Movie Wars Director's Rough Cut
by johnhoskins25 | created - 12 Jun 2018 | updated - 3 months ago | PublicThis is in cryosleep till further notice...that notice is now. I decided that this list will say on IMDb while the others are Dunkirked to Letterboxd. I will be returning to add box office gross on here now
2020 was a weird one, but I decided that Mar 20-22-July 17-19 will be in the "phantom zone" until further notice as July 24-26 became when BO reporting was back to normal
† Passed away
c † not dead but their careers are
Hiatus note: This list isn't abandoned. Because my computer's been broken I haven't been able to post stuff. When the computer gets fixed I'll be back on here
1. Joe Layton
Producer | Annie
Joe Layton was born on May 3, 1931 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and producer, known for Annie (1982), My Name Is Barbra (1965) and Great Performances (1971). He was married to Evelyn Russell. He died on May 5, 1994 in Key West, Florida, USA.
† Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip: $7,780,693
2. Bob Clark
Director | A Christmas Story
Bob Clark was born on August 5, 1939 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He was a director and writer, known for A Christmas Story (1983), Baby Geniuses (1999) and Porky's (1981). He died on April 4, 2007 in Pacific Palisades, California, USA.
† 1) Porky's $51,862,059 (x8)
2) A Christmas Story $3,935,944
Total: $55,798,003
3. John Milius
Writer | Conan the Barbarian
John Milius is a screenwriter and director who came to prominence in the 1970s, when he was associated with Francis Ford Coppola and the pre-Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) George Lucas. Born on April 11, 1944 in St. Louis, Missouri, Milius was one of the first movie industry ...
1) Conan the Barbarian $16,477,181 (x2)
2) Red Dawn $8,230,381
Total: $24,707,562
4. Sylvester Stallone
Actor | Rocky
Sylvester Stallone is an athletically built, dark-haired American actor/screenwriter/director/producer, the movie fans worldwide have been flocking to see Stallone's films for over 40 years, making "Sly" one of Hollywood's biggest-ever box office draws.
Sylvester Stallone was born on July 6, 1946, ...
1) Rocky III $12,431,486
2) Staying Alive $12,146,143
3) Rocky IV $64,737,024 (x6)
4) The Expendables $51,793,167 (x2)
Total: $141,107,820
5. Nicholas Meyer
Writer | Time After Time
Nicholas Meyer was born in New York City, the son of a psychoanalyst and a concert pianist. He attended the University of Iowa, home of the famous Writers Workshop.
Meyer's award-winning teleplays for ABC's JUDGE DEE & MONASTERY MURDERS and CBS's NIGHT THAT PANICKED AMERICA launched his ...
1) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan $14,347,221
2) Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country $18,162,837
Total: $32,510,058
6. Steven Spielberg
Producer | Schindler's List
One of the most influential personalities in the history of cinema, Steven Spielberg is Hollywood's best known director and one of the wealthiest filmmakers in the world. He has an extraordinary number of commercially successful and critically acclaimed credits to his name, either as a director, ...
1) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial $133,274,165 (x16)
2) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: $33,936,113
3) The Color Purple $4,412,456
4) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade $58,261,737 (x2)
5) Hook $49,852,410 (x4)
6) Jurassic Park $113,173,208 (x3)
7) The Lost World: Jurassic Park $106,249,175 (x2)
8) Saving Private Ryan $84,733,724 (x4)
9) A.I. Artificial Intelligence $29,352,630
10) Minority Report $35,677,125
11) War of the Worlds $64,878,725
12) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull $100,137,835
13) Ready Player One $41,764,050
14) West Side Story $10,574,618
Total: $866,277,971
7. Colin Higgins
Writer | Nine to Five
Colin Higgins was born on July 28, 1941 in Nouméa, New Caledonia, France. He was a writer and director, known for Nine to Five (1980), Foul Play (1978) and Harold and Maude (1971). He died on August 5, 1988 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.
† The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas: $11,874,268
8. Steve Miner
Director | House
Steve Miner has had a very popular career in making films and remains one of Hollywood's most prolific directors and has worked with a variety of stars that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Leslie Nielsen, C. Thomas Howell, Tom Arnold, Amy Steel Rick Moranis, and Bill Pullman.
Before becoming a director, ...
Friday the 13th Part III $9,406,522
9. Taylor Hackford
Producer | Ray
In addition to helming the iconic feature hits An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Against All Odds (1984), Ray (2004), and the cult thriller The Devil's Advocate (1997), Taylor Hackford has directed the films Dolores Claiborne (1995), Everybody's All-American (1988), and Proof of Life (2000). ...
An Officer and a Gentleman $12,220,469 (x2)
10. Damiano Damiani
Writer | Il giorno della civetta
Damiano Damiani was born on July 23, 1922 in Pasiano di Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. He was a writer and director, known for Mafia (1968), The Reunion (1963) and Confessions of a Police Captain (1971). He died on March 7, 2013 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.
† Amityville II: The Possession $4,104,277
11. Ted Kotcheff
Director | Weekend at Bernie's
William Theodore Kotcheff was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Bulgarian parents from Plovdiv. He graduated with a degree in English Literature from the University of Toronto. He began his professional career directing TV drama at age 24 at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, at the time ...
First Blood $15,624,092 (x3)
12. George A. Romero
Writer | Land of the Dead
George A. Romero never set out to become a Hollywood figure; by all indications, though, he was very successful. The director of the groundbreaking "Living Dead" films was born February 4, 1940 ,in New York City to Ann (Dvorsky) and Jorge Romero. His father was born in Spain and raised in Cuba, and...
† Creepshow $5,870,889
13. Irvin Kershner
Director | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Irvin Kershner was born on April 29, 1923 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A graduate of the University of Southern California film school, Kershner began his career in 1950, producing documentaries for the United States Information Service in the Middle East. He later turned to television, directing...
† 1) Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (Re-issue)
$3,949,478
2) Never Say Never Again $27,724,256 (x4)
3) The Empire Strikes Back (Special Edition) $35,121,845 (x2)
Total: $66,795,579
14. Richard Donner
Director | Superman
Richard Donner was born on April 24, 1930 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and producer, known for Superman (1978), Ladyhawke (1985) and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980). He was married to Lauren Shuler Donner. He died on July 5, 2021 in Los Angeles, ...
†1) The Toy: $6,322,804
2) Lethal Weapon $20,224,114 (x3)
3) Scrooged $13,027,842
4) Lethal Weapon 2 $50,599,175 (x3)
5) Lethal Weapon 3 $76,231,354 (x3)
6) Maverick $17,248,545
7) Conspiracy Theory $19,313,566
8) Lethal Weapon 4 $34,048,124
Total: $237,015,524
15. Sydney Pollack
Director | Tootsie
Sydney Pollack was an Academy Award-winning director, producer, actor, writer and public figure, who directed and produced over 40 films.
Sydney Irwin Pollack was born July 1, 1934 in Lafayette, Indiana, USA, to Rebecca (Miller), a homemaker, and David Pollack, a professional boxer turned pharmacist...
†1) Tootsie $95,861,340 (x14)
2) Out of Africa $5,137,370
3) The Firm $63,695,299 (x3)
4) The Interpreter $22,822,455
Total: $187,516,464
16. Brian G. Hutton
Director | Where Eagles Dare
Brian G. Hutton was born on May 2, 1929 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Where Eagles Dare (1968), Kelly's Heroes (1970) and Sol Madrid (1968). He was married to Victoria Palacio Sierra. He died on August 19, 2014 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
† High Road to China $6,156,049
17. Sean S. Cunningham
Producer | Friday the 13th
Like William Girdler, Oliver Hellman or even Ed Wood, Sean S. Cunningham had a successful career of starting films cheap and fast. Originally from New York, Cunningham had a vast knowledge of directing films and came to Hollywood. He started about the same time Wes Craven did. Cunningham meets ...
Spring Break $10,357,395 (x2)
18. Steve Carver
Director | Lone Wolf McQuade
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Steve Carver received his first camera when he was eight years old. At 13 he began his formal education in photography, attending the High School of Music & Arts in Manhattan where he received training in art and music. Fascinated by techniques of creating imagery, he ...
Lone Wolf McQuade $4,295,300
19. Adrian Lyne
Director | Jacob's Ladder
Adrian Lyne (Director/Writer/Producer) is the creative force behind some of the most talked-about movies of our time, among them, Fatal Attraction (1987), 9½ Weeks (1986) and Indecent Proposal (1993).
Born in Peterborough, England and raised in London, Lyne attended the Highgate school, where...
1) Flashdance $10,856,650 (x3)
2) Fatal Attraction $64,445,371 (x8)
3) Jacob's Ladder $7,500,760
4) Indecent Proposal $50,212,910 (x4)
Total: $133,015,691
20. John Badham
Director | WarGames
English-born "Army brat" John Badham is the son of English actress Mary Hewitt and the stepson of an American Army general. Raised in Alabama and schooled at Yale, he cut his teeth producing and directing for TV before making his feature debut with The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor ...
1) Blue Thunder $8,258,149
2) Short Circuit $5,346,808
3) Stakeout $27,138,094 (x5)
4) Bird on a Wire $15,338,160
Total: $56,081,211
21. Lamont Johnson
Director | Wallenberg: A Hero's Story
Lamont Johnson was born on September 30, 1922 in Stockton, California, USA. He was a director and actor, known for Wallenberg: A Hero's Story (1985), Lipstick (1976) and Lincoln (1988). He was married to Tony Johnson. He died on October 24, 2010 in Monterey, California, USA.
† Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone $7,053,016
22. Richard Marquand
Director | Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Richard Marquand was born on September 22, 1937 in Llanishen, Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He was a director and producer, known for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), Nowhere to Run (1993) and Jagged Edge (1985). He was married to Carol Bell and Josephine Marquand. He died on ...
† 1) Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi $90,219,844 (x6)
2) Jagged Edge $3,216,053
3) Return of the Jedi (Special Edition) $16,293,531
Total: $109,729,428
23. Richard Lester
Director | A Hard Day's Night
Richard Lester was one of the most influential directors of the 1960s, and continued his career into the 1970s and early '80s. He is best remembered for the two films he helmed starring The Beatles: A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965), the frenetic cutting style of which was seen by many as ...
Superman III $13,352,357
24. Joe Alves
Production_designer | Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Joe Alves was born on May 21, 1936 in San Leandro, California, USA. He is an art director and production designer, known for Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Jaws 3-D (1983) and Escape from New York (1981). He has been married to Jerri Lauridsen since April 29, 1990. They have two ...
Jaws 3-D: $13,422,500
25. Harold Ramis
Writer | Ghostbusters
Born on November 21, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois, Harold Allen Ramis got his start in comedy as Playboy magazine's joke editor and reviewer. In 1969, he joined Chicago's Second City's Improvisational Theatre Troupe before moving to New York to help write and perform in "The National Lampoon Show" ...
† 1) National Lampoon's Vacation $21,686,839 (x3)
2) Groundhog Day $23,982,685 (x2)
3) Analyze This $33,951,176 (x2)
Total: $79,620,700
26. James Signorelli
Producer | Saturday Night Live
James Signorelli is known for Saturday Night Live (1975), Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) and Phantom of the Paradise (1974).
Easy Money $5,844,974
27. Stan Dragoti
Director | Mr. Mom
Stan Dragoti was born on October 4, 1932 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and writer, known for Mr. Mom (1983), She's Out of Control (1989) and The Man with One Red Shoe (1985). He was married to Cheryl Tiegs. He died on July 13, 2018 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Mr. Mom $26,420,736 (x5)
28. Lawrence Kasdan
Writer | The Big Chill
Lawrence Kasdan is an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter. He directed Body Heat, Grand Canyon, The Big Chill, Silverado and Dreamcatcher. He wrote Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Bodyguard, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens and Solo: A Star Wars Story. He is ...
1) The Big Chill $6,591,395 (x2)
2) French Kiss $9,018,022
Total: $15,609,417
29. William Friedkin
Director | To Live and Die in L.A.
Friedkin's mother was an operating room nurse. His father was a merchant seaman, semi-pro softball player and ultimately sold clothes in a men's discount chain. Ultimately, his father never earned more than $50/week in his whole life and died indigent. Eventually young Will became infatuated with ...
†1) Deal of the Century $3,520,605
2) Rules of Engagement $25,944,808 (x2)
Total: $29,465,413
30. Richard Fleischer
Director | Soylent Green
Richard firmly established his credentials with such epics as The Vikings (1958) , 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) and Barabbas (1961) and also proved to be a master of intimate drama with Compulsion (1959) , which won Cannes Festival awards for the male stars. He won an Academy Award for one ...
† Amityville 3-D $2,366,472
31. James L. Brooks
Writer | Broadcast News
James L. Brooks was born on May 9, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Broadcast News (1987), As Good as It Gets (1997) and Terms of Endearment (1983). He was previously married to Holly Holmberg Brooks and Marianne Catherine Morrissey.
Terms of Endearment $30,141,854 (x6)
32. Clint Eastwood
Actor | Million Dollar Baby
Clint Eastwood was born May 31, 1930 in San Francisco, to Clinton Eastwood Sr., a bond salesman and later manufacturing executive for Georgia-Pacific Corporation, and Ruth Wood (née Margret Ruth Runner), a housewife turned IBM clerk. He grew up in nearby Piedmont. At school Clint took interest in ...
1) Sudden Impact $22,790,280 (x3)
2) Pale Rider $9,119,111
3) Unforgiven $34,133,302 (x3)
4) Gran Torino $29,484,388
5) American Sniper $184,557,898 (x3)
6) Sully $56,681,318 (x2)
Total: $336,766,297
33. Mike Nichols
Director | The Graduate
He, along with the other members of the "Compass Players" including Elaine May, Paul Sills, Byrne Piven, Joyce Hiller Piven and Edward Asner helped start the famed "Second City Improv" company. They used the games taught to them by fellow cast mate, Paul Sills 's mother, Viola Spolin. He later ...
† 1) Silkwood $3,547,122
2) Biloxi Blues $7,093,325
3) Postcards from the Edge $7,871,856
4) Wolf $17,911,366
5) The Birdcage $57,710,952 (x4)
Total: $94,134,621
34. Howard Zieff
Director | The Main Event
Howard Zieff was born on October 21, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a director and producer, known for The Main Event (1979), My Girl (1991) and Private Benjamin (1980). He was married to Ronda Gomez-Quinones. He died on February 21, 2009 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
† Unfaithfully Yours $3,774,126
35. Herbert Ross
Director | The Turning Point
Herbert Ross was born on May 13, 1927 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and producer, known for The Turning Point (1977), The Goodbye Girl (1977) and The Secret of My Success (1987). He was married to Lee Radziwill and Nora Kaye. He died on October 9, 2001 in New York ...
† 1) Footloose $21,475,313 (x3)
2) The Secret of My Succe$s $29,210,892 (x5)
Total: $50,686,205
36. Ron Howard
Producer | Arrested Development
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard is one of this generation's most popular directors. From the critically acclaimed dramas A Beautiful Mind (2001) and Apollo 13 (1995) to the hit comedies Parenthood (1989) and Splash (1983), he has created some of Hollywood's most memorable films.
Howard ...
1) Splash $12,626,242 (x2)
2) Cocoon $7,936,427
3) Gung Ho $7,170,830
4) Willow $8,300,169
5) Parenthood $20,178,800 (x2)
6) Backdraft $24,841,875 (x2)
7) Apollo 13 $73,076,385 (x4)
8) Ransom $34,216,088
9) How the Grinch Stole Christmas $152,943,925 (x4)
10) The Da Vinci Code $77,073,388
11) Angels & Demons $46,204,168
12) Solo: A Star Wars Story $113,817,371 (x2)
Total: $578,385,668
37. Hugh Wilson
Writer | Blast from the Past
Hugh Wilson was born on August 24, 1943 in Miami, Florida, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Blast from the Past (1999), Frank's Place (1987) and WKRP in Cincinnati (1978). He was married to Charters Smith. He died on January 14, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
† 1) Police Academy $34,870,723 (x5)
2) Guarding Tess $7,065,213
3) The First Wives Club $45,245,297 (x3)
Total: $87,181,233
38. Joseph Zito
Director | Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Joseph Zito is a well known action film director. Three of his movies--Missing in Action (1984), Invasion U.S.A. (1985) and Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)--each reached the #1 box office position of top grossing film in the country in their opening weeks of U.S. theatrical release. "...
1) Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter $11,183,148
2) Missing in Action $9,122,680 (x2)
3) Invasion U.S.A. $6,891,609
Total: $27,197,437
39. Joel Silberg
Director | Hershele
Joel Silberg was born on March 30, 1927 in Tel Aviv, Mandatory Palestine. He was a director and writer, known for Hershele (1977), Lambada (1990) and The Simhon Family (1964). He died on February 18, 2013 in Tel Aviv, Israel.
† Breakin' $6,047,686
40. Barry Levinson
Director | Rain Man
Barry Lee Levinson was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Violet (Krichinsky) and Irvin Levinson, who worked in furniture and appliance. He is of Russian Jewish descent. Levinson graduated from high school in 1960, attended college at American University in Washington, DC. He did well, but decided he ...
1) The Natural $10,511,614 (x2)
2) Good Morning, Vietnam $70,023,280 (x9)
3) Rain Man $38,727,147 (x5)
4) Disclosure $10,068,126
5) Sleepers $21,910,804 (x2)
Total: $151,240,971
41. Leonard Nimoy
Actor | Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Leonard Simon Nimoy was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Dora (Spinner) and Max Nimoy, who owned a barbershop. His parents were Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. Raised in a tenement and acting in community theaters since age eight, Nimoy did not make his Hollywood debut until he was 20, with a bit ...
† 1) Star Trek III: The Search for Spock $16,673,295
2) Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home $25,715,706 (x2)
3) Three Men and a Baby $50,342,357 (x5)
Total: $92,731,358
42. Ivan Reitman
Producer | Up in the Air
Canadian producer and director Ivan Reitman created many of American cinema's most successful and best loved feature film comedies and worked with Hollywood's acting elite. Reitman produced such hits as the ground-breaking sensation National Lampoon's National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), which ...
†1) Ghostbusters $92,172,760 (x9)
2) Twins $27,914,785 (x3)
3) Ghostbusters II $29,472,894
4) Dave $8,506,834
5) No Strings Attached $19,652,921
Total: $177,720,194
43. Albert Magnoli
Director | Purple Rain
Albert Magnoli graduated from the Film School at the University of Southern California. While there he completed ten student films, culminating with his Thesis Film project Jazz (1979), which he wrote, produced, edited, and directed. Focusing on the lives of three Los Angeles jazz musicians, "Jazz"...
Purple Rain $7,766,201
44. Richard Tuggle
Writer | Escape from Alcatraz
Richard Tuggle was born on August 8, 1948 in Coral Gables, Florida, USA. He is a writer and director, known for Escape from Alcatraz (1979), Tightrope (1984) and Out of Bounds (1986).
Tightrope $27,504,426 (x4)
45. Carl Reiner
Writer | The Dick Van Dyke Show
Carl Reiner is a legend of American comedy, who achieved great success as a comic actor, a director, producer and recording artist. He won nine Emmy Awards, three as an actor, four as a writer and two as a producer. He also won a Grammy Award for his album "The 2,000 Year Old Man", based on his ...
All of Me $11,062,269 (x2)
46. Arthur Hiller
Director | Love Story
Arthur Hiller was born on November 22, 1923 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He was a director and producer, known for Love Story (1970), The Hospital (1971) and See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989). He was married to Gwen Hiller. He died on August 17, 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
† 1) Teachers $15,041,262 (x3)
2) See No Evil, Hear No Evil $13,203,861
Total: $28,245,123
47. James Cameron
Writer | Avatar: The Way of Water
James Francis Cameron was born on August 16, 1954 in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada. He moved to the United States in 1971. The son of an engineer, he majored in physics at California State University before switching to English, and eventually dropping out. He then drove a truck to support his ...
1) The Terminator $8,240,126 (x2)
2) Aliens $31,531,787 (x4)
3) Terminator 2: Judgment Day $78,450,671 (x4)
4) True Lies $25,869,770
5) Titanic $366,710,504 (x15)
6) Avatar $380,449,291 (x7)
7) Avatar: The Way of Water $479,612,909 (x7)
Total: $1,370,865,058
48. Paul Bogart
Director | CBS Playhouse
Paul Bogart was born on November 13, 1919 in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and producer, known for CBS Playhouse (1967), All in the Family (1971) and The Golden Girls (1985). He was married to Alma Jane Gitnick. He died on April 15, 2012 in Chapel Hill, North ...
† Oh, God! You Devil $5,560,001
49. Jeannot Szwarc
Director | Somewhere in Time
Jeannot Szwarc was born on November 21, 1939 in Paris, France. He is a director and producer, known for Somewhere in Time (1980), Jaws 2 (1978) and Supergirl (1984).
Supergirl $5,738,249
50. Martin Brest
Director | Scent of a Woman
Martin Brest was born on August 8, 1951 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He is a director and writer, known for Scent of a Woman (1992), Midnight Run (1988) and Beverly Hills Cop (1984).
Beverly Hills Cop $134,840,856 (x14)
51. Peter Weir
Director | Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Peter Weir was born on August 21, 1944 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He is a director and writer, known for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003), The Way Back (2010) and Witness (1985). He has been married to Wendy Stites since 1966. They have two children.
1) Witness $4,506,587
2) The Truman Show $51,552,701 (x2)
Total: $56,059,288
52. Danny Steinmann
Director | Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
Writer/director/producer Danny Steinmann was the son of noted East Coast art collector Herbert R. Steinmann. Danny made his debut as both writer and director with the funky hardcore porno picture High Rise (1973), on which he used the alias Danny Stone. Steinmann was a production associate on ...
† Friday the 13th: A New Beginning $8,032,883
53. Jerry Paris
Director | The Dick Van Dyke Show
Glimpsed here and there throughout the 1950s, usually in amiable supporting roles on film, it was as in television that Jerry Paris found his true calling. In front of the camera, however, most fans will remember him as Jerry Helper, the next-door neighbor of Rob and Laura Petrie (Dick Van Dyke and ...
† 1) Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment $28,743,819 (x4)
2) Police Academy 3: Back in Training $19,890,323 (x3)
Total: $48,634,142
54. Burt Reynolds
Actor | Boogie Nights
Enduring, strong-featured, and genial star of US cinema, Burt Reynolds started off in T.V. westerns in the 1960s and then carved his name into 1970s/1980s popular culture, as a sex symbol (posing nearly naked for "Cosmopolitan" magazine), and on-screen as both a rugged action figure and then as a ...
† Stick $3,358,299
55. Andrew Davis
Director | The Fugitive
Director/Producer/Writer) Andrew Davis is a filmmaker with a reputation for directing intelligent thrillers, most notably the Academy Award-nominated box-office hit The Fugitive (1993), starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The film received seven Academy Award nominations including Best ...
1) Code of Silence $11,899,043 (x3)
2) Under Siege $42,131,658 (x4)
3) The Fugitive $104,404,181 (x6)
4) Collateral Damage $15,058,432
Total: $173,493,314
56. George P. Cosmatos
Director | Rambo: First Blood Part II
George P. Cosmatos was born on January 4, 1941 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. He was a director and assistant director, known for Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Leviathan (1989) and Cobra (1986). He was married to Birgitta Ljungberg. He died on April 19, 2005 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
† 1) Rambo: First Blood Part II $59,370,634 (x4)
2) Cobra $23,163,689 (x2)
Total: $82,534,323
57. Robert Zemeckis
Writer | Back to the Future
A whiz-kid with special effects, Robert is from the Spielberg camp of film-making (Steven Spielberg produced many of his films). Usually working with writing partner Bob Gale, Robert's earlier films show he has a talent for zany comedy (Romancing the Stone (1984), 1941 (1979)) and special effect ...
1) Back to the Future $85,027,831 (x11)
2) Who Framed Roger Rabbit $20,145,971 (x2)
3) Back to the Future Part II $40,670,350 (x2)
4) Back to the Future Part III $23,703,060
5) Death Becomes Her $12,110,355
6) Forrest Gump $76,611,701 (x5)
7) What Lies Beneath $29,702,959
8) Cast Away $82,082,000 (x3)
9) Beowulf $27,515,871
10) A Christmas Carol $30,051,075
Total: $427,621,173
58. Amy Heckerling
Writer | Clueless
Amy Heckerling studied Film and TV at New York University and got a Masters Degree in Film from The American Film Institute. Despite this education she couldn't get a break in Hollywood. However, in 1982, she made Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), and people started to take notice. In 1985, ...
1) National Lampoon's European Vacation: $12,329,627
2) Look Who's Talking $60,679,557 (x5)
Total: $73,009,184
59. Mark L. Lester
Director | Commando
Director, writer and producer Mark L. Lester has created high-action films throughout his career, including some of the world's biggest box office draws. His directorial expertise has garnered praise for such films as Arnold Schwarzenegger's box-office mega-hit Commando (1985), Stephen King's ...
Commando $18,411,178 (x3)
60. Michael Winner
Director | Death Wish
Winner was an only child, born in Hampstead, London, England, to Helen (née Zlota) and George Joseph Winner (1910-1975), a company director. His family was Jewish; his mother was Polish and his father of Russian extraction. Following his father's death, Winner's mother gambled recklessly and sold ...
† Death Wish 3 $8,480,795 (x2)
61. Howard Storm
Howard Storm was born on December 11, 1931 in New York City, New York, USA. He is a director and actor, known for Bananas (1971), Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972) and Take the Money and Run (1969).
Once Bitten $4,025,657
62. J. Lee Thompson
Director | The Guns of Navarone
J. Lee Thompson was born on August 1, 1914 in Bristol, England, UK. He was a director and writer, known for The Guns of Navarone (1961), Woman in a Dressing Gown (1957) and Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972). He was married to Penny Thompson, Florence (Bill) Bailey, Lucille Kelly and Joan ...
† King Solomon's Mines $5,005,788
63. Sidney J. Furie
Director | Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Toronto-born Sidney J. Furie has enjoyed an incredibly distinguished career that has spanned more than five decades. Having dabbled in every genre, Furie has directed films starring Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Robert Redford, Diana Ross, Michael Caine, Peter O'Toole, Rodney Dangerfield, Barbara ...
Iron Eagal $6,104,754
64. Paul Mazursky
Actor | An Unmarried Woman
Paul Mazursky was born on April 25, 1930 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for An Unmarried Woman (1978), Harry and Tonto (1974) and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969). He was married to Betsy Mazursky. He died on June 30, 2014 in Beverly Grove, ...
† 1) Down and Out in Beverly Hills $23,905,265 (x4)
2) Moon over Parador $3,268,975
Total: $27,174,240
65. Howard Deutch
Director | Pretty in Pink
Howard Deutch was born on September 14, 1950 in New York City, New York, USA. He is a director and producer, known for Pretty in Pink (1986), Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) and The Great Outdoors (1988). He has been married to Lea Thompson since July 23, 1989. They have two children.
Pretty in Pink $10,985,538 (x2)
66. Richard Benjamin
Actor | Westworld
Although his actress wife Paula Prentiss became a star by the early 1960s, it took Richard Benjamin almost fifteen years to establish his screen persona, but the wait was rewarding. After extensive work in theatre as actor and director, and his participation in the cult TV series He & She (1967)...
The Money Pit $3,646,200
67. Ridley Scott
Producer | The Martian
Described by film producer Michael Deeley as "the very best eye in the business", director Ridley Scott was born on November 30, 1937 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear. His father was an officer in the Royal Engineers and the family followed him as his career posted him throughout the United Kingdom ...
1) Legend $6,852,905 (x2)
2) Black Rain $22,280,167 (x3)
3) G.I. Jane $19,278,102 (x2)
4) Gladiator $59,464,146 (x2)
5) Hannibal $103,478,074 (x3)
6) Black Hawk Down $56,736,559 (x3)
7) Kingdom of Heaven $19,635,996
8) American Gangster $43,565,115
9) Exodus: Gods and Kings $24,115,934
10) The Martian $118,761,845 (x4)
11) Alien: Covenant $36,160,621
Total: $510,329,464
68. Richard Pryor
Actor | Superman III
Highly influential, and always controversial, African-American actor/comedian who was equally well known for his colorful language during his live comedy shows, as for his fast paced life, multiple marriages and battles with drug addiction. He has been acknowledged by many modern comic artist's as ...
† Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling $4,879,107
69. Tony Scott
Producer | Domino
Tony Scott was a British-born film director and producer. He was the youngest of three brothers, one of whom is fellow film director Ridley Scott. He was born in North Shields, Northumberland, England to parents Jean and Colonel Francis Percy Scott. As a result of his father's career in the British...
† 1) Top Gun $19,717,148 (x3)
2) Beverly Hills Cop II $62,564,830 (x3)
3) Days of Thunder $15,490,445
4) Crimson Tide $18,612,190
5) Man on Fire $22,751,490
Total: $139,136,103
70. Alan Metter
Director | Back to School
Metter grew up in the Boston area, lived in the Hollywood Hills for most of his adult life, and moved to South Florida in 2009.
Alan began his creative life at Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB), the legendary advertising agency. In the late 1970s, Metter leaped at the opportunity to direct some of the first...
Back to School $8,881,035
71. John G. Avildsen
Director | Rocky
John G. Avildsen was born on December 21, 1935 in Oak Park, Illinois, USA. He was a director and editor, known for Rocky (1976), The Karate Kid Part III (1989) and Rocky V (1990). He was married to Tracy Brooks Swope and Marie Olga Maturevich. He died on June 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California, ...
† 1) The Karate Kid, Part II $34,475,701 (x4)
2) Lean on Me $9,612,045 (x2)
Total: $44,087,746
72. David Cronenberg
Actor | The Fly
David Cronenberg, also known as the King of Venereal Horror or the Baron of Blood, was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1943. His father, Milton Cronenberg, was a journalist and editor, and his mother, Esther (Sumberg), was a piano player. After showing an inclination for literature at an early...
1) The Fly $11,733,393 (x2)
2) Dead Ringers $3,012,180
Total: $14,745,573
73. Rob Reiner
Actor | All in the Family
Robert Reiner was born in New York City, to Estelle Reiner (née Lebost) and Emmy-winning actor, comedian, writer, and producer Carl Reiner.
As a child, his father was his role model, as Carl Reiner created and starred in The Dick Van Dyke Show. Estelle was also an inspiration for him to become a ...
1) Stand by Me $11,474,880 (x3)
2) A Few Good Men $49,283,630 (x4)
3) The Bucket List $19,392,416
Total: $80,150,926
74. Peter Faiman
Director | Crocodile Dundee
Peter Faiman was born in 1944 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He is a producer and director, known for Crocodile Dundee (1986), FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992) and The Don Lane Show (1975).
Crocodile Dundee $64,154,938 (x9)
75. Michael Ritchie
Director | The Golden Child
Michael Ritchie was born on November 28, 1938 in Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA. He was a director and producer, known for The Golden Child (1986), The Island (1980) and Fletch (1985). He was married to Jimmie Brown and Georgina Tebrock. He died on April 16, 2001 in New York City, New York, USA.
† 1) The Golden Child $40,717,164 (x5)
2) Fletch Lives $13,693,080 (x2)
Total: $54,410,244
76. Oliver Stone
Director | JFK
Oliver Stone has become known as a master of controversial subjects and a legendary film maker. His films are filled with a variety of film angles and styles, he pushes his actors to give Oscar-worthy performances, and despite his failures, has always returned to success.
William Oliver Stone was ...
1) Platoon $37,623,440 (x4)
2) Born on the Fourth of July $19,120,085 (x3)
3) Natural Born Killers $11,166,687
4) Any Given Sunday $13,584,625
5) Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps $19,011,188
Total: $100,506,025
77. Michael Apted
Director | Amazing Grace
Michael Apted was born on February 10, 1941 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, UK. He was a director and producer, known for Amazing Grace (2006), Gorillas in the Mist (1988) and Rome (2005). He was married to Paige Simpson, Dana Stevens and Jo Apted. He died on January 7, 2021 in Los Angeles,...
1) Critical Condition $9,051,509 (x2)
2) Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey $3,451,230
3) The World Is Not Enough $35,519,007
4) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader $24,005,069
Total: $72,026,815
78. Chuck Russell
Director | The Scorpion King
Graduating from the University of Illinois, Russell left Chicago to begin work in film production in Los Angeles. He worked his way up, assistant directing and production managing independent films while writing screenplays. Russell made his directorial debut in 1987 with A Nightmare on Elm Street ...
1) A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors: $8,880,555
2) The Mask $23,117,068
3) Eraser $24,566,446
4) The Scorpion King $54,114,145 (x2)
Total: $110,678,214
79. Blake Edwards
Writer | The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Blake Edwards' stepfather's father J. Gordon Edwards was a silent screen director, and his stepfather Jack McEdward was a stage director and movie production manager. Blake acted in a number films, beginning with Ten Gentlemen from West Point (1942) and wrote a number of others, beginning with ...
† Blind Date $7,531,273
80. Jim Drake
Director | Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol
Jim Drake was born on December 2, 1944 in the USA. He was a director and assistant director, known for Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987), Speed Zone (1989) and Buffalo Bill (1983). He died on January 10, 2022 in Freeland, Washington, U.S.
Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol $8,482,487
81. Elaine May
Actress | Small Time Crooks
Elaine May (born under the name Elaine Iva Berlin) is an American actress, comedian, film director, playwright, and screenwriter from Philadelphia. Her professional career started in the 1950s and is still ongoing. She has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. She ...
Ishtar $4,331,817
82. John McTiernan
Director | Die Hard
John McTiernan was born on January 8, 1951 in Albany, New York, USA. He is a director and producer, known for Die Hard (1988), Rollerball (2002) and Last Action Hero (1993). He has been married to Gail Sistrunk since 2012. He was previously married to Kate Harrington, Donna Dubrow and Carol Land.
1) Predator $12,031,638
2) The Hunt for Red October $42,297,966 (x3)
3) Medicine Man $8,494,271
4) Die Hard with a Vengeance $22,162,245
Total: $84,986,120
83. George Miller
Producer | Mad Max: Fury Road
George Miller is an Australian film director, screenwriter, producer, and former medical doctor. He is best known for his Mad Max franchise, with Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) being hailed as amongst the greatest action films of all time. Aside from the Mad Max ...
1) The Witches of Eastwick $8,251,230
2) Happy Feet $96,116,896 (x3)
Total: $104,368,126
84. Tom Mankiewicz
Writer | Ladyhawke
Tom Mankiewicz was born on June 1, 1942 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was a writer and director, known for Ladyhawke (1985), Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980) and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). He died on July 31, 2010 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
† Dragnet $17,585,319 (x2)
85. Joe Roth
Producer | The Great Debaters
Joe Roth was born on June 13, 1948 in New York City, New York, USA. He is a producer and director, known for The Great Debaters (2007), Maleficent (2014) and Snow White and the Huntsman (2012). He has been married to Irene Oh since April 8, 2006. He was previously married to Donna Roth.
Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise $7,900,879
86. Paul Verhoeven
Director | RoboCop
Paul Verhoeven graduated from the University of Leiden, with a degree in math and physics. He entered the Royal Netherlands Navy, where he began his film career by making documentaries for the Navy and later for TV. In 1969, he directed the popular Dutch TV series, Floris (1969), about a medieval ...
1) RoboCop $14,341,437 (x2)
2) Total Recall $25,533,700
3) Basic Instinct $35,194,415 (x5)
4) Starship Troopers $22,058,773
5) Hollow Man $39,462,518 (x2)
Total: $136,590,843
87. John Glen
Director | The Living Daylights
He started on the Shepperton Studios cutting rooms in 1948 working on such as 'The Wooden Horse' and 'The Third Man' before moving to Nettlefold Studios where his stay was interrupted by two years National Service after which he joined Group 3 at Beaconsfield . His next move was becoming sound ...
The Living Daylights $18,757,514 (x2)
88. Paul Michael Glaser
Actor | Starsky and Hutch
Paul Michael Glaser (born Paul Manfred Glaser March 25, 1943) is an American actor and director best known for his role as Detective Dave Starsky on the 1970s television series, Starsky & Hutch. In between his work writing and directing, Glaser also played Captain Jack Steeper on the NBC series ...
The Running Man $13,788,720 (x2)
89. Danny DeVito
Actor | Matilda
Danny DeVito has amassed a formidable and versatile body of work as an actor, producer and director that spans the stage, television and film.
Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. was born on November 17, 1944, in Neptune, New Jersey, to Italian-American parents. His mother, Julia (Moccello), was a homemaker. ...
1) Throw Momma from the Train $7,318,878
2) The War of the Roses $19,979,575 (x2)
Total: $27,298,453
90. Robert Townsend
Producer | Hollywood Shuffle
Robert Townsend transcends any medium he touches whether he's performing stand up, acting, writing, directing, producing, or running a television network. A Chicago native, Townsend is often referred to as one of the "Godfathers" of the Independent Film World." With over 30 years in the business, ...
Eddie Murphy Raw $9,077,324
91. Alan Myerson
Director | The Larry Sanders Show
Alan Myerson was born on August 8, 1936 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He is a director and actor, known for The Larry Sanders Show (1992), Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (1988) and A Session with the Committee (1969).
Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach $6,106,661
92. Tim Burton
Producer | Edward Scissorhands
Timothy Walter Burton was born in Burbank, California, to Jean Rae (Erickson), who owned a cat-themed gift shop, and William Reed Burton, who worked for the Burbank Park and Recreation Department. He spent most of his childhood as a recluse, drawing cartoons, and watching old movies (he was ...
1) Beetlejuice $30,044,956 (x4)
2) Batman $70,564,935 (x2)
3) Batman Returns $84,936,795 (x3)
4) Planet of the Apes $68,532,960
5) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory $84,431,788 (x2)
6) Alice in Wonderland $219,877,539 (x3)
7) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children $28,871,140
8) Dumbo $45,990,748
Total: $633,250,861
93. Dennis Hopper
Actor | Easy Rider
Multi-talented and unconventional actor/director regarded by many as one of the true "enfant terribles" of Hollywood who led an amazing cinematic career for more than five decades, Dennis Hopper was born on May 17, 1936, in Dodge City, Kansas. The young Hopper expressed interest in acting from a ...
† Colors $10,531,936 (x2)
94. John Carl Buechler
Special_effects | Hatchet
When he ran the make-up effects department at New World Pictures, Roger Corman called John Carl Buechler "...the best in the business..." An actor, writer, producer, director, special effects artist, he was always in love with filmmaking, and was the first person in history to make his way into the...
† Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood $8,245,038
95. John Cornell
Producer | Crocodile Dundee
John Cornell was born on March 2, 1941 in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia. He was a producer and actor, known for Crocodile Dundee (1986), Crocodile Dundee II (1988) and The Paul Hogan Show (1973). He was married to Delvene Delaney. He died on July 23, 2021 in Byron Bay, New South Wales, ...
Crocodile Dundee II $45,699,362 (x3)
96. Walter Hill
Writer | 48 Hrs.
Hill was born in Long Beach, California and educated at Mexico City College and Michigan State University. He worked in oil drilling and construction in the 60s before becoming a 2nd assistant director in 1967. He has written and co-written screenplays, including several uncredited works. He has ...
1) Red Heat $8,133,822
2) Another 48 Hrs. $19,475,559
Total: $27,609,381
97. John Landis
Director | The Blues Brothers
John Landis began his career in the mail room of 20th Century-Fox. A high-school dropout, 18-year-old Landis made his way to Yugoslavia to work as a production assistant on Kelly's Heroes (1970). Remaining in Europe, Landis found work as an actor, extra and stuntman in many of the Spanish/Italian "...
1) Coming to America $45,164,917 (x3)
2) Oscar $9,255,245 (x2)
Total: $54,420,162
98. Roger Donaldson
Director | The World's Fastest Indian
Roger Donaldson was born on November 15, 1945 in Ballarat, Australia. He is a director and producer, known for The World's Fastest Indian (2005), No Way Out (1987) and Species (1995). He is married to Marliese Schneider. He was previously married to Susan Hockley.
1) Cocktail $19,993,945 (x2)
2) The Recruit $16,302,063
Total: $36,296,008
99. Christopher Cain
Director | Young Guns
Christopher Cain was born on October 29, 1943 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA. He is a director and writer, known for Young Guns (1988), Pure Country 2: The Gift (2010) and September Dawn (2007).
Young Guns $7,011,393
100. Renny Harlin
Producer | Driven
Born in 15 March 1959 as Renny Lauri Mauritz Harjola, he is the most successful Finnish film director in the history of Hollywood.
Harlin started his career in film business in the beginning of 1980s when he was directing commercials and company films for companies like Shell. Later he worked as a ...
1) A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master $26,258,471 (x3)
2) Die Hard 2 $36,256,962 (x2)
3) Cliffhanger $32,610,422 (x2)
4) Driven $12,174,504
5) Exorcist: The Beginning $18,054,001
6) The Covenant $8,852,485
Total: $134,206,845
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