Kevin Lewis is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Best known for his

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

'' The Third Nail'' (2008) and his action

comedy horror film Comedy horror (also called horror comedy) is a literary, television and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as having three types: "black comedy, parody and spoof." Comedy horror can a ...

Willy's Wonderland ''Willy's Wonderland'' is a 2021 American action comedy horror film directed by Kevin Lewis from a screenplay written by G. O. Parsons. The film stars Nicolas Cage, who also served as producer, along with Emily Tosta, Ric Reitz, David Sheftel ...

'' (2021), his body of work spans many film genres and multiple decades of cinema.

Career

After directing and producing three independent feature films, Lewis had his breakthrough with '' Malibu Spring Break'' (2003). It was the first and only release for

Crown International Pictures Crown International Pictures (CIP) was an independent film studio and distribution company formed in 1959 by Newton P. Jacobs. History Jacobs was a branch head of RKO Pictures until 1947, when he formed Favorite Films, an organization which relea ...

after fourteen years of dormancy, for a production company that had previously been a major force in the

B-movie A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...

and

low-budget film A low-budget film or low-budget movie is a film, motion picture shot with little to no funding from a major film studios, major film studio or private investor. Many independent films are made on low budgets, but films made on the mainstream ci ...

world. Despite starring

Playboy Playmate A Playmate is a female Model (person), model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biograph ...

Pilar Lastra __NOTOC__ The following is a list of Playboy Playmates of 2004, the 50th anniversary year of the publication. ''Playboy'' magazine names its Playmate of the Month each month throughout the year. January Colleen Shannon (born April 14, 1978) is a ...

, the film received negative reviews upon its 2008 release. In 2007, Lewis directed '' The Third Nail'', a

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...

drama film. After this, he took more than a decade away from the feature film world. He returned to direct ''

'', written by G. O. Parsons. It had the highest budget of any Lewis film, at approximately five million dollars, and starred

Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Nicolas Cage, various accolades, including an Academy A ...

as a quiet drifter who is tricked into cleaning up an abandoned

family entertainment center A family entertainment center (FEC) in the entertainment industry, also known as an indoor amusement park, family amusement center, family fun center, soft play, or simply fun center, is a small amusement park marketed towards families with small ...

inhabited by eight murderous animatronic characters who are possessed with the souls of a cannibalistic killer and his seven psychotic colleagues. It received mixed reviews from critics, but quickly achieved

cult film A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase, which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage in repeated ...

status and drew buzz for a potential sequel.

Filmography

* ''The Method'' (1996) – director, writer, producer * ''Andrew Jackson White Elk'' (1998) – director, producer * ''Downward Angel'' (2001) – director, writer * ''The Third Society'' (2002) – second unit director * '' Malibu Spring Break'' (2003) – director, written by * ''Dark Heart'' (2006) – director, writer * ''The Drop'' (2006) – director, screenplay * '' The Third Nail'' (2008) – director, writer * ''

'' (2021) – director * ''The Accursed'' (2022) – director, produced by

References

External links

* Film directors from Colorado Living people Year of birth missing (living people) {{Improve categories, date=January 2024 American screenwriters