Michael Dougherty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Dougherty
Dougherty at the Godzilla Minus One premiere in 2023
Born	Michael Patrick Dougherty (1974-10-28) October 28, 1974 (age 50) Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Film director screenwriter producer comic book creator
Years active	1996–present

Michael Patrick Dougherty (born October 28, 1974) is an American writer and director. He is also an animator and producer. Michael is famous for his work on many different types of movies.

He started his career as an animator. His animated work appeared on MTV and Nickelodeon. He also created "twisted" greeting cards. Later, he helped write big movies like X2 and Superman Returns. Michael then directed his first movie, the horror comedy Trick ‘r Treat (2009). He also directed and co-wrote Krampus (2015). Michael co-wrote and directed Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). He also helped write the story for Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). All together, his movies have earned over two billion dollars.

Michael Dougherty's Early Life

Michael Dougherty was born in Columbus, Ohio. He grew up there. He went to the Tisch School of Arts. This is part of New York University. While there, he made a short film in 1996. It was called Season's Greetings.

His mother's family is from Vietnam. His father's family is Irish and Hungarian. He was raised Catholic.

Michael Dougherty's Film Career

Michael Dougherty started his directing and writing career with an animated short film. It was called Season's Greetings. This film came out in 1996. It was drawn by hand. This short film introduced a small Halloween spirit named "Sam". Sam later became the main character in the movie Trick 'r Treat. Michael also worked as an animator for Blue's Clues. He also animated for Little Bill on Nick Jr.

Dougherty then helped write several movie scripts. One was the superhero movie X2, released in 2003. He also co-wrote Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (2005). Another big movie he co-wrote was Superman Returns (2006).

Michael Dougherty directed his first full-length movie, Trick 'r Treat. This horror movie featured Anna Paquin and Brian Cox. It was shown at many film festivals. Then it came out on DVD in 2009. The movie became very popular. It gained a strong fan base over time. It was finally shown in theaters in October 2022. The short film Season's Greetings was included on the DVD. Trick ‘r Treat is now a favorite Halloween movie. It has led to toys, comics, and theme park rides. A sequel is also being made.

Dougherty at the 2015 San Diego Comic Con

In December 2014, he started working on Krampus. This is a holiday horror comedy. It stars Toni Collette and Adam Scott. The movie was released in December 2015. It did well with critics and at the box office. Like Trick ‘r Treat, Krampus has become a holiday favorite.

He also helped write the story for X-Men: Apocalypse (2016). Dougherty directed the science fiction movie Godzilla: King of the Monsters. He wrote the script with Zach Shields. They also co-wrote the story with Max Borenstein. The movie stars Millie Bobby Brown and Ken Watanabe. It was released in 2019. It earned $386 million around the world.

In April 2020, HBO announced a Hellraiser TV series. Michael Dougherty is writing for this series. He is also an executive producer.

Dougherty and Zach Shields also rewrote parts of Godzilla vs. Kong. They received a "Story By" credit for their work. They also provided "additional literary material" for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

Michael Dougherty's Filmography

Michael Dougherty's Comic Books

Michael Dougherty loves comic books. He has also written them. Two of his early movie scripts were based on comics. These were X-Men 2 from Marvel and Superman Returns from DC. His own movies also led to graphic novels.

Trick 'r Treat: Days of the Dead (2015)

Michael Dougherty co-wrote this comic book. It has four new short stories. These stories take place over many centuries. They all feature Sam, the character from the Trick 'r Treat movie. The stories show how different people celebrate Halloween. They go back to the holiday's roots in ancient Ireland. Trick 'r Treat: Days of the Dead was a best-seller. It reached number nine on the New York Times list for graphic novels.

Krampus: Shadow of Saint Nicholas (2015)

This comic book was released with the movie Krampus. It has three stories. These stories tell more about the Krampus creature. Michael Dougherty co-wrote this comic too.

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: Michael Dougherty para niños