Cary Joji Fukunaga | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Fukunaga in 2018 | |
| Born | (1977-07-10)July 10, 1977 (age 48) Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
Cary Joji Fukunaga (born July 10, 1977) is an American filmmaker. A director of TV and film, he first came to wide prominence by directing thefirst season of theHBO seriesTrue Detective (2014).[1] He is known for directing critically acclaimed films such as the thrillerSin nombre (2009), the period dramaJane Eyre (2011), the war dramaBeasts of No Nation (2015) and the 25thJames Bond film,No Time to Die (2021). He also co-wrote theStephen King adaptationIt (2017).
He won thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, as the director and executive producer ofTrue Detective. He also directed and executive produced theNetflix limited seriesManiac (2018), and executive produced and directed several episodes of theApple TV+ miniseriesMasters of the Air (2024).
Fukunaga was born on July 10, 1977[2] inOakland, California. His father, Anthony Shuzo Fukunaga, was athird-generation Japanese American, born in aninternment camp duringWorld War II.[3] His mother, Gretchen May Grufman, is Swedish-American[4][5] and worked as a dental hygienist, and later as a college history instructor and university assistant professor of history. Fukunaga inherited his interest in history from her.[6] His parents eventually divorced.[4] His family often relocated within theSan Francisco Bay Area, moving toBerkeley,Albany,Vallejo,Benicia,Sebastopol and back to Oakland.[5]
Fukunaga attendedAnaly High School.[7] He graduated from theUniversity of California, Santa Cruz with aBachelor of Arts in history in 1999[8][9] and attended theGrenoble Institute of Political Studies, where he studied geopolitics and international law.[10]
Fukunaga had originally wanted to be a professionalsnowboarder, but switched to filmmaking in his mid-twenties.[11] He got his start as a camera intern and later applied to film school.[12] He enrolled in theNew York University Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Film Program.[13][14]
Fukunaga wrote and directed the short filmVictoria para Chino (2004) while at NYU, which screened at theSundance Film Festival and received aStudent Academy Award in 2005.[15] It won an Audience Award for Best Narrative Student Short Film at the 2004Austin Film Festival, a Best Student Film award at the 2006Ashland Independent Film Festival, a BAFTA/LA Award for Excellence – Honorable Mention award at the 2005Aspen Shortsfest, Best Student Film at the 2005 BendFilm Festival, Best Short Film and an Audience Award for Best Short Film at the 2005Gen Art Film Festival, Best Short Film at the 2005 Milan International Film Festival, and the Jury Prize for Best Student Short at the 2004Woodstock Film Festival.[citation needed]
Fukunaga wrote and directed the short filmsKofi (2003) andSleepwalking in the Rift (2012).[16][17] He wrote and directed a segment in the omnibus filmChinatown Film Project (2009).[18]
Sin Nombre
Fukunaga made his feature film debut withSin Nombre, which he wrote and directed. It received positive reviews[19][20] and a number of awards, including the Directing award at the 2009Sundance Film Festival and a New Director's Award for Fukunaga at the 2009Edinburgh International Film Festival. In 2009, it won Best Foreign Language Film awards from theAustin Film Critics Association, theDallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards, theFlorida Film Critics Circle Awards, theSan Diego Film Critics Society Awards (2nd place for Best Foreign Language Film), and theWashington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards. Cinematographer Adriano Goldman won the Cinematography award at the 2009Sundance Film Festival; and at the 2009Stockholm Film Festival, the film won a Best Actor award forEdgar Flores, and Best Directorial Debut and FIPRESCI Prizes for Fukunaga. It also brought Fukunaga the 2010Premios ACE award for Cinema – Best First Work.
The film was nominated for Best Feature, Best Director and Best Cinematography at the 2010Independent Spirit Awards, and was nominated by the 2009British Independent Film Awards (Best Foreign Film), the 2010Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards (Best Foreign Language Film), the 2009Chicago Film Critics Association Awards (Most Promising Filmmaker; Best Foreign Language Film), the 2010Image Awards (Outstanding Foreign Motion Picture), the Bronze Horse at the 2009Stockholm Film Festival and the 2009Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize.
Speaking with journalist Brandon Kosters, Fukunaga said that he wanted viewing audiences to "feel like they're on the journey with the characters," regardless of the audience members' individual political identities. "You can maintain your opinion after, Fukunaga said, "but I want you to go through [the character's journey] with them."[21]
Jane Eyre
In 2010, Fukunaga directed a new film adaptation ofJane Eyre starringMia Wasikowska,Michael Fassbender,Jamie Bell andJudi Dench. It was released in 2011 and nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Achievement in Costume Design for Michael O'Connor, and a 2012Goya Award for Best European Film.
It was nominated for a 2012BAFTA Award (Best Costume Design), a 2012Broadcast Film Critics Association Award (Best Costume Design), the 2012Costume Designers Guild Awards (Excellence in Period Film), the 2012Evening Standard British Film Awards (Best Technical Achievement), the 2011 Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards (Best Costume Design), the 2011Satellite Awards (Best Costume Design).
The 2012Australian Film Institute awards as well as the 2011British Independent Film Awards nominatedMia Wasikowska for a Best Actress award. Screenwriter Moira Buffini (as well as authorCharlotte Brontë) were nominated for a 2012USC Scripter Award.
Beasts of No Nation
Fukunaga directed, wrote and filmedBeasts of No Nation, based on the novelof the same name byUzodinma Iweala, in whichIdris Elba stars as Commandant, a lead character.[22] The movie was picked up byNetflix for a reported $12 million as part of an effort to expand into original films.[23] On November 25, 2015, Fukunaga was nominated for theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Director andBest Cinematography for his work onBeasts of No Nation, and the film received anomination for Best Feature.[24]
No Time to Die
On September 20, 2018, it was announced that Fukunaga would direct the 25thJames Bond film, replacingDanny Boyle.[25] He is the first American filmmaker to direct an officialBond film forEON Productions. Fukunaga was originally considered to directSpectre beforeSam Mendes returned.[a] The film, eventually titledNo Time to Die, was co-written by Fukunaga alongsideNeal Purvis and Robert Wade andPhoebe Waller-Bridge, and was eventually released in October 2021 in the United States.[26]
Fukunaga directed all eight episodes of the first season of the 2014 HBO TV seriesTrue Detective, which was written and created by novelist and screenwriterNic Pizzolatto.[27] The series starsMatthew McConaughey,Woody Harrelson andMichelle Monaghan. Fukunaga served as an Executive Producer on the show. The series received critical praise and was nominated for fivePrimetime Emmy Awards, includingOutstanding Drama Series andOutstanding Directing for Fukunaga, who won. For the second season ofTrue Detective, Fukunaga did not return as director, but continued to serve as executive producer.[28][29][30][31][32]
Fukunaga was originally slated to direct the 2018TNT TV seriesThe Alienist.[33][34] However, due to scheduling conflicts he was replaced byJakob Verbruggen, although he retained a "created by" credit and remained as an executive producer.[35] Fukunaga served as executive producer for the follow-up series toThe Alienist,The Angel of Darkness, based on thenovel of the same name.[36]
Fukunaga directed all ten episodes of thedark comedy seriesManiac forNetflix.[37] It premiered on September 21, 2018.[38][39]
Fukunaga has written most of the films he has directed. The short films that he has written the screenplays for includeKofi (2003) andVictoria para chino (2004). He wrote the screenplay to his feature film,Sin Nombre (2009), as well as his segment for the omnibus filmChinatown Film Project (2009).
Through his production company, Parliament of Owls,[40] Fukunaga has produced or served as executive producer on most of the projects he has directed. He was the executive producer for his short filmsKofi (2003) andVictoria para chino (2004). He was an executive producer on Andrew Okpeaha MacLean's feature film thriller,On the Ice, which won "Best Debut Film" and theCrystal Bear (Best Feature Film for the Generation 14+) at the 2011Berlin Film Festival, among other awards.
Fukunaga served as an executive producer for the HBO series he directed,True Detective. Warner Bros. chose Fukunaga to develop itsadaptations ofStephen King'sIt (2017 and 2019), the first of which was initially due to start shooting in summer 2015.[41] Fukunaga was set to direct the first film and was expected to co-write the second.[41][42] Three weeks before production was slated to begin, Fukunaga left the project.[43]
Fukunaga served as a cinematographer on a number of short film projects, includingHandmade[44] (2013; documentary short directed by Rob Meyer),Sikumi (2008; also known asSikumi (On the Ice) about anInuk hunter on the frozen Arctic Ocean, directed by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean),Team Queen (2007) (a short film directed by Leah Meyerhoff), the feature documentaryDeath of Two Sons (2006; directed by Micah Schaffer), the short filmsClear Water (2005; directed by Natalie Mooallem),White (2005; directed by Sebastian Mantilla),Kinnaq Nigaqtuqtuaq (2005; directed by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean),Two Men (2005) (directed by Ian Olds) andMating Call (2004; directed by Patricio Serna).
He served as a camera operator on the shortGlory at Sea (2008) (directed byBeasts of the Southern Wild directorBenh Zeitlin), as a gaffer on the short filmJust Make Believe (2008) (directed by Jadrien Steele), as an additional cinematographer on the TV documentarySmall Steps: Creating the High School for Contemporary Arts (2007), assistant camera on the short filmDock (2004; directed by Nina Martinek), additional photography for the documentaryLockdown, USA (about the "War on Drugs" campaign and directed by Rebecca Chaiklin and Michael Skolnik), additional camera forAutumn's Eyes (2006; directed byPaola Mendoza and Gabriel Noble), a grip on the feature filmMango Kiss (2004; directed by Sascha Rice), and as an additional film loader on the feature filmBlack Cadillac (2003; directed by John Murlowski and starringRandy Quaid).
Following the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Fukunaga is documenting humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine.[45]
In February 2017, it was reported Fukunaga was in talks to directShockwave, a drama about the lead-up to thedropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.[46] In March 2021, he signed on to direct and produceTokyo Ghost, based on the science fictioncomic book series of the same name.[47]
Since May 2016, it was reported that Fukunaga, alongside Spielberg, could finalize the long-sought epic film aboutNapoleon thatStanley Kubrick worked on until the last days of his life.[48]
In September 2024, it was reported that Fukunaga would direct and produce theJo Nesbø crime thriller adaptationBlood on Snow.Tom Hardy andAaron Taylor-Johnson were attached to star, with filming due to take place later that year.[49] It was later announced in February 2025 thatBenedict Cumberbatch was replacing Hardy, whileEva Green,Emma Laird, andBen Mendelsohn were added to the cast.[50]
Fukunaga lives in New York City. He has lived in France, Japan, Mexico City and London,[51][4] and is fluent in English, French and Spanish. He considers screenwriterNaomi Foner as a mentor.[52]
In October 2021, Raeden Greer accused Fukunaga of pressuring her into doing a topless scene forTrue Detective that was not included in her contract for her role as a stripper.[53]
In April and May 2022, three women accused Fukunaga of various forms of sexual harassment, including pursuing relationships with them while in a position of power over them in the workplace.[54]
Actress and skateboarderRachelle Vinberg posted videos to Instagram accusing Fukunaga ofgrooming her and many other young actresses, citing in particular her experience filming his "A Perfect Day"Samsung commercial in 2016 (when she was 18 years old), and said that she had been in therapy for a year and diagnosed withPTSD as a result of his behavior in their relationship.[55] On May 5, 2022, twins Hannah and Cailin Loesch, who worked onManiac, accused Fukunaga of sexual harassment and grooming.[56][57]
Short film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Kofi | Yes | Yes | Executive |
| 2004 | Victoria para chino | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2012 | Sleepwalking in the Rift | Yes | Yes | Executive |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | DoP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Chinatown Film Project | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Sin nombre | Yes | Yes | No | No | |
| 2011 | Jane Eyre | Yes | No | No | No |
| 2015 | Beasts of No Nation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2017 | It | No | Yes | No | No |
| 2020 | Joe Bell | No | No | Yes | No |
| 2021 | No Time to Die | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 2025 | Ricky | No | No | Yes | No |
| TBA | Blood on Snow | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Executive producer
Cinematographer only
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Mating Call | Short film |
| The Adventures of Supernigger: Episode I – The Final Chapter | ||
| 2005 | Two Men | |
| Kinnaq Nigaqtuqtuaq | ||
| White | ||
| Clear Water | ||
| 2006 | Death of Two Sons | Documentary film |
| 2007 | Team Queen | Short film |
| 2008 | Sikumi (On the Ice) | |
| 2013 | Handmade |
| Year | Title | Director | Executive producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | True Detective | Yes | Yes | No | Season 1 |
| 2018 | The Alienist | No | Yes | Yes | Episodes "These Bloody Thoughts" and "Castle in the Sky" |
| Maniac | Yes | Yes | No | Miniseries | |
| 2024 | Masters of the Air | Yes | No | No | 4 episodes |
| Omnivore | No | Yes | Yes | Episodes "Chile" and "Rice" |
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