 | This biographical articleis writtenlike a résumé. Pleasehelp improve it by revising it to beneutral andencyclopedic.(July 2021) |
Drew Pearce | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Pearce filmingHotel Artemis in 2017 | |
| Born | (1975-08-24)August 24, 1975 (age 49) Fife, Scotland |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, producer |
| Years active | 1995–present |
Drew Pearce (born August 24, 1975) is a British screenwriter, director, and producer best known for his work onThe Fall Guy (2024),Hotel Artemis (2018),Iron Man 3 (2013),Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), andMission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015).
Early in his career, Pearce created the British television comedy showNo Heroics. He later wrote and directed the celebrated Marvel One-Shot filmAll Hail the King, starringBen Kingsley, which served as the foundation for 2021'sShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.[1]
His directorial debut came withHotel Artemis (2018), a futuristic thriller set in a secret, members-only hospital for criminals, starringJodie Foster. Pearce has also made his mark directing music videos, includingVampire Weekend's "Gen-X Cops,"[2]Miles Kane's "Rearrange",[3] andFather John Misty's "The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apt."[4]
In 2019, Pearce founded the production company Point of No Return. The company's current projects include theDave Bautista thrillerCooler (produced alongside Infrared and FilmNation)[5] and the sci-fi legal dramaDolly.[6]
Pearce worked atThe Face magazine for editor Richard Benson, while studying at Exeter University.
Between 2000 and 2004, Pearce was the lead singer and guitarist in the London alt-country band Woodchuck.[7]
In 2007, Pearce created the cult-hit seriesNo Heroics, asitcom about unsuccessfulsuperheroes, following their R-rated off-duty exploits and their lives in hero-only pub The Fortress. The full series was shot in 2008, and released in October of that year. The show wasITV2's first original sitcom.[8]No Heroics was well-reviewed by critics.The Times said of the show, "ITV2's new comedyNo Heroics is fast, funny and a little ingenious. Drew Pearce, the creator/writer, established an engaging collection of pretenders to the throne".[9] The show was nominated for Best New British TV Comedy of 2008 at theBritish Comedy Awards.[10]
In 2009,ABC commissioned Pearce for an American adaptationpilot ofNo Heroics. Pearce was joined byWill & Grace writerJeff Greenstein for the pilot.
In 2010,Marvel hired Pearce to write a feature adaptation ofRunaways[11] based on the comic book of the same name byBrian K. Vaughan andAdrian Alphona. Development on the film was put on hold the following October,[12] and Pearce explained in September 2013 that the Runaways film had been shelved due to the success ofThe Avengers.[13] Years later,Runaways would eventually be released as a streaming television series created forHulu byJosh Schwartz andStephanie Savage.[14]
In March 2011, Marvel announced that Pearce would co-writeIron Man 3 withdirectorShane Black. Black described their take on the film as not being "two men in iron suits fighting each other," and more like a "Tom Clancy thriller," with Iron Man fighting real-world type villains.[15] Pearce added that they would avert magic and space, withIron Man 3 being "atechno-thriller set in a more real-world than evenThe Avengers."[16]
The film received positive reviews and was commercially successful, grossing over $1.2 billion worldwide, the second-highest-grossing film of 2013 overall, and the second-highest-grossing film at the domestic box office released in 2013.[17]
Pearce continued his work as a writer on a wide array of projects. Pearce also completed an uncredited rewrite onGuillermo del Toro's sci-fi action thrillerPacific Rim.[18] In October 2011, he was commissioned to write the script for a third film in theSherlock Holmes film series starringRobert Downey Jr.[19] The following year Pearce was tapped to polish the script forLegendary Pictures'Godzilla reboot.[20]
In August 2013Paramount Pictures announced the fifthMission: Impossible film, from a script penned by Pearce.[21] After developing the script with the director,Christopher McQuarrie, Pearce received a story by credit forMission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.[22] The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed $682 million worldwide.[23]
Continuing his relationship withParamount Pictures, Pearce was tapped to penThe Wedding Sting, a film based onThe Atlantic article of the same title. Written byJeff Maysh, the article tells the story of how the 1990Flint police department devised asting to put on a fake wedding that would lure the city's drug dealers to a single location.
Pearce then partnered withJason Segel to create the concept for a thirdLego Movie spin-off, titledThe Billion Brick Race. In March 2015,Warner Bros. announced that the film was in development with itsanimation feature arm,Warner Animation Group.[24] Pearce and Segel were initially signed on to co-direct and write the film, however, both subsequently stepped away from those roles. On 8 February 2018, they returned to the project when it was revealed that the initial director,Jorge R. Gutierrez, left it.
During the production ofIron Man 3, Pearce and producer Stephen Broussard had the idea for a short film that provided "a fresh take" on theMandarin character.[25]Marvel Studios and consultantJoss Whedon were positive about the short, and afterBen Kingsley agreed to reprise his role asTrevor Slattery, Pearce wrote and directed the short, titledAll Hail The King.[26] The short was filmed in Los Angeles, withSam Rockwell's cameo filmed in Toronto on a set that was painted to match the Los Angeles shoot.[27]
All Hail the King was released on the digital download release ofThor: The Dark World on 4 February 2014, and on 25 February 2014 for theBlu-ray release.IGN's Cliff Wheatley gaveAll Hail the King a 9.4 out of 10.[28] He said that it is "a return to the loveable personality of the hapless Trevor and a step forward for the largerMarvel Cinematic Universe. It has its twists that should satisfy both lovers and haters of Trevor Slattery. But it's the approach that Pearce takes with the material, from the kung-fu movie style credit sequences to the light-hearted tone that takes a sudden and jarring turn."[28]
Pearce made his feature directorial debut with the genre-bending, cult hitHotel Artemis. The film, also written by Pearce, is a futuristic thriller, set in a secret, members-only hospital for criminals.[29]
Two-timeAcademy Award winnerJodie Foster starred in the film,[30] alongside an ensemble cast, includingSterling K. Brown,Dave Bautista,Sofia Boutella,Jeff Goldblum,Jenny Slate,Charlie Day,Zachary Quinto,Brian Tyree Henry andKenneth Choi.[29][31] Filming began in Los Angeles in May 2017,[32] andHotel Artemis was released on 8 June 2018 in North America, byGlobal Road Entertainment.[33]
The film had received mostly positive reviews. Zoe Margolis of CineVue said, "Artemis is a bold, loud, ambitious film, far cleverer than the bog-standard summer blockbuster fare, and with sharp humour and driving suspense it makes this pulpy-sci fi thriller a very fun watch."[34]Mick LaSalle ofThe San Francisco Chronicle praised the film saying, "It turns out that maybe no one should ever get in Pearce's way again."[35] Marjorie Baumgarten ofThe Austin Chronicle praised the film stating, "With all the activity deriving from its basic concept of a members-only hospital for criminals,Hotel Artemis feels like a throwback to an earlier, more stripped-down era of action movies in which a good idea was a sufficient platform on which to drape fine acting and creative execution."[36]
Pearce co-wrote the script for theFast & Furious franchise spin-offHobbs & Shaw withChris Morgan. The film was directed byDavid Leitch, produced bySeven Bucks Productions and Chris Morgan Productions, and was released byUniversal Pictures. The film starsJason Statham andDwayne Johnson, returning as their respective charactersLuke Hobbs andDeckard Shaw from the previous Fast and Furious films. The film also starredIdris Elba,Vanessa Kirby,Eiza González, andHelen Mirren, with cameos byRyan Reynolds andKevin Hart.
In 2018 Pearce established production company Point of No Return Films inLos Angeles, California. The company focuses on developing and producing film and television projects aimed at reinventing genre. Its first production was Pearce's directorial debut,Hotel Artemis. On 26 June 2019,Variety announced thatNetflix acquired Pearce's next film,Quartermaster, which Point of No Return will produce alongside Adam Siegel ofMarc Platt Productions. It will be a "high-concept thriller" that Pearce is slated to write and direct.[37]
In March 2012, Pearce directed the music video for the song "Rearrange" byMiles Kane. By March 2018, it had received over 3.9 million YouTube views.[38] Pearce went on to direct a video for theFather John Misty song "The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apt.".[39]
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Executive Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Bedrock | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2005 | High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman | No | No | Yes | |
| Damage Control | No | No | Yes | ||
| 2006 | Lip service | No | Yes | Yes | 7 episodes |
| 2007 | The Musical Storytellers Ginger & Black | Yes | Yes | No | TV short; Also producer |
| 2008 | No Heroics | No | Yes | Yes |
Short film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | The Committee Ep 1: Bad Dog | Yes | Yes |
| The Committee Ep. 2: Butterfly Enclosure | Yes | Yes | |
| 2014 | All Hail the King | Yes | Yes |
Feature film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Executive Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Iron Man 3 | No | Yes | No |
| 2015 | Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | No | Story | No |
| 2018 | Hotel Artemis | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2019 | Hobbs & Shaw | No | Yes | No |
| 2024 | The Fall Guy | No | Yes | Yes |
Music video
| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "Rearrange" | Miles Kane |
| 2015 | "The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apt." | Father John Misty |
| 2020 | "Better Run" | Nasty Cherry |
| 2024 | "Gen-X Cops"[40] | Vampire Weekend |
