Gerard Johnstone
Born
Invercargill, New Zealand
Occupations
  • Director
  • writer
Years active2008–present
Children2

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.

Early life and career

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]

Personal life

Johnstone is married.[16] He has two sons, born in 2012 and 2014.[17]

Filmography

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

References

  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ Maka, Valu (13 January 2023). "From meat works to making waves in Hollywood". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Young, gifted and Brown". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ Whittaker, Richard (11 March 2014). "SXSW Gets Housebound". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ a b 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.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ "Gerard Johnstone". NZ On Screen. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ "M3GAN (2022)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ 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.

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