Jonathan Liebesman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jonathan Liebesman
Liebesman at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2010
Born	(1976-09-15) 15 September 1976 (age 48) Johannesburg, South Africa
Occupation	Film director screenwriter
Years active	2000-present

Jonathan Liebesman (born 15 September 1976) is a talented film director and screenwriter from South Africa. He is well-known for directing exciting movies like Darkness Falls (2003), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006), Battle: Los Angeles (2011), Wrath of the Titans (2012), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014).

About Jonathan Liebesman

Jonathan Liebesman was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He loved movies and studied filmmaking at two different schools. First, he went to the AFDA, The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance. Then, he studied at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in the United States. His cousin, Dean Israelite, is also a director.

Early Film Success

While at Tisch, Jonathan helped write and direct a short film. It was only 8 minutes long and called Genesis and Catastrophe. This film was based on a short story by the famous writer Roald Dahl. The movie was shown at many film festivals around the world. In 2000, it won an award for 'best short film' at the Austin Film Festival. This big win also earned Jonathan the "Hollywood Young Filmmaker Award" that same year.

Jonathan Liebesman's Directing Career

In 2002, when he was just 26 years old, Jonathan directed his first full-length movie. It was a horror film called Darkness Falls. Even though some critics didn't love the movie, it was a huge hit at the box office. It opened as the number one movie in the US and made over $32.5 million there. Worldwide, it earned more than $15 million more. The film was even nominated for a Teen Choice Awards!

Connecting Movies with Rings

Jonathan's next project was a short film called Rings in 2005. He co-wrote this 17-minute film. It helped connect the story between two other popular horror movies, The Ring and The Ring Two. Fans really liked how it linked the stories together.

Directing for Platinum Dunes

The success of Rings caught the eye of famous director Michael Bay and his company, Platinum Dunes. They hired Jonathan to direct a movie that was a prequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This new film was called The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. It came out in US cinemas on 6 October 2006. This movie was another box office success for Jonathan. It cost $16 million to make but earned $18.5 million on its opening weekend. By the end of 2006, it had made about $50 million worldwide.

Exploring New Genres

In 2008, Jonathan finished directing his third full-length movie, The Killing Room. This was a political thriller, a different kind of movie for him. It starred well-known actors like Chloë Sevigny and Nick Cannon. The story was about four people in a study who find out they are part of a secret government program. The film was shown at the Sundance Festival in January 2009.

Big Budget Sci-Fi: Battle: Los Angeles

In November 2008, Columbia Pictures announced that Jonathan would direct a big science fiction film called Battle: Los Angeles. This movie cost $70 million to make! It was about a group of marines fighting against an alien invasion in Los Angeles. The film was a massive hit, opening at number one in the US on 11 March 2011. It earned over $80 million in the US and more than $200 million globally.

Fantasy Worlds: Wrath of the Titans

In June 2010, Jonathan was chosen to direct the sequel to Clash of the Titans. The new movie was called Wrath of the Titans. It starred famous actors like Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes, and Liam Neeson. Filming started in March 2011 in studios near London and in places like South Wales and the Canary Islands. The movie was released on 30 March 2012.

Bringing Turtles to the Big Screen

In February 2012, Jonathan was chosen to direct a new movie in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. This movie, also called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, started filming in March 2013. The movie was released in August 2014 and was a big success at the box office.

Recent Work

In April 2019, Jonathan helped with reshoots for the movie Dolittle (2020). He also worked on the action TV series Halo in 2022, directing four episodes, including the season 2 finale.

Filmography

Short films

Feature films

Television series

See also

In Spanish: Jonathan Liebesman para niños