Adam Wingard

Adam Wingard
Wingard at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con
Born (1982-12-03) December 3, 1982
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation Film director, editor, cinematographer, screenwriter Composer
Years active 2004-present

Adam Wingard (/ˈwɪŋɡɑːrd/ WING-gard;[1][2] born December 3, 1982) is an American film director, editor, cinematographer, and screenwriter.[3][4] He is notable for his works in the horror genre, especially the films You're Next, The Guest, and Death Note.

Life and career

Wingard was born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and graduated from Full Sail University in 2002. His first feature, the horror comedy Home Sick, starring Bill Moseley and Tiffany Shepis, proved to be a stepping stone to his second feature, the psychotropic ghost story horror film Pop Skull. Made on a total budget of $2,000, Pop Skull had its international premiere at the Rome Film Festival and its domestic premiere at the AFI Film Festival in 2007. A Horrible Way to Die (2010) and What Fun We Were Having (2011) followed.

The serial killer love story horror film A Horrible Way to Die premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival in the ‘Vanguard’ section and was acquired by Starz/Anchor Bay at the festival for a North American theatrical and home media release. What Fun We Were Having is a 4-part anthology dealing with the taboo subject of date rape. The anthology had its premiere at the 2011 Fantastia Film Festival in Montreal where Wingard was honored by the festival with his very own sidebar section: “Medicated Monsters – A Spotlight on Filmmaker Adam Wingard”.

In 2011, Wingard co-directed Autoerotic with mumblecore icon (and frequent actor in Wingard films) Joe Swanberg. He was selected to direct one chapter of The ABCs of Death, a 26-chapter horror comedy anthology for Drafthouse Films and Magnet. A recent solo directorial effort, You're Next, a home invasion slasher, premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the ‘Midnight Madness’ section.[5] The film was acquired by Lionsgate, and received a wide release in August 2013 to generally favorable reviews.

In 2014, Wingard directed The Guest starring Dan Stevens, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest, receiving wide critical acclaim upon its wider theatrical release in mid-September.[6] Wingard directed Lionsgate's horror film Blair Witch, based on a script by Simon Barrett. The film is a sequel to the 1999 found footage horror classic, The Blair Witch Project and received mostly ambivalent reviews.[7]

In 2015, Wingard had signed on to direct a live-action American film adaptation of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata's popular horror crime-thriller manga series Death Note.[8] The neo-noir dark fantasy horror-thriller was released on Netflix on August 25, 2017 to a mostly mixed to negative reception, with criticism aimed at the number of changes from the source material, the gratuitous gore present, rushed plot, shallow execution, incoherent writing and pacing, while praise was aimed at Wingard's direction, the visual style, production design, soundtrack, performances of the cast, and it's dark, macabre sense of humor.

In May 2017, Wingard was announced as the director for Godzilla vs. Kong.[9]

Awards and nominations

Wingard's film Pop Skull[10][11][12] won the Best Feature Film award at the Indianapolis International Film Festival[13] and the Jury award at the Boston Underground Film Festival.[14]

Wingard's A Horrible Way to Die won Best Screenplay (Simon Barrett), Best Actor (A.J. Bowen) and Best Actress (Amy Seimetz) at the 2010 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.[15]

Wingard's You're Next won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Simon Barrett), and Best Actress (Sharni Vinson) at the 2011 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.[16]

Filmography

Year Film
Director Writer Producer Notes
2007 Home Sick Yes Directorial Debut
Pop Skull Yes Yes Yes
2010 A Horrible Way to Die Yes
2011 Autoerotic Yes Yes Co-directed with Joe Swanberg
What Fun We Were Having Yes Yes
You're Next Yes
2014 The Guest Yes
2016 Outcast Yes TV series, 3 episodes
Also executive consultant
Blair Witch Yes
2017 Death Note Yes
2020 Godzilla vs. Kong Yes Filming

Technical credits

Year Film
Editor Cinematographer Composer Notes
2007 Pop Skull Yes Yes
An Evening with P. Oswalt Yes Live comedy show
2010 A Horrible Way to Die Yes Also camera operator and music supervisor
2011 Autoerotic Yes Also camera operator
What Fun We Were Having Yes Yes
Art History Yes
Caitlin Plays Herself Yes
The Zone Yes
You're Next Yes Yes
2014 The Guest Yes
The Last Survivors Yes
2016 Blair Witch Yes

Acting Roles

Year Film Role
2007 Pop Skull Raymond
2010 Autoerotic
2011 Art History Bill
2013 24 Exposures Billy
2014 The Last Survivors Compound Soldier

Short films

Year Title Director Writer Producer Cinematographer Editor Actor Notes
2004 The Little One Yes Yes Yes
2005 The Girlfriend Yes Yes Yes
2007 1000 Year Sleep Yes Yes Yes Yes
2008 Laura Panic Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Paradox Mary Yes Yes Yes Yes
Little Sister Gone Yes
2009 Her Name is Laura Panic Yes
2011 Ultra Modern Yes Segment from 60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero
2012 Tape 56 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Segment from V/H/S
Role: Brad
Also camera operator and sound designer
Q is for Quack Yes Yes Segment from The ABCs of Death
Role: Adam
2013 Phase I Clinical Trials Yes executive Yes Yes Segment from V/H/S/2
Role: Herman
Also set photographer

Other credits

Year Film Note
2013 Cheap Thrills Special Thanks
2017 XX Special Thanks

References

  1. Walters, Mark (2013-08-23). "YOU'RE NEXT interview with director Adam Wingard at South by Southwest 2013". bigfanboy. Retrieved 2017-10-03.
  2. Champane, Jimmy (2016-07-26). "SDCC2016 - Blair Witch Interview with Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 2017-10-03.
  3. "Adam Wingard". NYTimes.com Movies & TV. The New York Times (All Movie Guide and Baseline).
  4. "Home Sick Comes Home Today!". Dreadcentral.com. August 26, 2008.
  5. "'Guest' Director Adam Wingard Goes Back to Horror with 'The Woods' (Exclusive)".
  6. "Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett Take a Trip into The Woods - Dread Central". www.dreadcentral.com.
  7. "Adam Wingard Heads Into 'The Woods' - Bloody Disgusting". bloody-disgusting.com.
  8. Adam Wingard to Direct ‘Death Note’. /Film, April 28, 2015.
  9. Kit, Borys (May 30, 2017). "'Godzilla vs. Kong' Finds Its Director With Adam Wingard (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  10. "Review of Adam Wingard's brilliant POP SKULL". Quietearth.com. September 15, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  11. Brown, Todd (December 9, 2007). "News: Adam Wingard Convinces Me I've Wasted My Life. Trailer And Stills From POP SKULL". Twitchfilm.com. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
  12. Koehler, Robert (November 21, 2007). "Variety Reviews – Pop Skull – Film Reviews – AFI". Variety. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
  13. "indyfilmfest". Indianapolis International Film Festival. Archived from the original on October 21, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  14. Everleth, Mike (March 28, 2008). "2008 Boston Underground Film Festival: Award Winners". Underground Film Journal. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  15. "FANTASTIC FEST 2010 ANNOUNCES THE FANTASTIC FEST AWARDS". Fantastic Fest. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  16. "FANTASTIC FEST 2011 ANNOUNCES THE FANTASTIC FEST AWARDS". Fantastic Fest. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
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