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Kirk DeMicco

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Kirk DeMicco (born May 15, 1969) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on animated films, such as writing and directing Space Chimps (2008), The Croods (2013), Vivo (2021), and Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023).

Kirk DeMicco
Kirk DeMicco at the 2014 Golden Globe Awards
Born (1969-05-15) May 15, 1969 (age 55)[1]
Wyckoff, New Jersey, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Southern California
Occupations
Years active1998–present
Notable workSpace Chimps
The Croods
Vivo
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

Raised in Wyckoff, New Jersey and a former resident of Franklin Lakes, DeMicco attended Ramapo High School.[2][3]

Journalism

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After graduation in 1991 from the University of Southern California, where he double majored in economics and political science,[4] he spent three years in Italy, where he worked as a journalist, interviewing individuals involved in the Italian movie industry for an Italian film-business magazine. After returning to the United States, he worked for the William Morris Agency in New York City, before relocating to the firm's office in Los Angeles in a transfer arranged by talent agent Lee Stollman.[5]

Career

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DeMicco's first script sale was called "A Day in November" which he sold to Warner Bros. and producer Arnold Kopelson for $1 million before signing to write Quest for Camelot.[6] Later he wrote and co-produced Racing Stripes for director Frederik Du Chau. John Cleese and DeMicco co-wrote the film adaptation of the Roald Dahl's children classic The Twits.[7] He also wrote "Splitting Adam" a movie that was set up at United Artists.[8] He then worked as a writer on Here Comes Peter Cottontail: The Movie and later worked on Casper's Scare School. While working at Warner Bros., he and Du Chau also wrote a script for the upcoming live-action–animated film based on the Hanna-Barbera character, Hong Kong Phooey, which they sold to Alcon Entertainment. He adapted the Jack Kirby comic New Gods, and collaborated with filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld on an adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel.[9] He has also done many production rewrites for Disney, Warner Bros., DreamWorks and Spyglass. In television, he is the creator and executive producer of the Discovery Channel documentary HALO: Freefall Warriors.[10]

Space Chimps

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In 2008, he wrote and directed the movie Space Chimps for John H. Williams and his company Vanguard Animation; the film is inspired by the first chimpanzee to go to space, Ham.

The Croods

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In 2013, DeMicco co-wrote and co-directed DreamWorks Animation's The Croods with Chris Sanders, which they also both co-wrote the film’s theme song Shine Your Way.[11] DeMicco began writing the film with John Cleese in 2005.[12] The Croods grossed over $582 million worldwide at the box office,[13] and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.[14] It was also nominated for a Golden Globe.[15] DeMicco and Sanders then worked on The Croods sequel for three and a half years, before its cancellation in late 2016, until it was revived a year later, where they were replaced by Joel Crawford.[16][17]

Vivo

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In December 2016, it was reported that DeMicco was directing Vivo for Sony Pictures Animation released on August 6, 2021. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote new songs for this musical animated feature.[18][19] Lin-Manuel Miranda reported that Vivo has been 10 years in the making and that it's in amazing shape. And that and Quiara [Alegría Hudes], my cowriter on [In the] Heights, is working on the screenplay with Kirk [De Micco], our director."[20] In May of 2021, it was reported that Netflix has licensed all global rights, sans China, to Sony Pictures Animation’s Vivo. The movie, directed by Oscar nominee DeMicco, was written by DeMicco and Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegría Hudes, who wrote the book for Miranda’s Tony-winning Broadway musical In the Heights. Said Miranda, “Bringing Vivo to life has been an incredible artistic journey. I couldn’t ask for better creative partners than Kirk, Quiara, Alex and the entire team at Sony Animation. I’m so excited Vivo will have a home at Netflix, where kids of all ages will be able to enjoy the film’s songs and adventures again and again.”[21]

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken

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In March 2023, DeMicco was announced as the director for the animated teen comedy film Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (replacing the film's original director Paul Tibbitt), which was released on June 30, 2023.[22]

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ Eischen, B. (March 12, 2013). "Ramapo Grad Comes Back Home for Premiere of 'The Croods'". Wyckoff Patch. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2013. At 43, DeMicco a Sicomac Elementary School, Eisenhower Middle School and Ramapo High School alum has returned back to his original cave to wow his old pals with his latest creation.
  2. ^ Wassel, Bryan. "Wyckoff native talks up prehistoric adventure" Archived 2013-11-13 at the Wayback Machine, Wyckoff Suburban News, March 16, 2013. Accessed November 13, 2013. "On March 9, Kirk DeMicco returned to where it all began.'The Croods,' opening March 22.... The Wyckoff native and former Franklin Lakes resident said his passion for movies was born at a screening of "Star Wars" in the now-demolished movie theater on Route 4 that the AMC has replaced."
  3. ^ McGinley, Devin. "Wyckoff Native Driving Profits in Hollywood; Wyckoff native Kirk DeMicco's "The Croods" is reportedly responsible for a surge in profits at DreamWorks Animation." Archived 2013-11-13 at the Wayback Machine, WyckoffPatch, August 1, 2013. Accessed November 13, 2013. "DeMicco, a former Wyckoff resident who attended Sicomac Elementary, Eisenhower Middle School and Ramapo High School, returned to Bergen County in 2012 for a prerelease screening of the film for friends and family."
  4. ^ Engel, Allison (July 1, 2008). "Cinematic Simians on a Space Safari". USC Dornsife. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  5. ^ Spelling, Ian. "Monkey Business" Archived 2009-06-11 at the Wayback Machine, (201) Magazine, July 2008, p. 70.
  6. ^ "Creating Camelot". Archived from the original on 2013-09-27.
  7. ^ Brodesser, Claude (February 4, 2003). "'Twits' pic pleases Cleese". Variety. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
  8. ^ "Splitting Adam". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-09-25.
  9. ^ "Crood Awakening > News > USC Dornsife". Archived from the original on 2018-05-16. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
  10. ^ "PGA & DREAMWORKS PRESENT: MASTER STORY-TELLING: WORLD CLASS FEATURE ANIMATION DEVELOPMENT". producers guild. Archived from the original on 2017-06-30. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  11. ^ "DreamWorks Animation Shifts 'The Croods'". Deadline. 2011-04-04. Archived from the original on 2011-04-06. Retrieved 2011-04-06.
  12. ^ "the-croods-directors". huffington post. 22 February 2013. Archived from the original on 8 March 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  13. ^ "Boxoffice". Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  14. ^ Feinberg, Scott (January 27, 2014). "Oscars: 'Frozen' May Be the Clear Favorite, But 'The Croods' Is Not Going Down Without a Fight". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  15. ^ "Winners & Nominees 2014". Archived from the original on 2017-12-13. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  16. ^ "The Croods 2 in the Works at DreamWorks Animation". ComingSoon.net. April 17, 2013. Archived from the original on April 20, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  17. ^ Rainey, James (November 11, 2016). "DreamWorks Animation and Universal Kill 'Croods 2' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on January 3, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  18. ^ a b Trumbore, Dave (December 13, 2016). "Lin-Manuel Miranda Can't Stop, Won't Stop; Sony Fast-Tracks His Animated Movie 'Vivo'". Collider.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  19. ^ Sony Pictures Animation (January 18, 2017). "Sony Pictures Animation Unveils Varied Upcoming Slate" (Press release). PRNewswire. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  20. ^ "His Dark Materials gave Lin-Manuel Miranda 'new perspective' on adapting Kingkiller Chronicle". MSN. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  21. ^ "Sony Animation's Lin-Manuel Miranda Musical Pic 'Vivo' Headed to Netflix". 26 April 2021. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  22. ^ a b "This summer, discover the hero just beneath the surface". 16 March 2023. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Kirk DeMicco". Sony Pictures Animation. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
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