Andrés Muschietti

Andrés Muschietti, also known as Andy Muschietti (1973), is an Argentine film director and screenwriter, known for directing the 2013 horror film Mama, based on his short of the same name.

Career

In 2013, Muschietti directed his debut film, a supernatural horror Mama, which he co-wrote with Neil Cross and his sister Barbara Muschietti. It was based on Muschietti's three-minute short film Mamá, which attracted Guillermo del Toro, who stated that the film included the "scariest" scenes he had "ever seen." The short convinced del Toro to executive produce and make it into a feature length film by teaming up with Muschietti. The film was a directorial debut of Muschietti, which starred Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, and Isabelle Nelisse, and was released by Universal Pictures on January 18, 2013. The film grossed over $146 million with just a budget of $15 million.

In February 2013, Universal Pictures set Muschietti to direct the film adaptation of Josh Malerman's novel Bird Box, which Scott Stuber, Chris Morgan and Barbara would produce, while Eric Heisserer was set to write the script. In September 2013, Universal hired Muschietti for another project, The Mummy reboot of the franchise, but in May 2014, Muschietti left the project due to creative differences based on the Jon Spaihts' latest draft of the script.

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros., Warners, or simply WB) is an American entertainment company that produces film, television and music entertainment. As one of the major film studios, it is a division of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank, California. Warner Bros. has several subsidiary companies, including Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Home Video, New Line Cinema, Castle Rock Entertainment, and DC Entertainment. Warner Bros. owns half of The CW Television Network.

History

Founding

The company's name originates from the four founding Warner brothers (born Wonskolaser or Wonsal before Anglicization):Harry (born Hirsz), Albert (born Aaron), Sam (born Szmul), and Jack (Itzhak, or to some sources, Jacob). They emigrated as small children with their parents to Canada from Krasnosielc which was located in the part of Congress Poland that had been subjugated to the Russian Empire following the eighteenth-century Partitions of Poland near present-day Ostrołęka.

Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo del Toro Gómez (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡiˈʝeɾmo ðel ˈtoɾo]; born October 9, 1964) is a Mexican film director, screenwriter, producer, and novelist. In his filmmaking career, del Toro has alternated between Spanish-language dark fantasy pieces, such as the gothic horror film The Devil's Backbone (2001), and Pan's Labyrinth (2006), and more mainstream American action movies, such as the vampire superhero action film Blade II (2002), the supernatural superhero film Hellboy (2004), its sequel Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), and the science fiction monster film Pacific Rim (2013).

In addition to his directing works, del Toro is a prolific producer, his producing works including acclaimed and/or successful films such as The Orphanage (2007), Julia's Eyes (2010), Biutiful (2010), Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), Puss in Boots (2011), and Mama (2013). He was originally chosen by Peter Jackson to direct The Hobbit films; he left the project due to production problems but was still credited as co-writer for his numerous contributions to the script.

Stephen King

Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of contemporary horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy. His books have sold more than 350 million copies, many of which have been adapted into feature films, miniseries, television shows, and comic books. King has published 54 novels, including seven under the pen name Richard Bachman, and six non-fiction books. He has written nearly 200 short stories, most of which have been collected in book collections. Many of his stories are set in his home state of Maine. His novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption was the basis for the movie The Shawshank Redemption which is widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time.

King has received Bram Stoker Awards, World Fantasy Awards, and British Fantasy Society Awards. His novella The Way Station (1980) was a Nebula Award novelette nominee. In 2003, the National Book Foundation awarded him the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. His short story "The Man in the Black Suit" (1994) received the O. Henry Award. He has also received awards for his contribution to literature for his entire oeuvre, such as the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement (2004), the Canadian Booksellers Association Lifetime Achievement Award (2007), and the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America (2007). In 2015, King was awarded with a National Medal of Arts from the United States National Endowment for the Arts for his contributions to literature.

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Michelle Chastain (born March 24, 1977) is an American actress. Chastain began her Hollywood career in guest-roles on several television shows, before making her feature film debut in Jolene (2008). She gained wide public recognition in 2011 for her starring roles in six film releases, including Take Shelter, The Tree of Life and The Help. Her performance as Celia Foote in the last earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. In 2012, she made her Broadway debut in The Heiress.

Chastain garnered critical acclaim in 2012 for her performance in Zero Dark Thirty, winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama and the Critics Choice Movie Award for Best Actress and receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress, the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role. Other notable films include Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (2014), A Most Violent Year (2014), for which she received her third Golden Globe and Critics' Choice nominations, Ridley Scott's The Martian (2015) and Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak (2015).