Nia DaCosta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nia DaCosta
DaCosta in November 2023
Born	(1989-11-08) November 8, 1989 (age 35) New York City, U.S.
Education	New York University (BFA) Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (MA)
Occupation	Filmmaker
Years active	2009–present

Nia DaCosta, born on November 8, 1989, is a talented American filmmaker. She writes and directs movies. She became well-known with her first full-length film, Little Woods (2018). This crime thriller earned her the Nora Ephron Prize at the Tribeca Film Festival.

After Little Woods, Nia DaCosta directed two episodes of the TV series Top Boy in 2019. Then, she made history with her horror film Candyman (2021). It was the first time a Black female director had a movie open at No. 1 at the U.S. box office. She also directed The Marvels (2023), a Marvel Comics film. This made her the first Black woman to direct a Marvel movie. Even though The Marvels did not earn as much money as expected, it became the highest-grossing film ever directed by a Black woman.

Early Life and Inspiration

Nia DaCosta was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on November 8, 1989. She grew up in Harlem. Her mother, Charmaine DaCosta, was a singer in a band called Worl-A-Girl. Nia first wanted to be a poet.

When she was 16, she read Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. This book led her to watch the movie Apocalypse Now. She became fascinated with films. She studied movies from the "New Hollywood" era. This was a time in the 1960s and 70s when new directors changed how movies were made. She found inspiration in directors like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese. Scorsese was a big influence on her.

Nia went to New York University Tisch School of the Arts. She graduated in 2011. While studying, she met Martin Scorsese when she worked as a TV production assistant. She also earned a degree from London's Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Filmmaking Career

After college, Nia DaCosta worked as a production assistant for TV shows. She worked with famous filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Steven Soderbergh. She was part of the crew for shows like Shark Loves the Amazon (2011) and Ke$ha: My Crazy Beautiful Life (2013).

Early Short Films and Little Woods

Nia then started writing her own short films. These included Livelihood (2014) and Celeste (2014). Soon after, she wrote the script for Little Woods. This script was chosen for the 2015 Sundance Film Festival Screenwriters and Directors Labs. There, she met actress Tessa Thompson, who later starred in the film.

Nia funded a short film version of Little Woods with help from 72 people through Kickstarter. They raised $5,100. The full movie, Little Woods, was filmed in North Dakota and Austin, Texas, during the winter of 2017 and 2018. The weather was very cold. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018. It won the Nora Ephron award for great storytelling by a female writer or director. The movie was released in theaters in April 2019. Nia wanted to tell stories about "women who are active" in movies.

Directing Candyman

After Little Woods, Nia directed two episodes of the crime-drama series Top Boy. She also helped create an 8-episode web series called Ghost Tape (2020). Then, she got to work with Jordan Peele on the 2021 film Candyman. Peele became her mentor.

Candyman is a "spiritual sequel" to the original 1992 Candyman movie. It returns to the same Chicago neighborhood. Jordan Peele produced the film. He said the original was important for Black characters in horror movies. Nia DaCosta focused on creating psychological fear in the film. She wanted to avoid showing everyday horrors against Black people.

The movie starred Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, with Tony Todd returning as the villain. Filming began in spring 2019 and finished in September. Candyman was released in theaters on August 27, 2021. It received good reviews. Nia DaCosta became the first African-American female director to have a film open at the top of the box office.

Directing The Marvels

In August 2020, Nia DaCosta was chosen to direct The Marvels. This was a Marvel Studios film and a sequel to Captain Marvel (2019). The movie was released on November 10, 2023. Nia is the fourth woman to direct a Marvel film. She is also the youngest director and the first African American woman to direct a Marvel movie.

The Marvels opened with $46.1 million, topping the box office. This was the best opening for a film directed by a Black female director. However, it was also the lowest opening weekend for a MCU film. It did not earn enough money to cover its costs. Despite this, it became the highest-grossing film directed by a Black woman. This record was previously held by A Wrinkle in Time (2018). The film received mixed reviews. Some critics praised DaCosta's clear and effective directing.

Future Projects

Nia DaCosta is currently working on a film based on the play Hedda Gabler. The movie, called Hedda, will star Tessa Thompson. It is planned for release in October 2025. Nia was also hired to direct 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. This film is part of the 28 Days Later movie series. It is set to be released in January 2026.

Awards and Recognition

Nia DaCosta made history when Candyman became the first film directed by a Black female to debut at number one at the American box office. Her first film, Little Woods, won the Nora Ephron Prize at the Tribeca Film Festival. This award is for excellent storytelling by a female writer or director. Little Woods also won Best Narrative Feature and Best Director at the 2019 Fargo Film Festival.

For her work on Candyman, Nia received nominations for "Most Anticipated Film for the Rest of 2021" from the Hollywood Critics Association. She won awards for "Directors to Watch" and "Best Horror Film". She also received her first nomination at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture. She was nominated at the Black Reel Awards for Outstanding Director and Outstanding Screenplay, Adapted or Original.

Filmography

Short film

Feature film

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer
2018	Little Woods	Yes	Yes	No
2021	Candyman	Yes	Yes	No
2023	The Marvels	Yes	Yes	No
2025	Hedda	Yes	Yes	Yes
2026	28 Years Later: The Bone Temple	Yes	No	No

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television

Theme park attractions

• Avengers: Quantum Encounter (2022)

See also

In Spanish: Nia DaCosta para niños