Todd Phillips facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Todd Phillips
Phillips in 2024
Born	Todd Philip Bunzl (1970-12-19) December 19, 1970 (age 54) New York City, U.S.
Education	New York University
Occupation	Film director producer screenwriter
Years active	1993–present

Todd Phillips (born Todd Philip Bunzl on December 19, 1970) is an American filmmaker. He is known for directing, producing, and writing many popular movies. He started his career in 1993.

In the early 2000s, he directed films like Road Trip, Old School, and Starsky & Hutch. He became even more famous in the 2010s for directing The Hangover movie series.

In 2019, Todd Phillips co-wrote and directed Joker. This movie is based on the Joker character from DC Comics. Joker won the top award, the Golden Lion, at the 76th Venice International Film Festival. The film also earned Phillips three nominations for the Oscars. These nominations were for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. He had also been nominated for an Oscar before for the movie Borat.

Early life and education

Todd Phillips was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He grew up in Dix Hills, New York. He went to New York University Film School. However, he left before finishing because he couldn't afford both tuition and making his first film. Around that time, he worked at a video store.

Career highlights in filmmaking

Todd Phillips's first documentary film was called Hated: A Film About GG Allin. It was about a punk rocker named GG Allin. This film became one of the most successful student films at the time. Phillips even wrote to a famous artist, John Wayne Gacy, who helped raise money for the film.

Next, he co-directed a documentary called Frat House in 1998. This film was about college fraternities. It won a big award at the Sundance Film Festival. However, it was never shown on TV because some people in the film said parts of it were not real.

His third documentary, Bittersweet Motel, was about the band Phish. It showed their tours in 1997 and 1998. While at Sundance, Phillips met director Ivan Reitman. This meeting helped Phillips start writing and directing comedy films like Road Trip and Old School.

Phillips also wrote and directed Starsky & Hutch in 2004. It starred Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. In 2006, he directed School for Scoundrels. He also worked on the story for the movie Borat in 2006.

The Hangover series and other successes

In 2008, Phillips started his own film company, Green Hat Films. He then directed and produced The Hangover. This movie cost about $35 million to make. It became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy film at that time, earning $480 million worldwide. The film won a Golden Globe award for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy). Todd Phillips earned a lot of money from this movie's success.

In 2010, Phillips directed, produced, and co-wrote the comedy Due Date. It starred Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. This movie was also a big success, earning over $211 million worldwide.

Production for The Hangover Part II began in 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand. Phillips directed, produced, and co-wrote this sequel. When it was released on May 26, 2011, it broke several records. It had the biggest midnight opening for an R-rated film. It also had the highest-grossing opening day for a live-action comedy. The film earned $85.9 million in its first three days. The Hangover Part II became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy film of all time, earning over $581 million worldwide.

He also directed, wrote, and produced The Hangover Part III, which came out in 2013. This movie earned over $300 million. Together, The Hangover Trilogy earned a total of $1.4 billion worldwide.

In 2016, Phillips directed, produced, and co-wrote the crime film War Dogs. It starred Jonah Hill and Miles Teller.

Phillips winning the Golden Lion for the film Joker at the 76th Venice Film Festival

In 2019, Phillips directed, co-wrote, and co-produced Joker. This film tells the origin story of the Joker, a supervillain from DC Comics. The story is set in 1981. Joaquin Phoenix played the main role. The movie premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival and was released in October 2019.

Its sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, was released in 2024. Lady Gaga joined the cast as Harley Quinn. Phillips also directed, co-wrote, and co-produced this film.

Personal views

In a 2014 interview, Todd Phillips was asked if he believes in God. He said, "Personally I don't. But I believe there's a higher power, a collective energy in people that you might say is God."

In 2019, after his film Joker was released, Phillips mentioned why he had stopped making comedy films. He said it was because of negative reactions from some people. He felt it was hard to make comedies without offending someone.

Filmography

Film projects

Documentary films

Feature films

Acting roles

Television projects

Awards and recognition

Todd Phillips has won many awards for his work in film.

See also

In Spanish: Todd Phillips para niños