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 well-known for his 2007 movie This Christmas. This film was even nominated for an NAACP Image Award for best directing in 2008.

Early Life and Education

Preston Whitmore was born in 1962 in Detroit, Michigan. He was the youngest of three children. After leaving high school, he joined the Marine Corps. While in the Marines, he earned his GED. He also started taking college classes, focusing on law and how criminal cases work.

After leaving the Marines, Whitmore moved to California. He attended Los Angeles City College and earned his associate's degree. Then, he transferred to California State University, Northridge. There, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He later went to the University of La Verne College of Law.

Film Career

Whitmore first entered the entertainment world as a rapper and lyricist. He worked with Brian and Eddie Holland, who were famous from Motown. However, a Motown lyricist named Angelo Bond told him his stories were too big for just a three-minute song.

Following this advice, Whitmore started making short films. His first two were This End of The Couch and No Reply. These films helped him learn about filmmaking.

Directing and Writing Films

Whitmore made his first full-length movie, The Walking Dead, in 1995. He wrote and directed this film. It tells the story of four African-American soldiers during the Vietnam War. This movie was inspired by his own experiences in the Marine Corps. The film starred actors like Allen Payne and Bernie Mac.

After that, he wrote and helped produce Fled (1996). This was an action movie. It starred Laurence Fishburne and Stephen Baldwin. The story was about two prisoners who escape and try to find hidden money.

Whitmore's work often explores stories about people facing tough challenges. He wrote and produced three films that look at these kinds of situations. The first was Lockdown (2000). It followed a group of friends who are wrongly imprisoned. The film showed how their lives changed while they were in prison. It became one of Columbia Tri-Star's best-selling independent movies.

Next, he wrote and produced Civil Brand (2002). This independent film focused on women in prison and their fight for fairness. It starred LisaRaye, N'Bushe Wright, and Mos Def. The film won several awards, including the Blockbuster Award for Best Film. It was also featured at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival.

In 2004, Whitmore wrote, produced, and directed Doing Hard Time. This film starred Boris Kodjoe and Michael K. Williams. Moving to a different type of story, Whitmore then wrote and directed Crossover (2006). This movie was a basketball drama filmed in his hometown of Detroit. It starred Anthony Mackie and Wayne Brady.

Popular Films and Adaptations

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 gathering in four years. The film was inspired by people in Whitmore's own family. It won several awards, including an NAACP Image Award nomination for Whitmore's directing.

He then worked on a series of films based on popular books by Teri Woods. He directed True to the Game (2017), which came out in theaters and later on Netflix. He also wrote the screenplay for the sequel, True to the Game 2 (2020). In 2021, he wrote and directed Dutch, another film based on a novel by Woods.

Whitmore also wrote and directed "The Fight That Never Ends" (2021). This movie is about a Jewish woman and a community leader who work together to fight unfairness during a challenging time in Los Angeles in 1992. It starred Allen Payne and Christa B. Allen.

His film "Real Talk" (2021) was also written, directed, and produced by him. It follows a talk radio host who discusses modern views on race, religion, and technology. The radio show becomes very important when the host helps save a pregnant teenager. The movie featured Jasmine Carmichael and Loretta Devine.

In 2022, Whitmore wrote the screenplay for Hello. This film is about a flight attendant who meets someone special, but later finds out he has other plans. It starred Eva Marcille and Charlie Weber.

Preston Whitmore develops new TV shows and movies at his company, The Preston Picture Company, in Los Angeles.

Television and Theater Work

Whitmore has also worked in television and theater. He wrote episodes for the TV comedy show Malcolm & Eddie. He also wrote and directed a play called Five A.M.. This play debuted at the Tiffany Theater in Los Angeles. Additionally, Whitmore wrote and produced the TV movie Blood Crime (2002), which starred James Caan.

Radio Program

Whitmore produces a weekly radio show called "Encouraging You To Go Higher." This program is for Pastor Ron Taylor's church, Arise Christian Center.

Filmography