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 kinds of movies. Some of his famous films include Cop Land (1997), Girl, Interrupted (1999), Walk the Line (2005), and Logan (2017). For Logan, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

He also directed the sports drama Ford v Ferrari (2019), which was nominated for Academy Award for Best Picture. In 2023, he directed and co-wrote Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the last movie in the Indiana Jones series. His 2024 film, A Complete Unknown, about Bob Dylan, earned him more Academy Award nominations, including his first for Best Director.

Early Life and Education

James Mangold was born in New York City in 1963. His parents, Robert Mangold and Sylvia Plimack Mangold, are both artists. He grew up in Washingtonville, New York.

He went to the California Institute of the Arts to study film. There, he learned from director Alexander Mackendrick. Later, he moved to New York and attended Columbia University's film school. He earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in film. While at Columbia, he studied with film director Miloš Forman. Forman helped him develop the scripts for his first two movies, Heavy and Cop Land.

James Mangold's Film Career

Early Films and Success

In 1985, James Mangold started working at The Walt Disney Company. He wrote a TV movie and helped write the animated film Oliver & Company.

His first feature film, an independent movie called 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.

In 1999, he directed Girl, Interrupted. Angelina Jolie won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in this film. He also directed Kate & Leopold (2001) with Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman, and the thriller Identity (2003) starring John Cusack.

Walk the Line and Other Projects

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. Joaquin Phoenix played Johnny Cash, and Reese Witherspoon played June Carter Cash. The film was very popular and earned a lot of money. Reese Witherspoon won an Oscar for Best Actress for her performance.

Mangold also had small acting roles in The Sweetest Thing and his own movie, Kate & Leopold.

In 2007, he directed the Western film 3:10 to Yuma, starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. It received good reviews. In 2010, he directed the action comedy Knight and Day with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.

Directing X-Men and Ford v Ferrari

Mangold at San Diego Comic-Con to promote The Wolverine, 2013

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 a big success at the box office when it was released in 2013.

Because The Wolverine did so well, Mangold returned to direct its sequel, Logan (2017). This was his third time working with Hugh Jackman, who plays Wolverine. Logan was praised for its deep story and emotional impact. Many people consider it one of the best superhero films ever made. It also earned Mangold an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. This was a big deal because it was the first live-action superhero movie to be nominated in that category.

In 2018, Mangold directed Ford v Ferrari. This film starred Christian Bale and Matt Damon. It tells the story of the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The movie was released in 2019 and was a critical and box office hit. It received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won two awards.

Recent and Future Projects

In 2020, it was announced that James 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 also directed A Complete Unknown, a movie about the musician Bob Dylan, starring Timothée Chalamet. Filming for this movie started in March 2024.

Upcoming Films

Mangold has several exciting projects planned. In 2023, it was reported that he would write and direct a film based on the comic book character Swamp Thing. This movie will be part of the new DC Universe.

Also in 2023, Lucasfilm announced that Mangold would direct a future Star Wars film. This movie will explore the very beginnings of the Jedi and the origins of The Force, set thousands of years before the main Star Wars movies.

Directing 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 approach helps him make the best story possible. He used this idea for Logan and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

When adapting stories, Mangold says he can interpret true events in a biographical film like A Complete Unknown. However, it's harder with big existing series like Swamp Thing. He knows fans have strong feelings about these stories. So, he focuses on what he wants to do for his film, even if some fans might not like every choice. He doesn't want to be "handcuffed" by all the existing lore.

Mangold also dislikes the idea of multiverses and movies that are only made to set up other movies. He thinks these ideas can hurt storytelling. He feels that audiences might care more about how different parts connect than about the actual story and its emotions.

He enjoys working in many different film genres, like action films, Westerns, and superhero films. He learns new things with each genre. He then uses these lessons in other types of movies. For example, Logan is a superhero film, but it has many themes and visuals from Western movies.

Filmography

Film

Other Film Work

Television

Consulting producer

• City on a Hill (2019–2022)

Awards and Nominations

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

Academy Award-Winning Performances Directed by Mangold 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