Jordan Charles Vogt-Roberts (born September 22, 1984) is an American film director, film producer, screenwriter, and television director. His feature directorial debut, ''
The Kings of Summer
''The Kings of Summer'' is a 2013 American independent coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and starring Nick Robinson, Moisés Arias, Gabriel Basso, and Nick Offerman. The film premiered under its original title ''Toy' ...
'', screened at the 2013
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...
. The film also won the Narrative Feature Audience Award at the 2013
Dallas International Film Festival
The Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF), presented by Dallas Film, is an annual film festival that takes place in Dallas, Texas.
About Dallas Film
Dallas Film, established as Dallas Film Society, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization ...
. In 2017, Vogt-Roberts directed the
MonsterVerse
The MonsterVerse is an American multimedia franchise and shared fictional universe featuring Godzilla, King Kong, and other monster characters owned and created by Toho Co., Ltd. The franchise is produced by Legendary Pictures and co-produced ...
film ''
Kong: Skull Island''.
Career
Jordan Vogt-Roberts first directorial credit is a 2007 documentary, Twit: Robert Buscemi, Live at the Subterranean.
Vogt-Roberts continued his career producing and directing episodes of two web series, ''Memoirs of a Manchild'' (2009-2010) and ''Book Club'' (2009-2013), and directing most episodes of the web series ''Single Dads'' (2009-2011).
After turning an episode of ''Memoirs of a Manchild'' into the short film ''Mint in a Box'' (2009), in 2010, he wrote and directed the short film ''Successful Alcoholics.'' The film screened at the
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...
, the
SXSW
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...
Film Festival, the
AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Leade ...
and 30 other film festivals.
Vogt-Roberts went on to direct
Comedy Central's ''
Mash Up,'' as well as episodes of ''
Funny or Die Presents
''Funny or Die Presents'' is a half-hour sketch comedy show that spawned from the comedy website Funny or Die, created by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. It premiered on HBO on February 19, 2010.
Creation
Funny or Die Presents was created in June ...
',''
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's ''
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. During summer, it is the hottest place on Earth.
Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the point of lowest elevation in Nort ...
''
''and
FX's
You're the Worst
''You're the Worst'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Stephen Falk. Originally broadcast by FX, the series moved to its sister channel FXX beginning with the second season. The series follows Jimmy (Chris Geere), a self- ...
''.
Vogt-Roberts's feature film debut, ''
The Kings of Summer
''The Kings of Summer'' is a 2013 American independent coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and starring Nick Robinson, Moisés Arias, Gabriel Basso, and Nick Offerman. The film premiered under its original title ''Toy' ...
'', was screened at the
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...
and the
Cleveland International Film Festival
The Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) is an annual film festival based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is the largest film festival in Ohio. It was first held in 1977, showing eight films over a period of eight weeks at the Cedar Lee Theatre. ...
, and won the Narrative Feature Audience Award at the 2013
Dallas International Film Festival
The Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF), presented by Dallas Film, is an annual film festival that takes place in Dallas, Texas.
About Dallas Film
Dallas Film, established as Dallas Film Society, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization ...
.
He went on to direct ''
Kong: Skull Island'' in 2017, which grossed over $565 million at the global box office.
Vogt-Roberts is directing a film based on the ''
Metal Gear
is a series of techno-thriller stealth games created by Hideo Kojima. Developed and published by Konami, the first game, ''Metal Gear'', was released in 1987 for MSX home computers. The player often takes control of a special forces operativ ...
'' series for
Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acq ...
. In interviews, Vogt-Roberts repeatedly expressed his passion for
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedba ...
s, and recounted his meeting with Metal Gear creator
Hideo Kojima
is a Japanese video game designer, director, producer and writer. He is regarded as an auteur of video games. He developed a strong passion for action/adventure cinema and literature during his childhood and adolescence. In 1986, he was hi ...
to discuss the making of the film.
In ''Kong: Skull Island'', a boat bears the name ''Gray Fox'' as an homage to the
character of the same name.
As of Spring 2022, he was still attached to the project, though there was still no publicly available timeline.
Vogt-Roberts was to direct the pilot of ''
The Walking Dead: World Beyond'', but was replaced with Magnus Martens, who previously directed for ''
Fear the Walking Dead''. The change in directors was a result of the production going in a different direction; Vogt-Roberts still contributed to the first episode, however.
In 2018, it was announced that Vogt-Roberts would direct a miniseries adaptation of the 2014 book ''
Console Wars'', with
Seth Rogen
Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and filmmaker. Originally a stand-up comedian in Vancouver, he moved to Los Angeles for a part in Judd Apatow's series '' Freaks and Geeks'', and then got a part o ...
and
Evan Goldberg
Evan D. Goldberg (born September 15, 1982) is a Canadian-American filmmaker and comedian. He has collaborated with his childhood friend Seth Rogen on the films ''Superbad'', ''Pineapple Express'', ''This Is the End'', '' The Interview'', and '' ...
executive producing the series and
Paramount+
Paramount+ is an American subscription video on-demand service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily from the libraries of CBS Media Ventures (including CBS Studios), Paramount Media Networks (formerly Viacom Media ...
distributing it.
In 2021, it was announced that Vogt-Roberts would direct a live action adaptation of ''
Gundam
is a Japanese military fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ''Mobile ...
'', from a screenplay by
Brian K. Vaughan. The film will be produced by
Legendary Entertainment
Legendary Pictures Productions, LLC ( doing business as Legendary Entertainment or simply Legendary) is an American film production and mass media company based in Burbank, California, founded by Thomas Tull in 2000. The company has collaborated ...
and distributed by
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
.
Sexual harassment allegation
In 2017, pornographic actress and director
Dana DeArmond
Dana DeArmond (born June 16, 1979) is an American pornographic actress and director. She entered the industry in 2004 and is a member of the AVN and XRCO Halls of Fame.
Career
DeArmond grew up in Orlando, Florida. DeArmond had gained populari ...
accused Vogt-Roberts of kissing her without her consent at a drinks date he set up with her in 2010, a few months after they wrapped work on ''
Mash Up''.
Personal life
He is
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
. Vogt-Roberts was born in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
and grew up in the
Greater Detroit area.
He moved to Arizona at 14 but went back to
Royal Oak, Michigan
Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Royal Oak is about north of Detroit's city limits. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 57,236.
Royal Oak is located along t ...
his senior year to graduate with his hometown friends.
He graduated from
Dondero High School in 2003 and later
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is a private art college in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1890, it has 5,928https://about.colum.edu/effectiveness/pdf/spring-2021-student-profile.pdf students pursuing degrees in more than 60 undergraduate and gradua ...
in 2006.
On September 11, 2017, Vogt-Roberts was brutally attacked while living in
Ho Chi Minh City
, population_density_km2 = 4,292
, population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2
, population_demonym = Saigonese
, blank_name = GRP (Nominal)
, blank_info = 2019
, blank1_name = – Total
, blank1_ ...
. After investigating the case with ''
GQ'' journalist Max Marshall, Vogt-Roberts identified his attackers and one of the assailants was eventually arrested in India.
Filmography
Films
* ''
The Kings of Summer
''The Kings of Summer'' is a 2013 American independent coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and starring Nick Robinson, Moisés Arias, Gabriel Basso, and Nick Offerman. The film premiered under its original title ''Toy' ...
'' (2013)
* ''
Nick Offerman: American Ham'' (2014) (Stand-up documentary)
* ''
Kong: Skull Island'' (2017)
Television
Video games
Commercials
*''
Destiny 2
''Destiny 2'' is a free-to-play online-only multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie. It was originally released as a pay to play game in 2017 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows. It became free-to-play, utilizing th ...
'' (2017)
*''
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
''PUBG: Battlegrounds'' (previously known as ''PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds'') is a battle royale game developed by PUBG Studios and published by Krafton. The game, which was inspired by the Japanese film '' Battle Royale'' (2000), is based ...
'' (2018)
*''
Avengers'' (2020)
References
External links
Jordan Vogt-Roberts official website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vogt-Roberts, Jordan
American film directors
American television directors
Living people
Writers from Detroit
1984 births