Danny Cannon

Cannon began making films at the age of 16 in 1984, and started a youth experimental theatre group at 33 Arts Centre making video dramas with a number of other directors in different roles, including cameraman. A major influence was the centre's video maker, Dermot Byrne, with whom Cannon worked on a number of projects. Aged 23, he met musician David Arnold who played in a band that rehearsed there. Cannon convinced Arnold to compose soundtracks for his and other people's videos. Arnold's first professional score was for Cannon's debut feature 'The Young Americans'.

In 1987, he won the BBC Young Filmmaker of the Year Award, by Alan Parker, with a 40-minute short called Sometimes. 1988-1990 he attended the National Film and Television School. His intermediate film, 'Play Dead' was screened on Channel 4 while his graduation film Strangers (1990) appeared at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Cannon worked on commercials for James Garrett and later RSA, and made his debut feature The Young Americans in (1993). His second film, the big-budget Sylvester Stallone feature Judge Dredd was not well received critically in 1995. In 1998 he directed two features, the teen slasher film I Still Know What You Did Last Summer and he directed Ray Liotta, Anjelica Huston and Jeremy Piven in Phoenix.

Cannon at the 2014 NY PaleyFest for Gotham.

Cannon's immersion into primetime television began when he was hired by Jerry Bruckheimer to produce and direct the pilot episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in 2000. Cannon is credited with creating the look and visual style of the CSI,[6] which ran for 15 seasons, earning a total of 39 Emmy nominations and spawning three spinoff shows. He went on to write and direct many episodes of the flagship series, while overseeing the production as executive producer. Simultaneously, he also executive produced both CSI: Miami, which premiered in 2003 (and directed the pilot of), and CSI: NY (2004).[7]

Stemming from his personal passion and experience with the sport of football, in 2005, Cannon directed the film Goal!.

In 2006, he returned to television with the CBS television pilot, Capital Law, about a group of legal associates trying to make partner at a powerful Washington, D.C.–based law firm.

In 2007, Cannon co-created TNT's crime drama series starring Dylan McDermott called Dark Blue and directed the pilot episode. The following year he produced and directed 'The Eleventh Hour' for CBS, which ran for one season.

In 2010, Cannon joined The CW action series Nikita, as director and executive producer. It successfully ran for four seasons on the network.

In 2011, he executive produced and directed the pilot FOX crime/mystery series Alcatraz along with J. J. Abrams for WBTV.

In 2016, Cannon was brought on to direct reshoots for the feature film Geostorm, in an attempt to help save the studios over budget production.[8]

In 2017, Cannon replaced feature film director Antoine Fuqua for a TV version of Fuqua's film Training Day,[9] starring Bill Paxton, based on the 2001 Denzel Washington feature film. He stayed on as the show's executive producer.

From 2014–2018 Cannon executive produced the television series Gotham, for which he directed the pilot of,[10] along with writing and directing several episodes during the series' five year run. Under Cannon's creative guidance the show has been nominated for 11 Primetime Emmy Awards,[11] and in 2017 won its first Emmy for Outstanding Special and Visual Effects in a Supporting Role[12]

In 2018, it was announced that Gotham will produce its fifth and final season, premiere in 2019.[13]

Partnering with his Gotham writer-producer partner Bruno Heller,[14][15] Cannon is currently in production on Pennyworth, a Batman-esque prequel set in 1960s London,[16] which documents the early years of Batman's butler Alfred Pennyworth. Cannon executive produces and writes along with Heller, and will direct multiple episodes including the series premiere, which will air on Epix.