Danny Cannon

Early career

Cannon at the 2017 WonderCon.

Cannon began making films at the age of 16 in 1984, and started a youth experimental theatre group at 33 Arts Centre. Using the centre's facilities, he was a prolific director of video dramas and collaborated with a number of other directors in different roles including cameraman. A major influence was the centre's video maker, Dermot Byrne, with whom Cannon worked on a number of projects. It was at 33 that he met the future film composer David Arnold who played in a band that rehearsed there. Cannon convinced Arnold that he could compose soundtracks for his and other people's videos. Arnold would later compose his first professional score for Cannon's debut feature 'The Young Americans'.

In 1987, he was awarded the BBC Young Filmmaker of the Year Award, by Alan Parker, for a 40-minute short called Sometimes. The following year he attend the National Film and Television School, from which he graduated in 1990. His intermediate film, 'Play Dead' was screened on channel 4, a rare honor for a student still at the school. He then wrote and directed his graduation film Strangers (1990), which premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

1990s

Cannon's professional career began with adverts for James Garrett and later RSA. This led to his debut feature The Young Americans (1993). He then signed on to direct the big-budget Sylvester Stallone Sci-Fi Judge Dredd in 1995. In 1998 he directed two features, the teen slasher film I Still Know What You Did Last Summer and he directed Ray Liotta, Anjelica Huston and Jeremy Piven in Phoenix.

2000s

Cannon's immersion into primetime television began when he was hired by Jerry Bruckheimer to produce and direct the pilot episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in 2000. Cannon is credited with creating the look and visual style of the CSI^[6], which ran for 15 seasons, earning a total of 39 Emmy nominations and spawning three spinoff shows. He went on to write and direct many episodes of the flagship series, while overseeing the production as executive producer. Simultaneously, he also executive produced both CSI: Miami, which premiered in 2003 (and directed the pilot of), and CSI: NY (2004).^[7]

Stemming from his personal passion and experience with the sport of football, in 2005, Cannon directed the film Goal!.

In 2006, he returned to television with the CBS television pilot, Capital Law, about a group of legal associates trying to make partner at a powerful Washington, D.C.–based law firm.

In 2007, Cannon co-created TNT's crime drama series starring Dylan McDermott called Dark Blue and directed the pilot episode. The following year he produced and directed 'The Eleventh Hour' for CBS, which ran for one season.

In 2010, Cannon joined The CW action series Nikita, as director and executive producer. It successfully ran for four seasons on the network.

In 2011, he executive produced and directed the pilot FOX crime/mystery series Alcatraz along with J. J. Abrams,for WBTV.

In 2016, Cannon was brought on to direct reshoots for the feature film Geostorm, in an attempt to help save the studios over budget production.^[8]

In 2017, Cannon replaced Antoine Fuqua as the director of the CBS drama series pilot Training Day^[9], starring Bill Paxton, based on the 2001 Denzel Washington feature film.He stayed on as the show's executive producer.

From 2014–2018 Cannon executive produced the television series Gotham, for which he directed the pilot of^[10], along with writing and directing several episodes during the series' five year run. Under Cannon's creative guidance the show has been nominated for ten Primetime Emmy Awards^[11], and in 2017 won its first Emmy for Outstanding Special and Visual Effects in a Supporting Role^[12]

In 2018, it was announced that Gotham will produce its fifth and final season, premiere in 2019.^[13]

Upcoming projects

It has been announced that Fall 2018, Cannon will again partner with Gotham writer-producer Bruno Heller^[14], on a superhero television series prequel titled Pennyworth^[15], which will be set in 1960s London and follow the story of Batman's butler Alfred Pennyworth. Production is set to film in London, late 2018.

Television

Film