David Leitch | |
|---|---|
 Leitch at the 2024WonderCon | |
| Born | (1975-11-16)November 16, 1975 (age 49)[1] Kohler, Wisconsin, U.S.[2] |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouse | |
David Leitch (/liːtʃ/;[3] born November 16, 1975)[1] is an American filmmaker, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, and actor. He made his directorial debut on the action filmJohn Wick (2014) withChad Stahelski, though only Stahelski was credited.[4] He later also directed the filmsAtomic Blonde (2017),Deadpool 2 (2018),Hobbs & Shaw (2019),Bullet Train (2022), andThe Fall Guy (2024).
Leitch graduated from theUniversity of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations in 1993.[5]
Leitch was a stunt double forBrad Pitt five times and twice forJean-Claude Van Damme.[citation needed] Leitch and his crew won two awards forThe Bourne Ultimatum at theScreen Actors Guild Awards.[6] He also shared a 2008 Taurus World Stunt Award with fellowstunt-person Kai Martin for high work.[7]
He wrote and starred inConfessions of an Action Star, a parody of action films and the action film industry released in 2009.[8][9]
Leitch and Chad Stahelski opened an action design production company called 87Eleven in 1997. In 2009, Stahelski and Leitch were second-unit directors and stunt co-ordinators onNinja Assassin. The two co-directed the 2014 filmJohn Wick,[10] although Leitch himself was not credited as co-director. Leitch executive produced the threeJohn Wick sequels, which Stahelski solo directed.
He moved on to direct films such asAtomic Blonde,Deadpool 2 andFast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw with his wife and creative partner Kelly McCormick serving as a producer. In 2022, he also directed Pitt in the action-thrillerBullet Train.
In September 2020, Leitch signed on to direct and produce stuntman dramaThe Fall Guy forUniversal Pictures, withDrew Pearce writing the screenplay andRyan Gosling andEmily Blunt starring. The film, based onthe 1980s television series of the same name, was released in the United States on May 3, 2024.[11][12][13][14]
In July 2018, Leitch was in early talks to direct a remake ofEnter the Dragon.[15] In January 2019, Leitch signed on to directUndying Love, based on thelimited comic book series byTomm Coker and Daniel Freedman, forStudio 8.[16] In July 2022, it was announced Leitch would direct the television miniseriesHot Air, starringAndrew Garfield asRichard Branson, based on the bookDirty Secrets by Martyn Gregory.[17] In August 2022, Leitch was attached to direct aNetflix adaptation of theDark Horse comic seriesBang!, withIdris Elba set to star.[18] In November 2022, Leitch became attached to direct spy thrillerRed Shirt, based on a pitch bySimon Kinberg and withChanning Tatum set to star; by the end of the month, the project was picked up byAmazon Studios.[19][20] In January 2024, Leitch was onboard to direct a feature-length adaptation ofKung Fu forUniversal Pictures, withDonnie Yen set to star.[21] In May 2024, Leitch was attached to produce and possibly direct a television series adaptation ofButton Man forFifth Season.[22] In January 2025, he entered early talks to directOcean's 14, a sequel to theOcean's franchise.[23]
Leitch was once attached to directThe Division, based on thevideo game of the same name, but he stepped down due to scheduling conflicts withBullet Train.[24] He was also set to direct the action thrillerFast & Loose forNetflix andSTXfilms, withWill Smith set to star, but by March 2022, he left the project to focus instead onThe Fall Guy.[12][25] He would continue to be involved as producer withMichael Bay in talks to replace him as director.[26] Leitch was in discussions to direct a newJurassic Park film[27] scheduled for July 2, 2025,[28][29] but left the project over creative differences;the film was ultimately directed byGareth Edwards.[30][31][32]
Leitch dated actressMaggie Q from 2009 to 2011.
He has been married toexecutive producer Kelly McCormick since 2014.
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | John Wick | Uncredited | Yes | Co-directed withChad Stahelski |
| 2017 | Atomic Blonde | Yes | No | |
| 2018 | Deadpool 2 | Yes | No | |
| 2019 | Hobbs & Shaw | Yes | No | |
| 2022 | Bullet Train | Yes | Yes | |
| 2024 | The Fall Guy | Yes | Yes | |
| 2026 | Untitled | Yes | Yes | In production.[33] |
Producer only
Writer
Executive producer
Short film
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | No Good Deed | |
| 2019 | Snowbrawl | Shot oniPhone 11, sponsored byApple Inc.[34] |
2nd unit director
Stuntwork
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Order | Det. Mike Moran | |
| 2002 | Nine Lives | Paul | |
| 2003 | In Hell | Paul | |
| 2005 | V for Vendetta | Convenience Store V | |
| Confessions of an Action Star | Frank Sledge | ||
| The Dukes of Hazzard | Puncher | ||
| 2007 | Fetch | John "Fetch" Fetcher | Short film |
| 2009 | Ninja Assassin | Europol Door Guard | |
| 2010 | The King of Fighters | Terry Bogard | |
| 2011 | The Mechanic | Sebastian | |
| 2012 | The Bourne Legacy | The Driver | |
| 2013 | Escape Plan | Ship Captain | |
| 2018 | Deadpool 2 | Cain Marko / Juggernaut Ground Church Mutant | Leitch providedmotion-capture performance on-set, whileRyan Reynolds provided facial motion-capture and voice performances |
| 2019 | Hobbs & Shaw | Helicopter Pilot | |
| 2022 | Bullet Train | Jeff Zufelt |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Sherman Oaks | Season 1 |
| 1996 | 7th Heaven | |
| 1997-2001 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | 18 episodes |
| 1998 | CHiPs '99 | TV movie |
| 1999 | The Practice | Episode: "Day in Court" |
| The Strip | ||
| 2000 | The President's Man | TV movie |
| 2001 | The Pretender 2001 | |
| Scrubs | ||
| 2006 | 2006 MTV Movie Awards | TV special; Stunt double |
| General Hospital | Episode 10967 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Martial Law | David Hasbro | Episodes "Diamond Fever", "Dead Ringers", "Funny Money" and "Trackdown" |
| 2000 | Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue | Brian | Episode "Up to the Challenge" |
| 2001 | Walker Texas Ranger | Floyd Jessop | Episode "Medieval Crimes" |
| 2003 | L.A. County 187 | Earnest Cop | TV movie |
| 2004 | Charmed | Innocent | Episode "There's Something About Leo" |
| 2019 | Songland | Himself | Episode "Aloe Blacc" |
| Year | Association | Nominated work | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | 300 | Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture | Nominated | [35] |
| The Bourne Ultimatum | Won | [6] | |||
| 2019 | Grammy Awards | Deadpool 2 | Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media | Nominated | [36] |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
