Joseph Kosinski is an American film director best known for his computer graphics and

computer-generated imagery Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the use of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, simulators, and visual effects in films, television programs, shorts, commercials, and videos. The images may ...

(CGI) work, and for his work in action films. He made his big-screen directorial debut with the 2010 science fiction film '' Tron: Legacy'', the sequel to the 1982 film '' Tron''. He also directed the 2013 science fiction film ''

Oblivion Oblivion may refer to: Film * ''Oblivion'' (1994 film), an American space Western * ''Oblivion'' (2013 film), an American post-apocalyptic science fiction film Literature * ''Oblivion'' (''Power of Five''), a 2012 novel by Anthony Horowitz * ...

'' and the 2022 action drama film '' Top Gun: Maverick'', the sequel to the 1986 film ''

Top Gun ''Top Gun'' is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired by an a ...

''. His previous work has primarily been with CGI-related television commercials including the "Starry Night" commercial for '' Halo 3'' and the award-winning "Mad World" commercial for ''

Gears of War ''Gears of War'' is a media franchise centered on a series of video games created by Epic Games, developed and managed by The Coalition, and owned and published by Xbox Game Studios. The franchise is best known for its third-person shooter vide ...

''.

Life and career

Kosinski grew up in Marshalltown, Iowa, the son of Patricia (née Provost) of French-Canadian descent, and Joel Kosinski, a doctor of Polish descent. His first major film was the special effects-heavy '' Tron: Legacy''. The film was in Disney Digital 3-D and

IMAX 3D IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating. Graeme F ...

, with a release of December 2010 and grossed $400 million worldwide. After moving to Los Angeles in 2005, he began writing a film treatment which would eventually develop into an unpublished graphic novel by the title ''Oblivion'' for Radical Comics. In August 2010, Walt Disney Pictures acquired the rights to the work. William Monahan worked on the screenplay for a film adaptation. In March 2011, it was reported that Karl Gajdusek would rewrite the screenplay. Attempts to keep the film with a PG rating were unsuccessful, leading to Disney giving up the rights which were acquired by Universal Pictures, and agreed to a PG-13 rating. The $120-million-budgeted ''

'' began filming in March 2012, with Tom Cruise in the lead role, and was released in April 2013 to mixed reviews and grossed $286 million worldwide. Top Gun Maveric Global Premiere May 2022

Top Gun Maveric Global Premiere May 2022

Kosinski was confirmed to direct the third ''Tron'' film in early 2015, but in May of the same year it was announced that Disney had canceled the project. In 2017, he directed '' Only the Brave'', originally titled ''Granite Mountain'', based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots (wildland firefighters). In June 2017 it was announced he was set to direct the sequel to ''

'', titled '' Top Gun: Maverick''. In June 2020, he was hired direct the remake of '' Twister'', which was announced by Universal Pictures, the original film's international distributor. Kosinski is also set to direct an untitled Formula One racing film, reteaming with ''Top Gun: Maverick'' producer Jerry Bruckheimer and screenwriter Ehren Kruger, with racing driver Lewis Hamilton also serving as producer. The project, acquired by Apple Studios in June 2022, will star

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...

and receive an exclusive theatrical run "of at least 30 days" before streaming on Apple TV+. Kosinski has been attached to several as-of-now-unmade projects, including remakes of '70s science-fiction films ''

Logan's Run ''Logan's Run'' is a science fiction novel by American writers William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Published in 1967, the novel depicts a dystopic Malthusianism future society in which both population and the consumption of resou ...

'', '' The Black Hole'', the science-fiction film ''Archangels'', an untitled action-thriller from ''Halt and Catch Fire'' writers Christopher Cantwell and

Christopher C. Rogers Christopher C. Rogers is an American film and television writer and producer. He began his career in magazines at ''The Atlantic'' in Washington D.C., before relocating to Los Angeles to work for Condé Nast Magazines. Along with his writing part ...

, and '' The Twilight Zone''.

Academia

Kosinski is an alumnus of

Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) is the architecture school of Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. It is regarded as an important and highly prestigious architecture school.

(GSAPP), and currently an adjunct assistant professor of architecture where he helps students in 3D modeling and graphics. In 2008, he spoke in detail about his education in architecture, pushing the technological envelope in commercials and his eventual progression to feature films.

Awards

*2007 AICP Show – Best Visual Effects for the ''

'' commercial "Mad World" – Nominated *AICP Best Visual Effects Award for his

Assassin's Creed ''Assassin's Creed'' is an open-world, action-adventure, and stealth game franchise published by Ubisoft and developed mainly by its studio Ubisoft Montreal using the game engine Anvil and its more advanced derivatives. Created by Patrice D ...

"Unity" and Destiny "Become Legend" commercials – Nominated *

47th Saturn Awards The 47th Saturn Awards, officially known as the 50th Anniversary Saturn Awards to celebrate the 50 years of the Saturn Awards (created in 1972), presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films and honoring the best in scien ...

for Best Film Director for '' Top Gun: Maverick'' – Nominated

Filmography

Short film Feature film Music video *" Hold My Hand" – Lady Gaga (2022)

Frequent collaborators

References

External links

Personal website
including professional reel * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kosinski, Joseph Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Film directors from Iowa People from Marshalltown, Iowa Screenwriters from Iowa Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation alumni Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation faculty American male screenwriters American people of Polish descent English-language film directors Television commercial directors Action film directors Science fiction film directors