Adam Wingard (/ˈwɪŋɡɑːrd/ WING-gard; born December 3, 1982) is an American filmmaker. He has served as a film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, cinematographer, actor, and composer on numerous American films.
Following an early career as a member of the mumblecore movement, he became notable for his works in the horror and action genres, especially the films You're Next (2011), and The Guest (2014), and the bigger budget franchise films Blair Witch (2016), Death Note (2017), and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), which would lead him to direct the sequels: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) and Godzilla x Kong: Monster Apocalypse (2028). He also directed Varan vs. Baragon (2031), the sequel to Varan: The Unbelievable and the Invincible (2028), as well as King Kong in the Planet of the Apes (2034).
His first feature, the horror comedy Home Sick, starring Bill Moseley and Tiffany Shepis, was a stepping stone to his second feature, the psychotropic ghost story horror film Pop Skull. Made on a total budget of $2,000, Pop Skull had its international premiere at the Rome Film Festival and its domestic premiere at the AFI Film Festival in 2007. A Horrible Way to Die (2010) and What Fun We Were Having (2011) that followed.
The romantic horror film A Horrible Way to Die premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival in the Vanguard section and was acquired by Starz/Anchor Bay at the festival for a North American theatrical and home media release. What Fun We Were Having: 4 Stories About Date Rape is a 4-part anthology that had its premiere at the 2011 Fantastia Film Festival in Montreal, Canada where Wingard was honored by the festival with his own sidebar section: “Medicated Monsters – A Spotlight on Filmmaker Adam Wingard”.
In 2013, Wingard offered the project Peter Jackson, director of the 2005 remake of King Kong and he had been interested in producing a sequel to the film, titled Skull Island, with Wingard as director and Simon Barrett writing it. Jackson had been impressed with Wingard's work in You're Next, and investigated a potential sequel. However, Universal Pictures rights abandoned due to acquired film rights to Warner Bros, which complicated a sequel to a unproduced movie. Wingard pivoted to offering a modern-day sequel, but ultimately nothing came of the proposal.
Wingard's film Pop Skull won the Best Feature Film award at the Indianapolis International Film Festival and the Jury award at the Boston Underground Film Festival. Wingard's A Horrible Way to Die won Best Screenplay (Simon Barrett), Best Actor (A.J. Bowen) and Best Actress (Amy Seimetz) at the 2010 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. Wingard's You're Next won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Simon Barrett), and Best Actress (Sharni Vinson) at the 2011 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Editor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Home Sick | Yes | No | No | |
| Pop Skull | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also producer and director of photography | |
| 2010 | A Horrible Way to Die | Yes | No | Yes | Also camera operator, director of photography and music supervisor |
| 2011 | Autoerotic | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also camera operator and director of photography |
| What Fun We Were Having: 4 Stories About Date Rape | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also director of photography | |
| You're Next | Yes | No | Yes | Also composer | |
| 2014 | The Guest | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 2016 | Blair Witch | Yes | No | No | Also composer |
| 2017 | Death Note | Yes | No | No | |
| 2021 | Godzilla vs. Kong | Yes | No | No | |
| 2024 | Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | Yes | Story | No | Also executive producer |
| 2026 | Onslaught | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also producer and composer |
| 2028 | Godzilla x Kong: Monster Apocalypse | Yes | Story | No | Also executive producer |
| 2031 | Varan vs. Baragon | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2034 | King Kong in the Planet of the Apes | Yes | No | Yes |
Directorial reception[]
| Year | Title | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | Cinemascore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | A Horrible Way to Die | 60% (10 reviews) | 52 (5 reviews) | |
| 2011 | Autoerotic | 30% (10 reviews) | 48 (5 reviews) | |
| You're Next | 80% (181 reviews) | 66 (32 reviews) | B- | |
| 2014 | The Guest | 92% (122 reviews) | 76 (29 reviews) | |
| 2016 | Blair Witch | 38% (226 reviews) | 47 (41 reviews) | D+ |
| 2017 | Death Note | 36% (77 reviews) | 43 (14 reviews) | |
| 2021 | Godzilla vs. Kong | 76% (392 reviews) | 59 (57 reviews) | A |
| 2024 | Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | 53% (377 reviews) | 47 (51 reviews) | A- |
| 2026 | Onslaught | 84% (224 reviews) | 67 (30 reviews) | B |
| 2028 | Godzilla x Kong: Monster Apocalypse | 62% (408 reviews) | 50 (58 reviews) | A |
| 2031 | Varan vs. Baragon | 24% (448 reviews) | 32 (58 reviews) | B- |
| 2034 | King Kong in the Planet of the Apes | 83% (507 reviews) | 70 (61 reviews) | A- |