Preston A. Whitmore II facts for kids

Preston Alexander Whitmore II (born June 26, 1962) is an American film director, producer, and writer. He is best known for his 2007 movie This Christmas. This film was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in 2008 for Outstanding Directing.

Preston Whitmore's Early Life

Preston Whitmore was born in Detroit in 1962. He was the youngest of three children. After leaving high school, he joined the Marine Corps. There, he earned his GED and started taking college classes. He focused on law enforcement and how legal procedures work.

After his time in the Marines, he moved to California. He attended Los Angeles City College and earned an associate's degree. Later, he went to California State University, Northridge. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science there. After CSUN, Whitmore studied law at the University of La Verne College of Law. He even won an award for his legal writing skills.

Preston Whitmore's Film Career

Preston Whitmore started in the entertainment world as a rapper. He wrote lyrics for Brian and Eddie Holland, who were famous from Motown. He then decided to try screenwriting. A Motown lyricist told him his stories were too big for just a song.

How Preston Whitmore Started Making Movies

Following this advice, Whitmore made two short films. One was called This End of The Couch. The other was No Reply. Whitmore sold several movie scripts. Fade-In Magazine even called him one of Hollywood's "Hottest Young Writers."

Whitmore made his first full movie, The Walking Dead, in 1995. He wrote and directed it. The movie was about four African-American soldiers in Vietnam. This story was inspired by his own experiences in the Marine Corps. After that, he wrote and helped produce Fled (1996). This action movie starred Laurence Fishburne and Stephen Baldwin. They played two characters trying to escape and find hidden money.

Movies About Challenges and Justice

Whitmore's movies often explore important social topics. He has written and produced films that show people facing tough situations.

One such film was Lockdown (2000). It was about a group of friends who face unfair challenges. The movie showed how their lives changed. This film was very popular for an independent movie.

Another film, Civil Brand (2002), focused on women facing difficult conditions. This independent movie won several awards. It won the Blockbuster Award for Best Film and was featured at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival.

In 2004, Whitmore wrote, produced, and directed Doing Hard Time. This movie starred Boris Kodjoe and Michael K. Williams. Later, he moved to a different kind of story. He wrote and directed Crossover (2006). This film was about street basketball and was filmed in his hometown of Detroit.

Preston Whitmore's Holiday and Book-Inspired Films

Whitmore wrote, produced, and directed This Christmas (2007). This popular holiday movie starred Loretta Devine, Idris Elba, and Chris Brown. The story is about the Whitfield family's first holiday together in four years. Whitmore was inspired by his own family when creating the characters. The film won several awards, including an Asian Excellence Award. Preston Whitmore himself was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for his directing.

Next, Whitmore worked on adapting books into movies. He directed True to the Game (2017). This movie was based on a popular novel by Teri Woods. It was released in theaters and later on Netflix. Whitmore also wrote the script for the second movie, True to the Game 2 (2020). He also wrote and directed Dutch (2021), which was also based on a novel by Woods.

Whitmore then wrote and directed "The Fight That Never Ends" (2021). This movie is about a Jewish woman and a gang leader who work together to fight unfairness. It is set during the Los Angeles 1992 Riots. Whitmore's film "Real Talk" (2021) was also released. He wrote, directed, and produced this movie. It follows a radio host who talks about modern views on different topics. The radio show becomes very important when the host tries to save a pregnant teenager.

In 2022, Whitmore wrote the movie Hello. It is about a flight attendant who meets someone special. Preston Whitmore continues to develop TV and movie projects at his company, The Preston Picture Company, in Los Angeles.

Preston Whitmore's Work in Television and Theater

Preston Whitmore has also worked in television and theater. He wrote episodes for the TV show Malcolm & Eddie. He also wrote and directed two plays. One was called Five A.M.. The other was Preston Whitmore's `...`. Both plays were shown at the Tiffany Theater in Los Angeles. Additionally, Whitmore wrote and produced the TV movie Blood Crime (2002).

Preston Whitmore's Radio Program

Whitmore produces a weekly radio show called "Encouraging You To Go Higher." He works on this program with Pastor Ron Taylor for his church, Arise Christian Center.

Preston Whitmore's Filmography