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David Gordon Green

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David Gordon Green
Green at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival
Born (1975-04-09) April 9, 1975 (age 49)
Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of North Carolina School of the Arts
Occupations
  • Film director
  • film producer
  • television producer
  • screenwriter
Years active1997–present

David Gordon Green (born April 9, 1975) is an American filmmaker.

Green began his career in 1997 and gained fame with the independent film George Washington (2000). He directed two additional independent dramas, All the Real Girls (2003) and Snow Angels (2007), as well as the thriller Undertow (2004), all of which he wrote or co-wrote.

In 2008, Green transitioned into Hollywood studio comedies, directing the films Pineapple Express (2008), Your Highness and The Sitter (both 2011).

He briefly returned to his dramatic roots with the independent films Prince Avalanche (2013), Joe (2013), and Manglehorn (2014). Following this departure, he returned to studio films with Our Brand Is Crisis (2015) and Stronger (2017). Beginning in 2018, Green directed a trilogy of slasher films in the Halloween franchise: Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills (2021) and Halloween Ends (2022), which he co-wrote with frequent collaborator Danny McBride. Most recently, Green directed The Exorcist: Believer (2023)

Green has also directed episodes of the comedy series Eastbound & Down (2009–2013), Red Oaks (2014–17), Vice Principals (2016–17), and The Righteous Gemstones (2019–present), on all of which he additionally served as executive producer.

Early life

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Green, one of four children, was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and grew up in Richardson, Texas. His mother, Jean Ann (née Hunter), was a Lamaze instructor, and his father, Hubert Gordon Green, Jr., was a medical school dean.[1][2] Green attended Richardson High School, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he studied film directing.[3] He currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina.[4]

Career

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As a college student, Green made the two short films, Pleasant Grove and Physical Pinball, at the North Carolina School of the Arts prior to his feature film debut in 2000, the critically acclaimed George Washington, which he both wrote and directed. He followed that with All the Real Girls in 2003 and Undertow in 2004. In 2007, he directed Snow Angels, his first adaptation, based on the Stewart O'Nan novel. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival[5] and stars Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale. It was released by Warner Independent Pictures.[6]

In 2008, Green’s career transitioned when he directed the Seth Rogen buddy comedy Pineapple Express, and the HBO series Eastbound & Down, for which he directed twelve episodes and served as a consulting producer. In 2011, he co-created the animated series Good Vibes and directed the comedies Your Highness and The Sitter, both of which received negative reviews.

In 2013, Green briefly returned to independent film when he directed and co-wrote Prince Avalanche and Joe. He followed these films with Manglehorn (2014), Our Brand Is Crisis (2015), and Stronger (2017).

In 2018, Green directed the horror sequel Halloween, produced by Jason Blum, executive produced by John Carpenter, and co-written by Green and Danny McBride.[7][8] He also directed its sequels Halloween Kills, released in October 2021, and Halloween Ends, released in October 2022.

In December 2020, it was announced Green will direct a new installment of The Exorcist franchise which will be a direct sequel to William Friedkin's 1973 film adaptation of the 1971 novel.[9][10][11] The Exorcist: Believer was released in October 2023.[12]

Gordon subsequently directed the Christmas-set comedy Nutcrackers, which premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.[13] Of the film, Green stated; "This movie is a lot of things. It's a comedy, it's a drama, it's a horror movie. But for me, it's a reason to dance, you know, I just wanted to start moving, move my body a little bit, and get out to the farm and kick some pig shit."[14]

Influences

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Green's favorite films are, in order, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Gravy Train, The Bad News Bears, Deliverance, Nashville and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.[15]

It has been suggested, even by the director himself, that Green's early films (most notably George Washington) take influence from the works of Terrence Malick.[16] Malick himself served as an executive producer of Green's 2004 film Undertow.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Director Writer Producer
2000 George Washington Yes Yes Yes
2003 All the Real Girls Yes Yes No
2004 Undertow Yes Yes No
2007 Snow Angels Yes Yes No
2008 Pineapple Express Yes No No
2011 Your Highness Yes No No
The Sitter Yes No No
2013 Prince Avalanche Yes Yes Yes
Joe Yes No Yes
2014 Manglehorn Yes No Yes
2015 Our Brand Is Crisis Yes No No
2016 Goat No Yes No
2017 Stronger Yes No No
2018 Halloween Yes Yes Executive
2021 Halloween Kills Yes Yes Executive
2022 Halloween Ends Yes Yes Executive
2023 The Exorcist: Believer Yes Yes Executive
2024 Nutcrackers Yes No No

Executive producer

Producer

Actor

Year Title Role
2022 The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent Himself
Bones and All Brad
2023 I'm a Virgo Bartender

Television

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Year(s) Title Director Executive
Producer 		Notes
2009-2013 Eastbound & Down Yes Yes 12 episodes
2011 Good Vibes No Yes Also writer and co-creator
2014 Chozen No Yes
2014-2017 Red Oaks Yes Yes 6 episodes
2016-2017 Vice Principals Yes Yes 8 episodes
2017 There's... Johnny! Yes Yes Episodes "Andy Goes to Hollywood" and "Dog Day Afternoon"
Tarantula No Yes
2019-present The Righteous Gemstones Yes Yes 9 episodes
2019 Dickinson Yes Yes Episodes "Because I could not stop" and "I have never seen 'Volcanoes'"
2020 Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet Yes Yes Episodes "Pilot", "The Casino" and "The Convention"
2021 The Sex Lives of College Girls Yes Yes Episode: "Welcome to Essex"
2023 Telemarketers No Yes

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Green, David Gordon". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  2. ^ "Pierces.org". Pierces.org. January 24, 2013. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  3. ^ Fuchs, Cynthia. "Interview with David Gordon Green and Paul Schneider: All the Real Girls". PopMatters. Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  4. ^ "Halloween director David Gordon Green talks anxiety, Charleston, and John Carpenter". Charleston City Paper. October 24, 2018. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  5. ^ Ramos, Steve (March 7, 2008). "REVIEW | Quiet Anger: David Gordon Green's "Snow Angels"". IndieWire. Archived from the original on February 9, 2007. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  6. ^ "WIP turns Green with 2 projects". The Hollywood Reporter. March 20, 2007. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  7. ^ "David Gordon Green and Danny McBride Rebooting 'Halloween' for October 2018 - Bloody Disgusting". bloody-disgusting.com. February 9, 2017. Archived from the original on February 10, 2017. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  8. ^ Galluzzo, Rob. "David Gordon Green, Danny McBride Will Direct/Write The New HALLOWEEN Movie For Blumhouse!". Blumhouse. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  9. ^ Couch, Aaron (December 20, 2020). "'Exorcist' Sequel in the Works with 'Halloween' Director David Gordon Green". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  10. ^ Katz, Brandon (December 20, 2020). "Exclusive: David Gordon Green in Talks to Direct 'Exorcist' Sequel for Blumhouse". observer.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  11. ^ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (December 24, 2020). "Blumhouse Is Summoning Another Exorcist Movie to the Mortal Plane". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  12. ^ Walsh, Savannah (September 1, 2023). "The Power of Taylor Swift Compels 'Exorcist: Believer' to Move Release Date". Vanity Fair. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  13. ^ Vlessing, Etan (July 16, 2024). "Ben Stiller's 'Nutcrackers' to Open Toronto Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  14. ^ "David Gordon Green Says Luca Guadagnino Is the Whole Reason 'Nutcrackers' Happened". IndieWire. September 6, 2024. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  15. ^ "Interview: Pineapple Express Director David Gordon Green". Firstshowing.net. August 3, 2008. Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  16. ^ The Charlie Rose Show, PBS, episode aired 2000. Available on George Washington DVD. New York: The Criterion Collection, 2001.
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