turns and All My...
, and a high-profile untitled space adventure project written by David Callaham
David Callaham
David Callaham is an American film writer.-Personal life:Callaham was born in Fresno, California on October 24, 1977. He is married to Bree Tichy. They were married in 2009.-Criticism:...
for 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
. McG was also in discussions to supervise development and direct the fifth installment of the Terminator film series, having made a $10 million right-of-first-refusal
Right of first refusal
Right of first refusal is a contractual right that gives its holder the option to enter a business transaction with the owner of something, according to specified terms, before the owner is entitled to enter into that transaction with a third party...
deal with the Halcyon Company, but with the rights of the series converted to hedge fund Pacificor, his further involvement is unlikely. The film adaptation of Peter M. Lenkov's graphic novel series R.I.P.D. was another project he was circling, but because of his commitment to This Means War, he was replaced by Robert Schwentke
Robert Schwentke
Robert Schwentke is a German film director best known for the films Tattoo and Flightplan.He was a graduate of Columbia College Hollywood in 1992....
. McG has also delved into comics with Wonderland set to publish the original Haunted City, written by Chap Taylor, that will expand into a feature film, which he plans to direct, a television show, and a video game.
He has been actively developing a film adaptation
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of the rock musical
Rock musical
A rock musical is a musical theatre work with rock music. The genre of rock musical may overlap somewhat with album musicals, concept albums and song cycles, as they sometimes tell a story through the rock music, and some album musicals and concept albums become rock musicals...
Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening is a rock musical adaptation of the controversial 1892 German play of the same title by Frank Wedekind. It features music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Set in late-19th century Germany, it concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of...
, planning to independently produce and film it in six weeks for $25 million, with additional producing duties for: a film adaptation of Jon Stock
Jon Stock
Jon Stock is a British author and journalist. He was educated at Sherborne School in Dorset and at Magdalene College, Cambridge, England. He lives in Wiltshire with his wife and three children. He has three brothers one of whom is Andrew Stock currently president of the Society of Wildlife...
's Dead Spy Running
Dead Spy Running
Dead Spy Running is a 2009 spy novel by Jon Stock.-Book deal:In July 2008 Stock signed a three book deal, with Blue Door, a new HarperCollins imprint. Dead Spy Running the very first book in the trilogy was published in July 2009.-Movie deal:...
novel that is meant to reinvent the spy genre
Spy film
The spy film genre deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way or as a basis for fantasy . Many novels in the spy fiction genre have been adapted as films, including works by John Buchan, John Le Carré, Ian Fleming and Len Deighton...
; I Am A Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President, a film adaptation of the book of the same name by Josh Lieb; Medieval, a film he was previously set to direct but is now being helmed by Rob Cohen
Rob Cohen
Robert "Rob" Cohen is an American film director, producer and writer.-Early life:Cohen was born in Cornwall, New York. He was raised and spent his childhood in the Town of Newburgh and graduated from Newburgh Free Academy in 1967...
; Elysium, a modern retelling of a classic Greek myth written by Matt Cirulnick for New Regency; Medallion, an action thriller starring Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
about a former master thief on the search for his kidnapped daughter; a film adaptation of The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend); Tink, a live action romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
based on Disney's Tinkerbell
Tinkerbell
Tinker Bell , is a fictional character from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan and its 1911 novelization Peter and Wendy. She has appeared in multiple film and television adaptations of the Peter Pan stories, in particular the 1953 animated Walt Disney picture Peter Pan...
; and CBS Films
CBS Films
CBS Films is an American film production company founded in 2007, a feature film division of CBS Corporation. CBS Films is located on Wilshire Boulevard in West Los Angeles.-Company history:...
' Face It. Other projects he has expressed interest in include a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
film and an adaptation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick first published in 1968. The main plot follows Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter of androids, while the secondary plot follows John Isidore, a man of sub-normal intelligence who befriends some of the...
, which was previously filmed by Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
as 1982's Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
.
For his television work, Wonderland Sound & Vision sold three pilots for the 09–10 season: Thunder Road, a reality show described as an automobile version of Wipeout, for CBS; Limelight, a contemporary version of Fame based on the life of Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
, who was also executive producing, for ABC; and Human Target
Human Target
The Human Target is the name of two fictional comic book characters that have appeared in books published by DC Comics. The first is Fred Venable, who appears in Detective Comics #201 , by Edmond Hamilton and Sheldon Moldoff....
, loosely based on the comic book of the same name
Human Target
The Human Target is the name of two fictional comic book characters that have appeared in books published by DC Comics. The first is Fred Venable, who appears in Detective Comics #201 , by Edmond Hamilton and Sheldon Moldoff....
about a bodyguard hired to protect his clients, for Fox. Only the latter ended up airing on network TV, however, debuting on
January 17, 2010, and ending after two seasons. On the same year, The CW gave a series order to Nikita
Nikita (2010 TV series)
Nikita is an American television drama that has aired on The CW Television Network since September 9, 2010 in the United States. Based on the French film Nikita , the remake Point of No Return , and a previous series La Femme Nikita , the series focuses on Nikita , a woman who escaped from a...
, a remake of La Femme Nikita, which premiered on September 9.
Since 2009, McG and Wonderland Sound & Vision have been lined up to produce numerous shows for a variety of networks: the Josh Friedlander-developed Camp Morningwood; Our Show, an NBC comedy project co-developed with Larry Charles
Larry Charles
Larry Charles is an American writer, director, and producer. He is best known as a staff writer for the American sitcom Seinfeld for its first 5 seasons, contributing some of the show's darkest and most absurd storylines...
about "a disparate group of people who begin making episodes of their favorite sci-fi show after it ends"; the Danny Comden-penned The Intruders; an untitled space Western conceived by Scott Rosenbaum
Scott Rosenbaum
Scott Rosenbaum is a writer and producer for television. He first worked on the 1999 television series Grown Ups as a writer. He joined the writing staff of The Shield in 2002, writing 16 episodes until he left the series in 2007...
; and Clive Barker's Hotel for ABC, about "a series of ghoulish incidents at a haunted hotel." However, like the majority of shows that get green-lit every season, none of them has actually aired or picked up for a full season.
The recent line-up of shows he's been attached to are Zombies vs. Vampires, a buddy cop series about two officers, one of whom is a vampire, that deal with "zombie crimes"; a private eye
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
series named I, PI he co-developed with Paul Scheuring
Paul Scheuring
Paul T. Scheuring is an American screenwriter and director for films and television shows. His work includes the 2003 film A Man Apart and, more notably, the creation of the television drama Prison Break, for which he is also credited as an executive producer and Head Writer.-Biography:Scheuring...
; and the web series Aim High, which is set to premiere on August 1, 2011 on Facebook.
On December 11, 2008, he was awarded the Kodak filmmaker of the year by CineAsia.
Personal life
He has suffered from agoraphobiaAgoraphobia
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder defined as a morbid fear of having a panic attack or panic-like symptoms in a situation from which it is perceived to be difficult to escape. These situations can include, but are not limited to, wide-open spaces, crowds, or uncontrolled social conditions...
and aerophobia, notably refusing to board a plane going to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to shoot Superman: Flyby and subsequently being dropped from the film. His brother died of a cocaine overdose in 2007, which he says has kept his life grounded and reminds him not to take it for granted.
Filmography
| Film | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Credited as | Notes | ||
| Director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... |
Producer Film producer A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The... |
Writer Screenwriter Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:... |
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| 2000 | Charlie's Angels Charlie's Angels (film) Charlie's Angels is a 2000 American action comedy film directed by McG, starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women working for a private investigation agency... |
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| 2003 | Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle is a 2003 American action comedy film. It is the sequel to 2000's Charlie's Angels. It opened in the United States on June 27, 2003, and was number one at the box office for that weekend and made a worldwide total of $259.2 million.The cast again includes Cameron... |
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| 2006 | Stay Alive Stay Alive Stay Alive is a 2006 horror film directed by William Brent Bell, who cowrote it with Matthew Peterman. It was produced by McG, co-produced by Hollywood Pictures and released on March 24, 2006 in the US. In the U.S. the film was rated PG-13 for horror violence, disturbing images, language, and brief... |
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| We Are Marshall We Are Marshall We Are Marshall is a 2006 American drama film directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 football players on the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team as well as five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters and... |
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| 2009 | Terminator Salvation Terminator Salvation Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting... |
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| 2010 | Fantasyland | Debuted on SnagFilms SnagFilms SnagFilms is a website that offers advertising-supported documentary films. Films are streamed on the website, which contains a library of around 2,000 films. Filmmakers can submit documentaries for consideration as well... . |
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| 2012 | This Means War This Means War (film) This Means War is an upcoming 2012 action comedy film directed by McG, starring Tom Hardy, Chris Pine and Reese Witherspoon.-Plot:Two CIA agents go to war with one another after they discover they are dating the same woman .-Cast:* Reese Witherspoon as Lauren Scott* Chris Pine* Tom Hardy* Chelsea... |
Forthcoming | |||
| Medallion | In post-production | ||||
| Ouija | Canceled | ||||
| Television | |||||
| Year | Title | Credited as | Notes | ||
| Director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... |
Producer Film producer A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The... |
Writer Screenwriter Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:... |
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| 2002 | Fastlane Fastlane (TV series) Fastlane is an American action/crime drama series that was broadcast on Fox from 2002 to 2003. On August 14, 2005 G4 began rebroadcasting the complete series. After finishing its initial run on the network, Fastlane stopped airing on G4... |
Directed and wrote the pilot only. | |||
| 2003–07 | The O.C. The O.C. The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons... |
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| 2004 | The Mountain The Mountain (TV series) The Mountain is an American television series that was broadcast on the WB Television Network for one season, from 2004 to 2005. The show received very low ratings and was canceled after only thirteen episodes. The theme song, "I Miss You" is sung by blink-182.-Plot:The plot centers on a ski resort... |
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| 2005– present |
Supernatural Supernatural (TV series) Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they... |
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| 2007 | Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next Doll Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For the Next Doll Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll is the first season of Pussycat Dolls Present: that premiered on March 6, 2007 on The CW, and took place over the course of eight weeks... |
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| 2007– present |
Chuck Chuck (TV series) Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central... |
Directed only the Pilot. | |||
| 2008 | Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious The Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious is the second and final season of Pussycat Dolls Present:, in which young aspiring female singers/dancers compete in order to claim their spots to become the group "Girlicious"... |
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| Sorority Forever Sorority Forever Sorority Forever is a web television series created and produced by web production company Big Fantastic, the creators of SamHas7Friends and Prom Queen. Film director McG is an executive producer of the show... |
Web series Web series A web series is a series of episodes released on the Internet or also by mobile or cellular phone, and part of the newly emerging medium called web television. A single instance of a web series program is called an episode .While the popularity of web series is continuing to rise, the concept... |
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| 2010 | Exposed | Web series | |||
| 2010–11 | Human Target | ||||
| 2010– present |
Ghostfacers | Web series | |||
| Nikita Nikita (2010 TV series) Nikita is an American television drama that has aired on The CW Television Network since September 9, 2010 in the United States. Based on the French film Nikita , the remake Point of No Return , and a previous series La Femme Nikita , the series focuses on Nikita , a woman who escaped from a... |
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| 2011 | Aim High | Forthcoming web series | |||
External links
- Biography on Hollywood.com
- McG's videography at MVDbase.com