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Joseph Eggleston Johnston II (born May 13, 1950)[1]is an American film director, producer, writer, and visual effects artist. He is best known for directing effects-driven films, including Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), The Rocketeer (1991), Jumanji (1995), Jurassic Park III (2001), The Wolfman (2010), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
Joe Johnston | |
|---|---|
 Johnston at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | Joseph Eggleston Johnston II May 13, 1950 Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Education | ArtCenter College of Design |
| Alma mater | California State University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Notable work | |
Johnston was born Joseph Eggleston Johnston II in Austin, Texas,[2] and attended California State University, Long Beach, and Pasadena's Art Center College of Design, both for industrial design.
Design and visual effects
Much of the work at the beginning of Johnston's screen career combined design and special effects. He began his career as a concept artist and effects technician on the first Star Wars film, directed by George Lucas. He was the creative designer of the Millennium Falcon spacecraft[3] and co-created the design of Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back,[4] while working for Industrial Light & Magic in the 1970s and was art director on one of the effects teams for the sequel Return of the Jedi. His association with Lucas would later prove fruitful, when he became one of four to win an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for Lucas and Steven Spielberg's film Raiders of the Lost Ark.[5] Johnston continued to work on many films as an effects expert.
He was also associate producer on fantasy film Willow, and production designer on two mid-1980s TV movies which featured the Ewoks seen in Return of the Jedi.
Johnston is also author of Star Wars novel The Adventures of Teebo: A Tale of Magic and Suspense, which ties into Return of the Jedi (New York: Random House, 1984; ISBN 0-394-86568-5, ISBN 0-394-96568-X).[6]
In 1984, at 34, Johnston went to George Lucas and stated his desire to leave Lucasfilm for a year. However, Lucas offered him to go to USC School of Cinematic Arts and study there for a year, complete with paid tuition and half-salary that would let Johnston take any class he wanted.[7][8] Johnston left after a year, saying he "was asked not to return" because he "broke too many rules".[9]
Directing
Johnston made his directorial debut in 1989 with hit comedy adventure Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, starring Rick Moranis. He followed it with comic-book adaptation The Rocketeer (1991). The film was a commercial failure, as was his next, the animated and live-action The Pagemaster, starring Macaulay Culkin. Johnston rebounded, directing the family hit Jumanji, starring Robin Williams. The film overcame lukewarm reviews to gross over $260 million.[10]
Johnston was set to direct Hulk,[11] but dropped out in July 1997. Johnston then switched gears from effects-driven action films to the more personal October Sky (1999), starring a teenage Jake Gyllenhaal as a 1950s West Virginia high school student who dreams of being a rocket scientist for NASA against his father's wishes.
Johnston's first project of the 2000s was the sequel Jurassic Park III, which made over US$300 million at the box office. Johnston followed it with western Hidalgo, starring Viggo Mortensen. Johnston then took a six-year directorial break before signing on at a month's notice to take over the 2010 remake of 1941 horror classic The Wolfman. Shot in England, the film starred Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins.
In part thanks to his experience with the period superhero film The Rocketeer, Johnston was selected to direct Marvel Studios superhero adaptation Captain America: The First Avenger. Released on July 22, 2011,[12] the film stars Chris Evans as the comic book hero and Hugo Weaving as his archenemy the Red Skull. In 2014, Johnston directed the thriller Not Safe for Work for Blumhouse Productions.
On December 12, 2017, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Johnston would direct 32 days of reshoots on the film The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, due to its director Lasse Hallström being unavailable.[13]
On December 5, 2019, it was reported that Joe Johnston was in negotiations with Walt Disney Pictures to direct Shrunk, a legacy sequel to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.[14][15]
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Director
Film
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Honey, I Shrunk the Kids | |
| 1991 | The Rocketeer | |
| 1994 | The Pagemaster | Live-action sequences |
| 1995 | Jumanji | |
| 1999 | October Sky | |
| 2001 | Jurassic Park III | |
| 2004 | Hidalgo | |
| 2010 | The Wolfman | |
| 2011 | Captain America: The First Avenger | Also executive producer |
| 2014 | Not Safe for Work | |
| 2018 | The Nutcracker and the Four Realms | Director of reshoots and oversaw post-production;[16] Received co-director credit along with Lasse Hallström[17] |
Television
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | Episode "Princeton, February 1916" |
| 2015 | Lumen | TV movie; Also executive producer |
Other credits
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Star Wars | George Lucas | Visual effects artist / Cameo as "Death Star Trooper" |
| 1980 | The Empire Strikes Back | Irvin Kershner | Visual effects artist and art director / Cameo as "Captain Shawn Valdez" |
| 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Steven Spielberg | Visual effects artist and art director |
| 1983 | Return of the Jedi | Richard Marquand | Art director |
| 1984 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | Steven Spielberg | |
| 1986 | Howard the Duck | Willard Huyck | Ultralight sequence designer |
| 1987 | Batteries Not Included | Matthew Robbins | Second unit director and production manager |
| 1988 | Willow | Ron Howard | Associate producer |
| 1989 | Always | Steven Spielberg | Aerial sequence designer |
| 1999 | The Iron Giant | Brad Bird | Designer of the Iron Giant |
| 2014 | The Lawful Truth | Mollie Fitzgerald | Cameo as "Captain Waters" |
Television
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1978–1979 | Battlestar Galactica | Effects illustration and design |
| 1984 | The Ewok Adventure | Production designer (TV movie) |
| 1985 | Ewoks: The Battle for Endor | |
| 1985–1986 | Star Wars: Droids – The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO | Screenwriter (Episode "Coby and the Starhunters"); Design consultant (Special: ''The Great Heep") |
| 2017 | The Creeps | Executive producer (TV short) |
| 2020 | Prop Culture | Himself (Episode "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids") |
| 2022 | Light & Magic | Himself (5 episodes) |
- 1977: The Star Wars Sketchbook
- 1980: The Empire Strikes Back Sketchbook (with Nilo Rodis-Jamero)
- 1983: Return of the Jedi Sketchbook (with Nilo Rodis-Jamero)
- 1984: The Adventures of Teebo: A Tale of Magic and Suspense
- 2005: Star Wars: Aux origines du mythe (with Doug Chiang)
- 2007: The Hill Culture
- 2011: The Mack Marsden Murder Mystery
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Academy Award | Best Visual Effects (Shared with Richard Edlund, Kit West and Bruce Nicholson) | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Won |
| 1990 | International Fantasy Film Award | Best Film | Honey, I Shrunk the Kids | Nominated |
| 1992 | Hugo Award | Best Dramatic Presentation (Shared with Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, William Dear and Dave Stevens) | The Rocketeer | Nominated |
| 1995 | International Fantasy Film Award | Best Film (Shared with Pixote Hunt) | The Pagemaster | Nominated |
| 1996 | Saturn Award | Best Director | Jumanji | Nominated |
| Young Artist Award | Best Family Feature – Action-Adventure | Won | ||
| 1999 | Ajijic International Film Festival Award | Best Film | October Sky | Won |
| 2001 | Saturn Award | Best Science Fiction Film | Jurassic Park III | Nominated |
| Golden Trailer Award | Best Horror/Thriller Film | Nominated | ||
| 2004 | Golden Trailer Award | Best Drama | Hidalgo | Nominated |
| 2010 | Saturn Award | Best Horror/Thriller Film | The Wolfman | Nominated |
| 2012 | Hugo Award | Best Dramatic Presentation (Shared with Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely) | Captain America: The First Avenger | Nominated |
| Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Award | Best Film | Nominated |
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