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{{short description|American film director and writer}}
{{short description|American filmmaker}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Richard Kelly
| name = Richard Kelly
Line 5: Line 6:
| caption = Kelly speaking at a screening
| caption = Kelly speaking at a screening
| birth_name = James Richard Kelly
| birth_name = James Richard Kelly
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|3|28}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Film director|screenwriter|producer}}
| years_active = 1996–present
| birth_place = [[Newport News, Virginia]], U.S.
| alma_mater = [[University of Southern California]] ([[Bachelor of Fine Arts|BFA]])
| occupation = Filmmaker
| years_active =
| alma_mater = [[University of Southern California]]
| spouse =
| spouse =
| notable_works = ''[[Donnie Darko]]''
}}
}}


'''James Richard Kelly''' (born March 28, 1975) is an American [[filmmaker]] and [[screenwriter]], who initially gained recognition for writing and directing the [[Cult film|cult classic]] ''[[Donnie Darko]]'' in 2001.
'''James Richard Kelly''' is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He wrote and directed the films ''[[Donnie Darko]]'' (2001), ''[[Southland Tales]]'' (2006), and ''[[The Box (2009 film)|The Box]]'' (2009).


==Early life==
==Early life==
Kelly was born James Richard Kelly in [[Newport News, Virginia]], the son of Lane and Ennis Kelly.{{citation needed|date=April 2017}} He grew up in [[Poquoson, Virginia]], where he attended [[Poquoso<ref></ref>n High School (Virginia)|Poquoson High School]] and graduated in 1993.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/299369/Richard-Kelly/biography The New York Times] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309225304/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/299369/Richard-Kelly/biography |date=March 9, 2016 }}</ref> When he was a child, his father worked for [[NASA]] on the [[Viking program|Mars Viking Lander]] program. He won a scholarship to the [[University of Southern California]] to study at the [[USC School of Cinematic Arts|USC School of Cinema-Television]] where he was a member of the [[Phi Delta Theta]] fraternity. He made two [[short film]]s at USC, ''The Goodbye Place'' and ''Visceral Matter'', before graduating in 1997.<ref>[http://cinema.usc.edu/alumni/alumni-history/ Notable Alumni, USC School of Cinematic Arts]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080224021759/http://cinema.usc.edu/alumni/alumni-history/ |date=February 24, 2008 }}</ref>
Kelly grew up in [[Midlothian, Virginia]], where he attended [[Midlothian High School (Virginia)|Midlothian High School]] and graduated in 1993.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/299369/Richard-Kelly/biography The New York Times] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309225304/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/299369/Richard-Kelly/biography |date=March 9, 2016 }}</ref> When he was a child, his father worked for [[NASA]] on the [[Viking program|Mars Viking Lander]] program. He won a scholarship to the [[University of Southern California]] to study at the [[USC School of Cinematic Arts|USC School of Cinema-Television]] where he was a member of the [[Phi Delta Theta]] fraternity. He made two [[short film]]s at USC, ''The Goodbye Place'' and ''Visceral Matter'', before graduating in 1997.<ref>[http://cinema.usc.edu/alumni/alumni-history/ Notable Alumni, USC School of Cinematic Arts]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080224021759/http://cinema.usc.edu/alumni/alumni-history/ |date=February 24, 2008 }}</ref>


Kelly spoke of viewing the film [[Brazil (1985 film)|''Brazil'']] with author [[Robert K. Elder]] in an interview for ''[[The Film That Changed My Life]]'':
Kelly spoke of viewing the film [[Brazil (1985 film)|''Brazil'']] with author [[Robert K. Elder]] in an interview for ''[[The Film That Changed My Life]]'':
Line 24: Line 22:


==Film career==
==Film career==
''[[Donnie Darko]]'' (2001) was his first feature and was nominated for 21 awards, winning 11 of them, including a nomination for a [[Saturn Award]]. The film later ended up #2 on ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine's list of the 50 greatest independent films of all time, behind [[Quentin Tarantino]]'s ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]''.<ref>[https://www.empireonline.com/features/50greatestindependent/10-1.asp#50independent The 50 Greatest Independent Films], Empire Online {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725032356/http://www.empireonline.com/features/50greatestindependent/10-1.asp#50independent |date=July 25, 2008 }}</ref>
''[[Donnie Darko]]'' (2001) is Kelly's first feature and was nominated for 21 awards, winning eleven. It later made #2 on ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine's list of the 50 greatest independent films of all time, behind [[Quentin Tarantino]]'s ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]''.<ref>[https://www.empireonline.com/features/50greatestindependent/10-1.asp#50independent The 50 Greatest Independent Films], Empire Online {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725032356/http://www.empireonline.com/features/50greatestindependent/10-1.asp#50independent |date=July 25, 2008 }}</ref>


In 2005 Kelly wrote the screenplay for the [[Tony Scott]]-directed film, ''[[Domino (2005 film)|Domino]]''. Kelly has said, "That was a wonderful experience. I wrote that for Tony Scott. That was Tony Scott's very personal project that he had spent eight years developing with Domino Harvey, a close friend of his and almost like a daughter to him. He had spent years trying to tell her story and so that for me, it was an honor for me to get to work with Tony and to write that script for him and to design this really elaborate puzzle for him to tell her story. So that was just a privilege."<ref name=D/>
In 2005, Kelly wrote the screenplay for the [[Tony Scott]]-directed film, ''[[Domino (2005 film)|Domino]]''. Kelly has said: "That was a wonderful experience. I wrote that for Tony Scott. That was Tony Scott's very personal project that he had spent eight years developing with Domino Harvey, a close friend of his and almost like a daughter to him. He had spent years trying to tell her story and so that for me, it was an honor for me to get to work with Tony and to write that script for him and to design this really elaborate puzzle for him to tell her story. So that was just a privilege."<ref name=D/>


Kelly has written numerous scripts that have not been produced, among them adaptations of [[Kurt Vonnegut]]'s ''[[Cat's Cradle]]''<ref>[http://richard-kelly.net/multimedia/scripts/index.html#holes Richard-kelly.net] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310164955/http://richard-kelly.net/multimedia/scripts/index.html#holes |date=March 10, 2008 }}</ref> and [[Louis Sachar]]'s ''[[Holes (novel)|Holes]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://twitter.com/jrichardkelly/status/815269981445308416?lang=en |title=Richard Kelly on Twitter |work=Twitter |access-date=2018-11-03 }}</ref>
Kelly has written numerous scripts that have not been produced, among them adaptations of [[Kurt Vonnegut]]'s ''[[Cat's Cradle]]''<ref>[http://richard-kelly.net/multimedia/scripts/index.html#holes Richard-kelly.net] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310164955/http://richard-kelly.net/multimedia/scripts/index.html#holes |date=March 10, 2008 }}</ref> and [[Louis Sachar]]'s ''[[Holes (novel)|Holes]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://twitter.com/jrichardkelly/status/815269981445308416?lang=en |title=Richard Kelly on Twitter |work=Twitter |access-date=November 3, 2018 |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112024701/https://twitter.com/jrichardkelly/status/815269981445308416?lang=en |url-status=live }}</ref>


His fourth film, and second feature, ''[[Southland Tales]]'', a rough cut of which screened in competition at the [[2006 Cannes Film Festival]],<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4359806/year/2006.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Southland Tales |access-date=2009-12-13 |work=festival-cannes.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822190216/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4359806/year/2006.html |archive-date=August 22, 2011 }}</ref> was released November 16, 2007 and stars [[Dwayne Johnson]], [[Sarah Michelle Gellar]], [[Seann William Scott]], [[Kevin Smith]] and [[Miranda Richardson]].
His fourth film and second feature, ''[[Southland Tales]]'', a rough cut of which screened in competition at the [[2006 Cannes Film Festival]],<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4359806/year/2006.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Southland Tales |access-date=December 13, 2009 |work=festival-cannes.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822190216/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4359806/year/2006.html |archive-date=August 22, 2011 }}</ref> was released November 16, 2007, and stars [[Dwayne Johnson]], [[Sarah Michelle Gellar]], [[Seann William Scott]], [[Kevin Smith]] and [[Miranda Richardson]].


In 2008, Kelly's production company Darko Entertainment announced that it was producing the adaptation of the bestselling book ''[[I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell]]'' with director [[Bob Gosse]].<ref>{{cite news
In 2008, Kelly's production company Darko Entertainment announced that it was producing the adaptation of the bestselling book ''[[I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell]]'' with director [[Bob Gosse]].<ref>{{cite news
Line 38: Line 36:
| publisher = Variety
| publisher = Variety
| date = June 5, 2008
| date = June 5, 2008
| url = https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117986988.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1
| url = https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/darko-to-serve-tucker-max-s-beer-1117986988/
| access-date = June 20, 2008
| access-date = 2008-06-20}}</ref><ref>[http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/06/06/darko-entertainment-adapting-i-hope-they-serve-beer-in-hell/ FirstShowing.net] Darko Entertainment Adapting I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell</ref> The book's author [[Tucker Max]] detailed Kelly's involvement in the process on his blog.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ihopetheyservebeerinhell.com/archives/darko_to_serve.html |title=IHSTBIH Blog Entry: Darko to serve Tucker Max's Beer |date=June 6, 2008 |publisher=ihopetheyservebeerinhell.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828033152/http://ihopetheyservebeerinhell.com/archives/darko_to_serve.html |archive-date=August 28, 2008 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.richard-kelly.net/news/news.php?id=454&from=home Tucker Max shares his opinion of Darko Entertainment] Richard Kelly's homepage {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210050936/http://www.richard-kelly.net/news/news.php?id=454&from=home |date=December 10, 2008 }}</ref>
| archive-date = July 3, 2010
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100703173059/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117986988.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1
| url-status = live
}}</ref><ref>[http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/06/06/darko-entertainment-adapting-i-hope-they-serve-beer-in-hell/ FirstShowing.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610004107/http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/06/06/darko-entertainment-adapting-i-hope-they-serve-beer-in-hell/ |date=June 10, 2008 }} Darko Entertainment Adapting I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell</ref> The book's author [[Tucker Max]] detailed Kelly's involvement in the process on his blog.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ihopetheyservebeerinhell.com/archives/darko_to_serve.html |title=IHSTBIH Blog Entry: Darko to serve Tucker Max's Beer |date=June 6, 2008 |publisher=ihopetheyservebeerinhell.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828033152/http://ihopetheyservebeerinhell.com/archives/darko_to_serve.html |archive-date=August 28, 2008 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.richard-kelly.net/news/news.php?id=454&from=home Tucker Max shares his opinion of Darko Entertainment] Richard Kelly's homepage {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210050936/http://www.richard-kelly.net/news/news.php?id=454&from=home |date=December 10, 2008 }}</ref>


After the release of ''[[The Box (2009 film)|The Box]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/17933|title=Video Interviews with the Director and Stars of 'The Box'|publisher=BloodyDisgusting|date=November 3, 2009}}</ref> he said he was working on a thriller "set in Manhattan in the year 2014. We hope to shoot the movie in [[3D film|3-D]], and part of the movie would be filmed using full CGI motion capture."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/17934|title=Richard Kelly Planning 3-D Thriller!|first=Chris|last=Eggertsen|publisher=BloodyDisgusting|date=November 3, 2009}}</ref> In 2011 he announced that he was writing and directing ''Corpus Christi'', a [[Texas]]-set film to be produced by [[Eli Roth]].<ref name= "comeback">{{cite news |last=Zeitchik |first=Steven |url= http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/02/richard-kelly-donnie-darko-corpus-christi-new-movie-the-box.html |title=Richard Kelly looks to cash in another comeback ticket |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=2011-02-17 |access-date=2011-02-21}}</ref>
After the release of ''[[The Box (2009 film)|The Box]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/17933|title=Video Interviews with the Director and Stars of 'The Box'|publisher=BloodyDisgusting|date=November 3, 2009|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-date=August 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809011234/http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/17933|url-status=live}}</ref> he said he was working on a thriller "set in Manhattan in the year 2014. We hope to shoot the movie in [[3D film|3-D]], and part of the movie would be filmed using full CGI motion capture."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/17934|title=Richard Kelly Planning 3-D Thriller!|first=Chris|last=Eggertsen|publisher=BloodyDisgusting|date=November 3, 2009|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-date=August 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809004203/http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/17934|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2011, he announced that he was writing and directing ''Corpus Christi'', a [[Texas]]-set film to be produced by [[Eli Roth]].<ref name= "comeback">{{cite news |last=Zeitchik |first=Steven |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/02/richard-kelly-donnie-darko-corpus-christi-new-movie-the-box.html |title=Richard Kelly looks to cash in another comeback ticket |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=February 17, 2011 |access-date=February 21, 2011 |archive-date=August 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815043711/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/02/richard-kelly-donnie-darko-corpus-christi-new-movie-the-box.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
The production was cancelled due to financial and casting problems. Kelly stated that he would instead focus on a true-crime thriller titled ''Amicus'' which was set to star [[James Gandolfini]]; however, the movie went unmade following the actor's death in 2013.<ref>{{cite news
The production was cancelled due to financial and casting problems. Kelly said he would instead focus on a true crime thriller titled ''Amicus'', starring [[James Gandolfini]], whose death in 2013 prevented that.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Siegel
| last = Siegel
| first = Tatiana
| first = Tatiana
| title = Anatomy of a Cannes Disaster: What Happened After 'Southland Tales' was Booed
| title = Anatomy of a Cannes Disaster: What Happened After 'Southland Tales' was Booed
| work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]
| work = [[The Hollywood Reporter]]
| date = May 5, 2016
| date = May 5, 2016
| url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/anatomy-a-cannes-disaster-what-890749
| url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/anatomy-a-cannes-disaster-what-890749
| access-date = 2016-05-17}}</ref>
| access-date = May 17, 2016
| archive-date = December 3, 2020
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201203093643/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/anatomy-a-cannes-disaster-what-890749
| url-status = live
}}</ref>


In an interview with ''[[PopMatters]]'' magazine in 2017, Kelly said in regards to doing an official sequel to ''Donnie Darko'', "I'm open to doing something much bigger and longer and more ambitious that could be a new story," Kelly said and then added, "We'll see what happens. I have a lot of stuff that I'm working on and it's ambitious and it's expensive and we'll see what happens."<ref name=D>{{cite web|work=[[PopMatters]]|title=Mainstream Darko: Director Richard Kelly on Building His Own Sandbox|date=3 April 2017|author=Maçek III, J.C.|url=https://www.popmatters.com/feature/mainstream-darko-richard-kelly-interview-donnie-darko/}}</ref> In regards to the 2009 ''Donnie Darko'' sequel ''[[S. Darko]]'' Kelly has said, "I had nothing to do with it. And I hate it when people try and blame me or hold me responsible for it because I had no [involvement]. I don't control the underlying rights to [the Donnie Darko franchise]. I had to relinquish them when I was 24 years old. I hate when people ask me about that because I've never seen it and I never will, so… don't ask me about the sequel."<ref name=D/>
In an interview with ''[[PopMatters]]'' magazine in 2017, Kelly said in regard to doing an official sequel to ''Donnie Darko'': "I'm open to doing something much bigger and longer and more ambitious that could be a new story," Kelly said and then added, "We'll see what happens. I have a lot of stuff that I'm working on and it's ambitious and it's expensive and we'll see what happens."<ref name=D>{{cite web|work=[[PopMatters]]|title=Mainstream Darko: Director Richard Kelly on Building His Own Sandbox|date=April 3, 2017|author=Maçek III, J.C.|url=https://www.popmatters.com/feature/mainstream-darko-richard-kelly-interview-donnie-darko/|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-date=October 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018214228/http://www.popmatters.com/feature/mainstream-darko-richard-kelly-interview-donnie-darko/|url-status=live}}</ref> Regarding the 2009 ''Donnie Darko'' sequel ''[[S. Darko]]'', Kelly has said: "I had nothing to do with it. And I hate it when people try and blame me or hold me responsible for it because I had no [involvement]. I don't control the underlying rights to [the ''Donnie Darko'' franchise]. I had to relinquish them when I was 24 years old. I hate when people ask me about that because I've never seen it and I never will, so… don't ask me about the sequel."<ref name=D/>


==Reception==
==Reception==
In 2016, filmmaker [[Kevin Smith]] said of Kelly: "He is insanely creative and is not unlike [[Christopher Nolan]]. But Nolan wound up in the Warner Bros. system where he got special handling, and he got a lot of money to make huge art films like ''[[Inception]]''. Richard can be one of our greatest filmmakers. He is right now, but just a lot of people don't realize it. He's still a kid, and someone needs to Nolan that kid."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/anatomy-a-cannes-disaster-what-890749 | title=Anatomy of a Cannes Disaster: What Happened After 'Southland Tales' Was Booed | date=May 9, 2016 | access-date=January 15, 2017 | work=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref>
In 2016, filmmaker [[Kevin Smith]] said of Kelly: "He is insanely creative and is not unlike [[Christopher Nolan]]. But Nolan wound up in the Warner Bros. system where he got special handling, and he got a lot of money to make huge art films like ''[[Inception]]''. Richard can be one of our greatest filmmakers. He is right now, but just a lot of people don't realize it. He's still a kid, and someone needs to Nolan that kid."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/anatomy-a-cannes-disaster-what-890749 | title=Anatomy of a Cannes Disaster: What Happened After 'Southland Tales' Was Booed | date=May 9, 2016 | access-date=January 15, 2017 | work=The Hollywood Reporter | archive-date=December 3, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203093643/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/anatomy-a-cannes-disaster-what-890749 | url-status=live }}</ref>


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
'''Short film'''
===Films===
{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
! Year
! Year
Line 71: Line 77:
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
| Short film<br>Also sound designer
| Also sound designer
|-
|-
| 1997
| 1997
Line 78: Line 84:
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
| {{No}}
| {{No}}
|
| Short film
|-
|}

'''Feature film'''
{|class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! width="65"| Director
! width="65"| Writer
! width="65"| Producer
|-
|-
| 2001
| 2001
Line 85: Line 101:
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
| {{No}}
| {{No}}
|
|-
|-
| 2004
| 2004
Line 92: Line 107:
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
| {{No}}
| {{No}}
|
|-
|-
| 2005
| 2005
Line 99: Line 113:
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
| {{No}}
| {{No}}
| Co-written with [[Steve Barancik]]
|-
|-
| 2006
| 2006
Line 106: Line 119:
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
| {{No}}
| {{No}}
|
|-
|-
| 2009
|rowspan=3| 2009
| ''[[World's Greatest Dad]]''
| ''[[World's Greatest Dad]]''
| {{No}}
| {{No}}
| {{No}}
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
|
|-
|-
| 2009
| ''[[I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (film)|I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell]]''
| ''[[I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (film)|I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell]]''
| {{No}}
| {{No}}
| {{No}}
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
|
|-
|-
| 2009
| ''[[The Box (2009 film)|The Box]]''
| ''[[The Box (2009 film)|The Box]]''
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
| Based on the 1970 short story "[[Button, Button (Matheson short story)|Button, Button]]" by [[Richard Matheson]]
|-
|-
| 2010
| 2010
Line 134: Line 141:
| {{No}}
| {{No}}
| {{Yes}}
| {{Yes}}
|
|}
|}


==Awards and nominations==
==Awards and nominations==
{|class="wikitable"

! Year
===Nominated===
! Award
* 2001 – [[Sundance Film Festival]], [[Film festival|Grand Jury Prize]] (''Donnie Darko'')
! Category
* 2001 – [[Sitges Film Festival|Sitges – Catalan International Film Festival]], Best Film (''Donnie Darko'')
! Title
* 2002 – [[Online Film Critics Society]] Awards, OFCS Award (''Donnie Darko'')
! Result
* 2002 – [[Independent Spirit Awards]], Best First Feature (''Donnie Darko'')
|-
* 2002 – Independent Spirit Awards, Best First Screenplay (''Donnie Darko'')
|rowspan=2|2001
* 2002 – [[Chicago Film Critics Association]] Awards, Most Promising Director
* 2006 – [[Cannes Film Festival]], [[Palme d'Or]] (Southland Tales)
| [[Sundance Film Festival]]
| [[Film festival|Grand Jury Prize]]
|rowspan=5|''Donnie Darko''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Sitges Film Festival]]
| Best Film
| {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=4|2002
| [[Online Film Critics Society]]
| Breakthrough Filmmaker
| {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=2| [[Independent Spirit Awards]]
| [[Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature|Best First Feature]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay|Best First Screenplay]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association]]
|colspan=2| Most Promising Director
| {{nom}}
|-
| 2006
| [[Cannes Film Festival]]
| [[Palme d'Or]]
| ''Southland Tales''
| {{nom}}
|}


==References==
==References==
Line 160: Line 196:


{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Richard}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Richard}}
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:American film producers]]
[[Category:American film producers]]
[[Category:American male screenwriters]]
[[Category:American male screenwriters]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Writers from Richmond, Virginia]]
[[Category:USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni]]
[[Category:USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni]]
[[Category:Film directors from Virginia]]
[[Category:American science fiction film directors]]
[[Category:Science fiction film directors]]
[[Category:People from Newport News, Virginia]]
[[Category:People from Midlothian, Virginia]]
[[Category:People from Midlothian, Virginia]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Virginia]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Virginia]]
[[Category:Postmodernist filmmakers]]
[[Category:Postmodernist filmmakers]]
[[Category:Phi Delta Theta members]]

Latest revision as of 06:30, 20 November 2024

Richard Kelly
Kelly speaking at a screening
Born
James Richard Kelly
Alma materUniversity of Southern California (BFA)
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
  • producer
Years active1996–present

James Richard Kelly is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He wrote and directed the films Donnie Darko (2001), Southland Tales (2006), and The Box (2009).

Early life

[edit]

Kelly grew up in Midlothian, Virginia, where he attended Midlothian High School and graduated in 1993.[1] When he was a child, his father worked for NASA on the Mars Viking Lander program. He won a scholarship to the University of Southern California to study at the USC School of Cinema-Television where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He made two short films at USC, The Goodbye Place and Visceral Matter, before graduating in 1997.[2]

Kelly spoke of viewing the film Brazil with author Robert K. Elder in an interview for The Film That Changed My Life:

I think the greatest thing I learned from Terry is that every frame is worthy of attention to detail. Every frame is worthy of being frozen in time and then thrown on a wall like an oil painting, and if you work hard on every frame, the meaning of your film becomes deeper, more enhanced.[3]

Film career

[edit]

Donnie Darko (2001) is Kelly's first feature and was nominated for 21 awards, winning eleven. It later made #2 on Empire magazine's list of the 50 greatest independent films of all time, behind Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs.[4]

In 2005, Kelly wrote the screenplay for the Tony Scott-directed film, Domino. Kelly has said: "That was a wonderful experience. I wrote that for Tony Scott. That was Tony Scott's very personal project that he had spent eight years developing with Domino Harvey, a close friend of his and almost like a daughter to him. He had spent years trying to tell her story and so that for me, it was an honor for me to get to work with Tony and to write that script for him and to design this really elaborate puzzle for him to tell her story. So that was just a privilege."[5]

Kelly has written numerous scripts that have not been produced, among them adaptations of Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle[6] and Louis Sachar's Holes.[7]

His fourth film and second feature, Southland Tales, a rough cut of which screened in competition at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival,[8] was released November 16, 2007, and stars Dwayne Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott, Kevin Smith and Miranda Richardson.

In 2008, Kelly's production company Darko Entertainment announced that it was producing the adaptation of the bestselling book I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell with director Bob Gosse.[9][10] The book's author Tucker Max detailed Kelly's involvement in the process on his blog.[11][12]

After the release of The Box,[13] he said he was working on a thriller "set in Manhattan in the year 2014. We hope to shoot the movie in 3-D, and part of the movie would be filmed using full CGI motion capture."[14] In 2011, he announced that he was writing and directing Corpus Christi, a Texas-set film to be produced by Eli Roth.[15] The production was cancelled due to financial and casting problems. Kelly said he would instead focus on a true crime thriller titled Amicus, starring James Gandolfini, whose death in 2013 prevented that.[16]

In an interview with PopMatters magazine in 2017, Kelly said in regard to doing an official sequel to Donnie Darko: "I'm open to doing something much bigger and longer and more ambitious that could be a new story," Kelly said and then added, "We'll see what happens. I have a lot of stuff that I'm working on and it's ambitious and it's expensive and we'll see what happens."[5] Regarding the 2009 Donnie Darko sequel S. Darko, Kelly has said: "I had nothing to do with it. And I hate it when people try and blame me or hold me responsible for it because I had no [involvement]. I don't control the underlying rights to [the Donnie Darko franchise]. I had to relinquish them when I was 24 years old. I hate when people ask me about that because I've never seen it and I never will, so… don't ask me about the sequel."[5]

Reception

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In 2016, filmmaker Kevin Smith said of Kelly: "He is insanely creative and is not unlike Christopher Nolan. But Nolan wound up in the Warner Bros. system where he got special handling, and he got a lot of money to make huge art films like Inception. Richard can be one of our greatest filmmakers. He is right now, but just a lot of people don't realize it. He's still a kid, and someone needs to Nolan that kid."[17]

Filmography

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Short film

Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1996 The Goodbye Place Yes Yes Yes Also sound designer
1997 Visceral Matter Yes Yes No

Feature film

Year Title Director Writer Producer
2001 Donnie Darko Yes Yes No
2004 Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut Yes Yes No
2005 Domino No Yes No
2006 Southland Tales Yes Yes No
2009 World's Greatest Dad No No Yes
I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell No No Yes
The Box Yes Yes Yes
2010 Operation: Endgame No No Yes

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Title Result
2001 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Donnie Darko Nominated
Sitges Film Festival Best Film Nominated
2002 Online Film Critics Society Breakthrough Filmmaker Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards Best First Feature Nominated
Best First Screenplay Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Most Promising Director Nominated
2006 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or Southland Tales Nominated

References

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  1. ^ The New York Times Archived March 9, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Notable Alumni, USC School of Cinematic Arts. Archived February 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Kelly, Richard. Interview by Robert K. Elder. The Film That Changed My Life. By Robert K. Elder. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2011. N. p54. Print.
  4. ^ The 50 Greatest Independent Films, Empire Online Archived July 25, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ a b c Maçek III, J.C. (April 3, 2017). "Mainstream Darko: Director Richard Kelly on Building His Own Sandbox". PopMatters. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  6. ^ Richard-kelly.net Archived March 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Richard Kelly on Twitter". Twitter. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  8. ^ "Festival de Cannes: Southland Tales". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  9. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (June 5, 2008). "Darko to serve Tucker Max's 'Beer'". Variety. Archived from the original on July 3, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
  10. ^ FirstShowing.net Archived June 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Darko Entertainment Adapting I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell
  11. ^ "IHSTBIH Blog Entry: Darko to serve Tucker Max's Beer". ihopetheyservebeerinhell.com. June 6, 2008. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008.
  12. ^ Tucker Max shares his opinion of Darko Entertainment Richard Kelly's homepage Archived December 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "Video Interviews with the Director and Stars of 'The Box'". BloodyDisgusting. November 3, 2009. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  14. ^ Eggertsen, Chris (November 3, 2009). "Richard Kelly Planning 3-D Thriller!". BloodyDisgusting. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  15. ^ Zeitchik, Steven (February 17, 2011). "Richard Kelly looks to cash in another comeback ticket". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  16. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (May 5, 2016). "Anatomy of a Cannes Disaster: What Happened After 'Southland Tales' was Booed". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  17. ^ "Anatomy of a Cannes Disaster: What Happened After 'Southland Tales' Was Booed". The Hollywood Reporter. May 9, 2016. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
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