James Mangold facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Mangold
Mangold in 2017
Born	James Allen Mangold (1963-12-16) December 16, 1963 (age 61) New York City, U.S.
Education	California Institute of the Arts (BFA) Columbia University (MFA)
Occupation	Film director screenwriter producer
Years active	1985–present
Spouse(s)	Cathy Konrad ​ ​ (m. 1999; div. 2014)​
Children	2
Parent(s)	Robert Mangold Sylvia Plimack Mangold

James Allen Mangold (born December 16, 1963) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for making many different types of movies. Some of his most famous films include Cop Land (1997), Girl, Interrupted (1999), Walk the Line (2005), and 3:10 to Yuma (2007).

He also directed two popular X-Men movies: The Wolverine (2013) and Logan (2017). Logan was a big success and earned him a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Later, he directed Ford v Ferrari (2019), which was nominated for Academy Award for Best Picture. He also directed and co-wrote Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), the fifth and final movie in the Indiana Jones series.

Early Life and Education

James Mangold was born in New York City in 1963. His parents, Robert Mangold and Sylvia Plimack Mangold, were both artists. He grew up in the Hudson Valley area and went to Washingtonville High School. His mother is Jewish, and he has said he is "half-Jewish."

He studied film at the California Institute of the Arts. During his time there, one of his teachers, Alexander Mackendrick, suggested he also study acting. While at CalArts, he made a short documentary called Future View for Disney and General Motors.

Career Highlights

Starting in Film (1985–2007)

In 1985, James Mangold began working for The Walt Disney Company. He wrote a TV movie and helped write the animated film Oliver & Company. Later, he moved to New York and went to Columbia University's film school. There, he earned a degree in film. His teacher, Miloš Forman, helped him develop the scripts for his first two movies, Heavy and Cop Land.

Mangold's first feature film, Heavy, came out in 1995. It won an award for best directing at the Sundance Film Festival. After that, he wrote and directed Cop Land (1997), which starred famous actors like Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro.

He also directed Girl, Interrupted (1999), where Angelina Jolie won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Other films from this period include Kate & Leopold (2001) with Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman, and the thriller Identity (2003) starring John Cusack.

In 2005, Mangold co-wrote and directed Walk the Line. This movie was about the early life of singer Johnny Cash and his relationship with June Carter Cash. It starred Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. The film was very popular and earned over $187 million worldwide. It was nominated for five Oscars, and Reese Witherspoon won Best Actress for her role.

Mangold also appeared as an actor in a few films, including The Sweetest Thing and his own movie, Kate & Leopold. In 2007, he directed the Western movie 3:10 to Yuma, starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. It received good reviews and made about $71 million worldwide.

Recent Works (2013–Present)

Mangold at San Diego Comic-Con in 2013, promoting The Wolverine

In 2011, Mangold was chosen to direct the X-Men movie The Wolverine. He helped write the script, which was based on the Japanese Wolverine comic book stories. The movie was filmed in Japan and Australia and was a big success at the box office, earning over $414 million worldwide.

Because The Wolverine did so well, Mangold was asked to write the story and direct its sequel, Logan (2017). This was his third time working with actor Hugh Jackman. The film focused more on the characters' feelings and less on big superhero action. Logan was a huge hit and was praised for its deep story. Many people consider it one of the best superhero films ever made. It also earned Mangold his first Oscar nomination for Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

In 2018, Mangold was set to direct a film about the famous 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans car race. This movie, called Ford v Ferrari, was released in 2019. It starred Christian Bale and Matt Damon. The film was very popular with critics and made $225 million worldwide. It received four Oscar nominations, including Academy Award for Best Picture, and won two awards.

In 2020, it was announced that Mangold would direct the fifth Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. He took over from Steven Spielberg, who had directed the first four films. Filming began in 2021, and the movie was released on June 30, 2023.

Mangold is also directing a movie about the musician Bob Dylan, called A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet. Filming for this movie started in March 2024.

Upcoming Projects

Mangold has several exciting projects coming up. In 2023, he was reported to be working on a film based on the comic book character Swamp Thing. This movie will be part of the new DC Universe film series.

Also in 2023, Lucasfilm announced that Mangold would direct a new Star Wars film. This movie will explore the very early days of the Jedi and the origins of The Force, set about 25,000 years before the main Star Wars movies.

Filmmaking Style

James Mangold often talks about finding the "emotional center" in his stories. He tries to do this even when working on big movie series. He believes that movies in a series should offer something new, not just repeat what came before. This was his approach for films like Logan and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

When adapting stories, Mangold says he can interpret true events for a biographical film, like he did for A Complete Unknown. However, it's harder with big existing stories like Swamp Thing. He knows that fans of these stories have strong feelings about how they should be told. He tries to focus on what he wants to do for his films, even if it might not please every fan.

Mangold doesn't like the idea of multiverses or building big movie universes with many connected films. He thinks they can hurt storytelling because audiences might care more about how the different parts connect than about the actual story and its emotions.

He enjoys working in different film genres, like action, Westerns, or superhero films. He learns new things from each genre and can use those lessons in other types of movies. For example, he used themes and visuals from Westerns in Logan, even though it's a superhero film.

Filmography

Film

Other Film Work

Television

Awards and Nominations

James Mangold's films have received many awards and nominations. Here are some of the most notable:

Academy Award-Winning Performances in His Films

Mangold has directed actors who have won or been nominated for Academy Awards:

See also

In Spanish: James Mangold para niños

• James Mangold's unrealized projects