Introduction
Adam Wingard (/ˈwɪŋɡɑːrd/ WING-gard; born December 3, 1982) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, cinematographer, actor and composer. He is notable for his works in the horror genre, especially the films You're Next, The Guest, and Death Note. Wingard is the director for the upcoming film Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). He will also direct a sequel to Face/Off and co-write the script with Oren Uziel.
Life and career
Wingard was born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and graduated from Full Sail University in 2002.His first feature, the horror comedy Home Sick, starring Bill Moseley and Tiffany Shepis, proved to be a stepping stone to his second feature, the psychotropic ghost story horror film Pop Skull. Made on a total budget of $2,000, Pop Skull had its international premiere at the Rome Film Festival and its domestic premiere at the AFI Film Festival in 2007. A Horrible Way to Die (2010) and What Fun We Were Having (2011) followed.
The serial killer love story horror film A Horrible Way to Die premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival in the ‘Vanguard’ section and was acquired by Starz/Anchor Bay at the festival for a North American theatrical and home media release. What Fun We Were Having is a 4-part anthology dealing with the subject of date rape.The anthology had its premiere at the 2011 Fantastia Film Festival in Montreal where Wingard was honored by the festival with his very own sidebar section: “Medicated Monsters – A Spotlight on Filmmaker Adam Wingard”.
In 2011, Wingard co-directed Autoerotic with mumblecore icon (and frequent actor in Wingard films) Joe Swanberg. He was selected to direct one chapter of The ABCs of Death, a 26-chapter horror comedy anthology for Drafthouse Films and Magnet. A solo directorial effort, You're Next, a home invasion slasher, premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the ‘Midnight Madness’ section. The film was acquired by Lionsgate, and received a wide release in August 2013 to generally favorable reviews.
In 2014, Wingard directed The Guest starring Dan Stevens, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest, receiving wide critical acclaim upon its wider theatrical release in mid-September. Wingard directed Lionsgate's horror film Blair Witch, based on a script by Simon Barrett. The film is a sequel to the 1999 found footage horror classic The Blair Witch Project and received mostly ambivalent reviews.
In 2015, Wingard signed on to direct a live action American film adaptation of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata's popular horror crime-thriller manga series Death Note. The neo-noir dark fantasy horror-thriller was released on Netflix on August 25, 2017, to a mixed reception, with criticism aimed at the number of changes from the source material, rushed plot, shallow execution, writing and pacing- while praise was aimed at the visual style, direction, performances of the cast, soundtrack and the dark, macabre sense of humour, along with the attempted unique and distinctive take on the Death Note mythos.
In May 2017, Wingard was announced as the director for Godzilla vs. Kong, which is slated for release in March 2021. In February 2021, it was announced that Wingard would direct and co-write a sequel to Face/Off.
Awards and nominations
Wingard's film Pop Skull won the Best Feature Film award at the Indianapolis International Film Festival and the Jury award at the Boston Underground Film Festival. Wingard's A Horrible Way to Die won Best Screenplay (Simon Barrett), Best Actor (A.J. Bowen) and Best Actress (Amy Seimetz) at the 2010 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. Wingard's You're Next won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Simon Barrett), and Best Actress (Sharni Vinson) at the 2011 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.
Filmography
| Year | Title | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | DoP | Editor | Notes | ||
| 2007 | Home Sick | Yes | No | No | No | |
| Pop Skull | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also producer | |
| 2010 | A Horrible Way to Die | Yes | No | No | Yes | Also camera operator and music supervisor |
| 2011 | Autoerotic | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-directed with Joe Swanberg; Also camera operator |
| What Fun We Were Having:4 Stories About Date Rape | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| You're Next | Yes | No | No | Yes | Also composer | |
| 2014 | The Guest | Yes | No | No | Yes | |
| 2016 | Blair Witch | Yes | No | No | No | Also composer |
| 2017 | Death Note | Yes | No | No | No | |
| 2021 | Godzilla vs. Kong | Yes | No | No | No | Post-production |
| TBA | Untitled Face/Off Sequel | Yes | Yes | No | No | Co-written with Oren Uziel |
|
Cinematographer only
|
Editor only
|
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Pop Skull | Raymond |
| 2010 | Autoerotic | |
| 2011 | Art History | Bill |
| 2013 | 24 Exposures | Billy |
| 2014 | The Last Survivors | Compound Soldier |
| 2020 | She Dies Tomorrow | Dune Buggy Man |
Television
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Outcast | 3 episodes; Also executive consultant |
Short films
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | DoP | Editor | Actor | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Little One | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| 2005 | The Girlfriend | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| 2007 | 1000 Year Sleep | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| 2008 | Laura Panic | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| Paradox Mary | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | |||
| Little Sister Gone | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | |||
| 2009 | Her Name is Laura Panic | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | ||
| 2011 | Ultra Modern | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Segment from 60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero | |
| 2012 | Tape 56 | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Brad | Segment from V/H/S; Also camera operator and sound designer |
| Q is for Quack | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Adam | Segment from The ABCs of Death | |
| 2013 | Phase I Clinical Trials | Yes | No | executive | No | Yes | Yes | Herman | Segment from V/H/S/2; Also set photographer |
Special thanks
- Cheap Thrills (2013)
- XX (2017)