Jonathan Levine

Jonathan A. Levine (born June 18, 1976) is an American film director and screenwriter. He is known for directing 50/50 in 2011.

This article is about the film director and screenwriter. For other uses, see Jonathan Levine.
Jonathan Levine
Born
Jonathan A. Levine

June 18, 1976 (1976-06-18) (age 44)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma materBrown University (BA)
American Film Institute (MFA)
OccupationFilm director, screenwriter

Early life and education

Levine was born and raised in New York City, to a Jewish family.[1] He attended St. Bernard's School, in Manhattan, and Phillips Academy, in Andover, Massachusetts. He received his bachelor's degree from Brown University, where he majored in Art Semiotics. He earned his Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in Film Directing from the American Film Institute, in Los Angeles, at its AFI Conservatory.

Career

In 2006, he was nominated for a Best Independent Mini-Feature Award at the Black Reel Awards for his AFI Thesis short film Shards (2004), which also won a Certificate of Excellence at the 2005 Brooklyn Film Festival for Best Cinematography by Petra Korner. He wrote and directed a documentary short entitled Love Bytes (2005), where he sets out on a cross country roadtrip to find love in major cities with the assistance of a laptop and an Audi A3.

Levine's feature directorial debut was the 2006 dramatic horror film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, starring Amber Heard with the screenplay written by Jacob Forman. The film had its premiere at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival, followed by screenings at the Sitges Film Festival, South by Southwest, London FrightFest Film Festival, and the IFI Horrorthon, at the French Cinemathèque.

In 2008, Levine wrote and directed The Wackness, starring Josh Peck. It won the Audience Award at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize (Dramatic) as well.[2] The Wackness also won Best Narrative Feature at the 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival, The Most Popular Feature Film Award at the 2008 Melbourne International Film Festival, and was nominated for a Best First Screenplay award at the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards. In addition, the film won Best International Feature Film at the 2008 Zurich Film Festival.

Next, Levine directed the 2011 film 50/50 starring Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anna Kendrick. Adam, played by Gordon-Levitt, has a highly organized and healthy lifestyle. He maintains his life in perfect control when he learns the pain in his back is from a cancerous tumor that must be removed by a complicated surgery. Adam's world has turned upside-down, but he receives strong support from his best friend, played by Seth Rogen as well as comfort from his hospital psychiatrist and future love interest, played by Anna Kendrick. 50/50 won the Audience Award at the 2011 Aspen Filmfest, the Audience Award at the 2011 Stockholm Film Festival and the Achille Valdata Award at the 2011 Torino International Film Festival /Torino International Festival of Young Cinema.

In 2013, Levine directed the film Warm Bodies,[3] starring Nicholas Hoult as a zombie who is slowly able to regain his health and humanity and return to normal life. During his change from zombie to human, he forces a girl, played by Teresa Palmer, to stay with him. The film is based on the novel of the same name by writer Isaac Marion.[4][5]

In 2014, Levine directed the pilot episode of the TV series he created with Gina Matthews and Grant Scharbo, Rush, was a medical drama series revolving around a hard-partying doctor named William P. Rush played by Tom Ellis. Although well received, the series ended after one season on the USA Network.

In 2015, Levine directed and co-wrote the Christmas comedy film, The Night Before starring Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie. (Re-teaming with Gordon-Levitt and Rogen from 50/50. Lead actors included Lizzy Caplan, Mindy Kaling, Jillian Bell and a cameo by Miley Cyrus.

Levine was the assistant to film director Paul Schrader prior to his own directorial career taking-off.

Levine filmed a pilot for a Showtime comedy series created by executive producer Jim Carrey titled I'm Dying Up Here, based in part on the 2010 non-fiction book of the same name by William Knoedelseder about the stand-up comedy scene in LA during the 1970s.[6]

It has been announced that Levine will direct Brooklyn Castle, a feature film adaptation of the 2012 documentary Brooklyn Castle. The storyline tells about a group of New York's inner city, junior high school kids who wanted to compete in a highly prestigious, highly selective national chess tournament (the United States Chess Federation's National High School Championship)[7]

Writing

In addition to writing or co-writing the screenplays for feature or short films that he directed such as Shards (2004) (short), Love Bytes (2005) (documentary short), The Wackness (2008), Warm Bodies (2013), The Night Before (2015), Levine has written an episode of the TV series The Screen Junkies Show entitled "Zombie Acting Tips" (2013). He wrote the screenplay for the short film The Weight (2009), directed by Nicholas Jarecki (writer and director of the film Arbitrage).

Levine wrote, created and executive produced (along with Gina Matthews and Grant Scharbo) the medical drama TV series Rush, specifically writing two episodes: the "Pilot" (2014) (which he also directed) and "Don't Ask Me Why" (2014).

Producing

Levine produced the 2016 film Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, directed by Jake Szymanski and starring Zac Efron, Adam Devine, Anna Kendrick, and Aubrey Plaza.

Levine served as an executive producer on the 2014 medical drama TV series he created for the USA Network, Rush.

Filmography
Year Title Director Writer Notes
2004 Shards Yes Yes AFI thesis film
2005 Love Bytes Yes Yes
2006 All the Boys Love Mandy Lane Yes No
2008 The Wackness Yes Yes
2011 50/50 Yes No
2013 Warm Bodies Yes Yes
2015 The Night Before Yes Yes
2017 Snatched Yes No
2019 Long Shot Yes No Also executive producer

Producer

Television

Year Title Director Executive
Producer		 Creator Notes
2014 Rush Yes Yes Yes Directed pilot

References
  1. https://www.jweekly.com/2015/11/26/for-jewish-director-the-night-before-hits-close-to-home/
  2. Kit, Borys (January 19, 2010). "'Warm Bodies' lands Jonathan Levine". The Hollywood Reporter.
  3. "'Mandy Lane' Director Takes New Spin on Zombie Genre with 'Warm Bodies'". Bloody-Disgusting.com. January 19, 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  4. Barton, Steve (January 19, 2010). "Zombies Need Love Too! Cuddle Up with Some Warm Bodies!". DreadCentral.com. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  5. McNary, Dave (January 19, 2010). "Summit cozies up to 'Warm Bodies'". Variety.com. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  6. Wagmeister, Elizabeth (August 11, 2015). "Jim Carrey Lands Showtime Pilot Order for Series Set in 1970s L.A. Comedy Scene". variety.com. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
  7. Fleming Jr., Mike (August 11, 2015). "Sony Sets '50/50′ Team For Chess Drama 'Brooklyn Castle; One Of Three Pics For Scott Rudin And Seth Rogen's Point Grey". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 21, 2019.

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