Rian Johnson: American director Rian Craig Johnson was born on December 17, 1973. His first film as a director was the 2005 neo-noir mystery Brick, which earned good reviews and made close to $4 million on a $450,000 budget. Johnson gained mainstream recognition after transitioning to more high-profile movies and writing and directing the critically acclaimed and financially successful science-fiction thriller Looper (2012).
Johnson wrote and directed the space epic Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), which brought in over $1 billion and became his most significant project. Knives Out (2019), his comeback to the mystery subgenre, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Johnson has directed three episodes of the drama series Breaking Bad for television (2008–2013). For his efforts on the season 5 episode “Fifty-One,” he was given the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series in 2013.
Who Is Rian Johnson?
Johnson was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, on December 17, 1973. Before moving to San Clemente, California, for the sixth grade, he spent his formative years in Denver, Colorado. He attended San Clemente High School, where most of Brick was shot (he graduated in 1992).
He studied at the University of Southern California, earning his degree in 1996 from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. As an easter egg in the Looper Blu-ray, Johnson’s second short film, Evil Demon Golfball from Hell!!!, primarily based on Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” was released.
How Did Rian Johnson Start His Career?
Johnson has claimed that Woody Allen’s 1977 picture Annie Hall catalyzed his decision to pursue a career as a director. “Few other movies have ever impacted me the way this one did. I can only hope that if I can continue making pictures twenty years from now, I might be able to go close to that goal.”
Brick, a crime drama that was released in 2005 and cost little under $500,000 to produce, is Johnson’s directorial debut. Johnson has frequently stated that Dashiell Hammett’s books inspired the film’s distinctive linguistic style. Even though the movie is categorized as a film noir, Johnson insists that no film noir allusions were made during filming to keep the production from copying a specific genre piece. Focus Features released Brick on DVD.
In 2006, Johnson helmed the music video for the Mountain Goats’ song “Woke Up New.” Bandleader John Darnielle approached him to direct the video after noticing a mention of the group in Brick’s credits. He is a self-described fan of the group.
The Mountain Goats’ song “The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton” is referred to in a song credited to “The Hospital Bombers Experience” called “The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton.” A live performance film of the Mountain Goats’ 2009 album The Life of the World to Come was also directed by Johnson.
Darnielle performs the entire record on guitar and keyboard with little other accompaniment in the film’s lone shot. Upon completion, this movie was shown in New York, Chicago, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon. It was then released on a limited-edition DVD for Record Store Day (April 17, 2010).
The Brothers Bloom, a con-man drama that premiered in theatres in May 2009 to generally favorable critical acclaim, is Johnson’s second feature. Based on 26 reviews from prominent critics, the movie received a weighted average rating of 55 out of 100 on Metacritic.
Johnson revealed he would be directing an episode of the third season of the television show Breaking Bad in March 2010. On May 23, 2010, “Fly,” the attack, was broadcast. Johnson won a Directors Guild of America Award for directing “Fifty-One,” the second episode of the series, which aired on August 5, 2012. The third episode he demanded, “Ozymandias,” was praised by critics and was frequently described as “one of the best television episodes” to screen.
Rian Johnson Personal Life
Johnson plays the banjo and sings folk music. Aaron Johnson, a music producer, is his brother. His cousin Nathan Johnson wrote the scores for Brick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper, and Knives Out. The Preserves is the name of the folk duo made up of Rian and Nathan. Since 2018, Johnson has been wed to podcaster and screenwriter Karina Longworth.
What Is Rian Johnson’s Net Worth?
American writer, director, and producer Rian Johnson has a $20 million fortune. Perhaps Rian Johnson’s two most well-known films are Star Wars: The Last Jedi 2017 and Knives Out 2019. The Last Jedi brought in $1.33 billion at the box office. It was the ninth-highest-grossing movie overall and the highest-grossing movie of 2017.
In December 1973, Rian Johnson was born in Maryland. Johnson received a degree in cinematic arts from USC. The 2005 film Brick, which he wrote, directed, and edited, garnered accolades from the Sundance Film Festival, Citizen Kane Awards, and Chicago Film Critics Association. In 2008, Johnson co-wrote and directed the film The Brothers Bloom.