Gerard_Johnstone
Gerard Johnstone
New Zealand director and writer
Gerard Johnstone is a New Zealand screenwriter and director. He is known for the comedy sitcom series The Jaquie Brown Diaries and the horror films Housebound and M3GAN.
Gerard Johnstone | |
|---|---|
| Born | Invercargill, New Zealand |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Children | 2 |
Johnstone was born in Invercargill, New Zealand,[1] where he attended Verdon College.[2] In the early 2000s, Johnstone and Jaquie Brown worked together at C4. A few years later, they created a production company, Young, Gifted & Brown, to make the New Zealand sitcom The Jaquie Brown Diaries, based on a satirical fictionalised version of Brown. It began airing in 2008 with Johnstone serving as writer and director.[3][4]
In March 2014, Johnstone made his directorial debut with Housebound at the South by Southwest festival.[5] The comedy horror film was released on 17 October 2014 in select theatres and VOD.[6] The following year, Johnstone approached New Zealand weightlifter Sonia Manaena, who set the world record in 2013 for deadlifting, about directing a film detailing her life being a competitive weightlifter.[7] Filming was scheduled to begin in 2016,[7] but as of 2023 Johnstone said, "It's been cooking in the background for a long time".[8]
In 2016, he released Terry Teo, a reboot of the 1985 television series, Terry and the Gunrunners.[9] By August 2017, Johnstone was reported to be in the running to direct Warner Bros.' Dark Universe, but instead was hired to polish the script.[10]
Johnstone directed episodes of the first season of The New Legends of Monkey, airing in 2018.[11] That same year, he signed on to direct the comedy horror film, M3GAN.[12] Producer James Wan chose Johnstone for the job after admiring his ability to balance horror and comedy elements in Housebound.[13] M3GAN was released on 6 January 2023 to commercial and critical success. It grossed over $30 million on its opening weekend and garnered positive reviews.[14][15]
Johnstone is married.[16] He has two sons, born in 2012 and 2014.[17]
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Housebound | Yes | Yes |
| 2022 | M3GAN | Yes | No |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Executive Producer |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–2009 | The Jaquie Brown Diaries | Yes | Yes | No | 14 episodes |
| 2016 | Terry Teo | Yes | Yes | No | 6 episodes (director); 4 episodes (writer) |
| 2018 | The New Legends of Monkey | Yes | No | Yes | 6 episodes |
- "Kiwi director Gerard Johnstone poised to polish Justice League Dark script". Stuff. 1 September 2017. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- Maka, Valu (13 January 2023). "From meat works to making waves in Hollywood". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- "Young, gifted and Brown". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- "The Jaquie Brown diaries. Series one [videorecording] / director, Gerard Johnstone ; producer, Hayley Cunningham ; writers, Gerard Johnstone, Jodie Molloy". National Library of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- Whittaker, Richard (11 March 2014). "SXSW Gets Housebound". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- Dickson, Evan (6 October 2014). "Housebound Movie Clip: Beware the Teddy Bear". Collider. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- Salter, Caitlin (14 May 2015). "Film to be made about Southland power lifter Sonia Manaena". Stuff. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- Connelly, Brendon (10 January 2023). "M3gan interview: Gerard Johnstone on his brilliant career and creating a horror icon". Film Stories. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- Johnstone, Gerard (24 November 2016). "Throwback Thursday: The maker of Terry Teo (2016) on Terry Teo (1985)". The Spinoffn. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- Kroll, Justin (29 August 2017). "'Justice League Dark' Gets Script Polish From Gerard Johnstone". Variety. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- "Gerard Johnstone". NZ On Screen. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- Kit, Borys (18 July 2018). "Jason Blum, James Wan Team for Horror-Thriller 'M3GAN' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (8 January 2023). "How 'M3GAN' Boogied Her Way To The Box Office Via TikTok; Sequel Already In Works". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (8 January 2023). "'M3GAN' Slays With $30M+ Opening; 'Avatar: The Way Of Water' Hits Half Billion Faster Than 'Top Gun 2', 'Rogue One – Sunday AM Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- "M3GAN (2022)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- Lyon, Joshua (12 January 2023). "For a Deadly Doll, a Killer Wardrobe". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- Colangelo, B. J. (6 January 2023). "M3GAN Director Gerard Johnstone On How To Balance Comedy With Creepiness [Exclusive Interview]". /Film. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
