Todd Komarnicki

Todd Komarnicki
Born (1965-10-19) October 19, 1965
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation Director, producer, writer
Years active 2003–present

Todd Komarnicki (born 19 October 1965 in Philadelphia) is a playwright, director, producer, screenwriter, and American novelist. He resides in NYC with his wife, Jane Bradbury, and their two children.

Career

Early career

As a playwright, he authored the play Beautiful Boy, produced in a theater in Los Angeles in 1993. That same year Komarnicki found success with the detective novel. Free (1993) [1] is a thriller about Jefferson Alexander Freeman, a schizophrenic living on the streets of New Orleans, who finds a corpse in the back of a notorious bar. In order to unravel the mystery of this murder, he teams up with detective Agatha Li. The unlikely duo finds the answer to the riddle on a trip to the slums of Hong Kong.

His second detective novel, Famine (1997),[2] is told as an alternating double story. Famine is told by a detective, and by a narrator who has been rejected by his family who hold him responsible for the death of his brother. The latter connects with a young woman charged with the murder of her lover, and tries to understand her motives. Both novels have been translated into French, and are published by Gallimard in the Black Series collection.

Komarnicki has since published War (2008),[3] a psychological thriller where a soldier, who suffers from amnesia, wakes up in a city in ruins. He embarks on a quest to regain his memory in order to discover his mission, and the identity of the enemy he is supposed to kill.

Cinema

Elf

In the world of cinema, Todd Komarnicki is best known as a writer/producer of the instant Christmas classic Elf (2003), starring Will Ferrell and directed by Jon Favreau. Elf was the maiden project of Komarnicki and Jon Berg’s Guy Walks Into a Bar shingle.[4] Elf grossed $173.4 million in North America and $47 million in others territories for a total gross of $220.4 million worldwide, against a budget of $33 million.[5] In describing the film, Komarnicki said, “It’s got everything you need for a great film: joy, laughter, hope and a large man in bright tights.” [6]

Resistance

In the same year, Komarnicki wrote and directed Resistance, a Dutch/American World War II film starring Bill Paxton and Julia Ormond, based on Anita Shreeve’s novel of the same name.[7]

Perfect Stranger

In 2007, he wrote the neo-noir psychological thriller film Perfect Stranger, directed by James Foley, and starring Halle Berry and Bruce Willis.[8]

Meet Dave

Produced by Guy Walks Into a Bar, Meet Dave (2008) is a bawdy space comedy starring Eddie Murphy and Elizabeth Banks, directed by Brian Robbins and written by Rob Greenberg and Bill Corbett.[9]

Sully

Komarnicki received great critical acclaim for writing Sully (2015), starring Tom Hanks and directed by Clint Eastwood.[10] Sully is about Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenburger’s emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River, based on Sullenburger’s 2009 autobiography Highest Duty.[11] [3] The film debuted at $35.5 million in the U.S. its opening weekend,[12] and went on to gross a total of $238 million worldwide, outperforming initial expectations. Sully was selected as an AFI Top Ten film for 2016,[13] and won Best Foreign Film at the 40th Japanese Academy Prize Awards 2017.[14]

Mercury 13 (Pre-production)

Komarnicki is currently working on 1960s NASA Event Series Mercury 13 (working title) with TV Producer Christina Wayne and Oscar-nominated actress Jessica Chastain.[15] The series will chronicle the story of the 13 daring and determined female American pilots willing to risk it all to achieve their dream of becoming astronauts. They are known as the Mercury 13. Komarnicki is writing the project and producing via Guy Walks Into a Bar.

The Trainer (Pre-production)

Written by David Donahue, Todd Komarnicki, and James Villemaire, The Trainer is the story of a premier horse trainer beset by tragedy who bonds over a horse with a girl running from her own horrors.[16]

Filmography

Year Film Functioned as Notes
Director Writer Producer
2017The Professor and the MadmanYesPost-production
2016SullyYesWritten by
2009This Might HurtYesTV Movie, executive producer
2008Meet DaveYes
2008Giants of RadioYesTV Movie, executive producer
2007Perfect StrangerYesScreenplay
2003ElfYes
2003ResistanceYesYesWriter

References

  1. ↑ Guinsbourg, Todd Komarnicki ; trad. de l'américain par Élisabeth "Bécasse" (1995). Free. [Paris]: Gallimard. ISBN 2070494128.
  2. ↑ Komarnicki, Todd (1997). Famine (1st ed.). New York: Arcade Pub. ISBN 1559703652.
  3. ↑ Komarnicki, Todd (2008). War : a novel (1st ed.). New York: Arcade Pub. ISBN 1559708662.
  4. ↑ McNary, Dave (18 December 2003). "'Elf' esteem at Paramount". Variety.
  5. ↑ "Elf (2003) - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com.
  6. ↑ Oei, Lily (4 November 2003). "'Elf' has holiday spirit". Variety.
  7. ↑ Gupta, Amit (25 November 2011). "Resistance".
  8. ↑ Foley, James (13 April 2007). "Perfect Stranger".
  9. ↑ Robbins, Brian (11 July 2008). "Meet Dave".
  10. ↑ "Sully (2016) - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com.
  11. ↑ McNary, Dave (19 December 2015). "Tom Hanks' 'Sully' to Land in September". Variety.
  12. ↑ "'Sully' Flies Past The Box Office Competition With $35.5 Million Debut". Huffington Post. 11 September 2016.
  13. ↑ "AFI Awards". www.afi.com.
  14. ↑ "'Godzilla Resurgence' Wins Big at 40th Japan Academy Prize Awards". The Hollywood Reporter.
  15. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (8 February 2017). "Jessica Chastain Teams With Todd Komarnicki & Christina Wayne For 1960s NASA Event Series". Deadline.
  16. ↑ "The Trainer".
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