Mike Gunther is an American film director and stuntman. He is known for being the

second unit Second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit. The second unit will often shoot simultaneously with the other unit or units, allowing the filming stag ...

director on '' Transformers: The Last Knight'' (2017), '' Star Trek Beyond'' (2016) '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows'' (2016) in addition to '' Transformers: Age of Extinction'' (2014). At the end of 2011, he directed the feature film ''

Setup Setup (the noun) or set up (the verb) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Set Up'' (2005 film), a 2005 Hong Kong horror film * ''Setup'' (2011 film), a 2011 action thriller heist film Music * ''Setup'' (album), a 1994 album by ...

'' starring Bruce Willis. During 2017-2019 Gunther developed and then directed the popular Netflix "Rogue Warfare" trilogy of films, In 2020 he was the 2nd Unit Director for the Will Smith, Martin Lawrence blockbuster " Bad Boys For Life". 2021 found him serving as the Second Unit Director on " Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" for Marvel Pictures. Gunther also owns and operates 5150Action Productions, a film production company focusing on a wide slate of original content development.

Career

After a career creating action sequences for films, Gunther developed and sold a slate of

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 ...

shows: ''Live Free or Die Hard: Inside the Action'' (2007) ''Ghost Rider: Inside the Action'' (2007) ''Your Movie Show'' (2005–2006) and ''Underworld: Evolution – Inside the Action'' (2005) before directing the theatrical feature films ''Beatdown'' (2010) starring Danny Trejo and Rudy Youngblood as well as the Bruce Willis and

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...

action vehicle ''

'' (2011). In 2014, he started second unit directing for the major studio franchises '' Transformers: Age of Extinction'' (2014)'' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows'' (2016) '' Star Trek Beyond'' (2016) and '' Transformers: The Last Knight'' (2017). In 2018, Gunther served as Second Unit Director on the Transformers spin-off '' Bumblebee'' for Paramount Studios as well as becoming a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences by invitation. In 2019 he was Second Unit Director for Sony Pictures on '' Bad Boys For Life'' starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. In 2021 he was the Second Unit Director on " Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" for Marvel Pictures as well as " The Forever Purge" for Universal Pictures.

Filmography

As Director / Writer / Producer * ''Setup'' (2011) (Director, Writer) * ''End of Watch'' (2012) (Associate Producer) * ''Rogue Warfare'' (2019) (Director, Writer, Producer) * ''Rogue Warfare: The Hunt'' (2019) (Director, Producer) * ''Rogue Warfare: Death of a Nation'' (2020) (Director, Producer) * ''A Violent Land'' (TBA) (Director, Writer, Producer) * ''Stop Frank'' (TBA) (Director, Writer) * ''Criminal'' (TBA) (Director, Writer) As Second Unit Director * ''Fighting'' (2009) * ''Fast & Furious'' (2009) * ''Transformers: Age of Extinction'' (2014) * ''The Purge: Anarchy'' (2014) * ''Sabotage'' (2014) * ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows'' (2016) * ''Star Trek Beyond'' (2016) * ''Transformers: The Last Knight'' (2017) * ''Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan'' (2018) * ''Bumblebee'' (2018) * ''Bad Boys for Life'' (2020) * ''The Forever Purge'' (2021) * ''Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'' (2021) * ''The Lost City'' (2022) * ''Ambulance'' (2022) * ''Me Time'' (2022)

Awards

* 2010 World Stunt Awards – Won,

Taurus Award The Taurus World Stunt Awards is a yearly award ceremony held midyear that honors stunt performers in movies. It is held each year in Los Angeles. The first awards were given out in 2001. The deciding committee has been around since the year 2000. ...

– Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director: Feature Film for ''Fast & Furious'' * 2012 World Stunt Awards – Won, Taurus Award – Best High Work for Fast Five * 2012 World Stunt Awards – Won, Taurus Award – Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director: Feature for ''Fast Five'' * 2012 World Stunt Awards – Won, Taurus Award – Best Fight for ''Fast Five'' * 2012 World Stunt Awards – Won, Taurus Award – Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director for ''Fast Five'' – Universal Pictures * 2020 World Stunt Awards – Nominated Taurus Award – Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director for ''Bad Boys for Life'' –

Columbia Pictures Entertainment Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the multi ...

* 2021 Indiana Film Journalists Association – Nominated, IFJA Award – Best Stunt/Movement Choreography for ''Ambulance'' – Universal Pictures

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gunther, Mike Living people American film directors American stunt performers Year of birth missing (living people)