Roger Kumble (born May 28, 1966) is an American film director, screenwriter, and playwright.^[1]

Kumble was raised inHarrison, New York, and attended Harrison High School. He graduated fromNorthwestern University in 1988,^[2] where he wrote for theWaa Mu show. He began his career as a playwright and director in 1993 with the Hollywood satirePay or Play, which garnered him theLA Weekly Theater Award for Best Comic Writing.^[3] His second play, 1997'sD Girl, starringDavid Schwimmer, earned him fourDrama-Logue Awards.^[4] In 2003, Kumble completed his Hollywood trilogy with the critically acclaimedTurnaround, also starring Schwimmer, which sold out its entire run in Los Angeles. He returned to the theater in 2011 with his all female playGirls Talk, starringBrooke Shields andConstance Zimmer.Los Angeles Times critic Margaret Gray votedGirls Talk the best new play of 2011.^[5]

Kumble made his feature-film-directorial debut in 1999 withSony Pictures'Cruel Intentions, starringSarah Michelle Gellar,Ryan Phillippe,Reese Witherspoon andSelma Blair.^[6] His screenplay transposed the French novelDangerous Liaisons to modern New York.^[7] In 2015,Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical was adapted from his film, and had an extended runoff-Broadway.^[8]

He returned in 2002 with the Sony comedyThe Sweetest Thing, starring Blair,Cameron Diaz,Christina Applegate,Jason Bateman andThomas Jane, followed byNew Line Cinema'sJust Friends in 2005, starringRyan Reynolds,Anna Faris andAmy Smart. In 2009, both films were voted two of the top twenty underrated films of the decade by theNew York Post.^[9] Kumble also directedMartin Lawrence,Raven-Symoné andDonny Osmond inDisney's 2008 family comedyCollege Road Trip, followed by 2010'sFurry Vengeance, starring Shields andBrendan Fraser.

In the world of television, he has directed episodes ofEntourage,Suits,Pretty Little Liars,Revenge andThe Goldbergs. In 2019, Kumble directed two films:Netflix'sFalling Inn Love, starringChristina Milian andAdam Demos, followed byVoltage Pictures'After We Collided. The latter was released in 2020 and became one of the biggest international box office successes of that year.^[10]

• Pay or Play (1993; Hudson Theater, Los Angeles)
• D Girl (1997; Century City Playhouse, Los Angeles)
• Turnaround (2003; Coast Playhouse, Los Angeles)
• Girls Talk (2011;Lee Strasberg Theatre, Los Angeles)

• Roger Kumble atIMDb
• Roger Kumble onInstagram
• "Cruel Intentions",Daily Script

• 1966 births
• Living people
• 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights
• Film directors from New York (state)
• American male screenwriters
• American television directors
• American theatre directors
• Northwestern University alumni
• People from Harrison, New York
• American male dramatists and playwrights
• 20th-century American male writers
• Screenwriters from New York (state)
• American comedy film directors

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