Todd Komarnicki
Todd Komarnicki | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 19, 1965 |
| Occupation(s) | Director, producer, writer |
| Years active | 2003–present |
Todd Komarnicki (born 19 October 1965) is an American playwright, novelist, screenwriter, director, and producer.
Career
In the literary world, his first novel, Free, was published by Doubleday in 1993 and his second novel, Famine (Arcade 1997), received tremendous reviews and was subsequently translated into French, Italian, and German. His third novel, war, was published to exceptional reviews in July of 2008 by Arcade.[1]
His career breakthrough was producing Elf (with Jon Berg), the 2003 Christmas movie starring Will Ferrell and directed by Jon Favreau.[2] In the same year, Komarnicki wrote and directed Resistance, a Dutch/American World War II film starring Bill Paxton and Julia Ormond, based on Anita Shreeve's novel of the same name. In 2007, he wrote the neo-noir psychological thriller film Perfect Stranger, directed by James Foley, and starring Halle Berry and Bruce Willis.[3] Komarnicki also co-wrote The Professor and the Madman[4] (2019) with Farhad Safinia, starring Mel Gibson and Sean Penn.[5]
Komarnicki has written EARTH ABIDES, for MGM+, an adaptation of the international sci-fi favorite, by George Stewart, the series premiered December 1st, 2024.[6]
Komarnicki is the president & founder of the production/management company Guy Walks Into A Bar. Komarnicki's films have accounted for well over half a billion dollars at the box office.
Elf
Komarnicki produced the Christmas blockbuster ELF starring Will Ferrell and directed by Jon Favreau. The film amassed over $220 million worldwide, and has become a perennial favorite every Christmas season.
Meet Dave
Produced by Guy Walks Into a Bar, Meet Dave (2008) is a bawdy space comedy starring Eddie Murphy and Elizabeth Banks, directed by Brian Robbins and written by Rob Greenberg and Bill Corbett.[7]
Sully
Komarnicki received critical acclaim for writing Sully (2015), starring Tom Hanks and directed by Clint Eastwood.[8] Sully is about Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River, based on Sullenberger's 2009 autobiography Highest Duty.[9] The film debuted at $35.5 million in the U.S. its opening weekend,[10] and went on to gross a total of $238 million worldwide, outperforming initial expectations. Sully was selected as an AFI Top Ten film for 2016,[11] and won Best Foreign Film at the 40th Japanese Academy Prize Awards 2017.[12]
Bonhoeffer
Written, produced and directed by Komarnicki, Bonhoeffer,[13] formerly known as God's Spy is the true story of pastor-turned-spy Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The film stars Jonas Dassler, Moritz Bleibtreu, August Diehl, David Jonsson, and Flula Borg. It released November 22, 2024.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Functioned as | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Producer | |||
| 2003 | Resistance | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2003 | Elf | Yes | |||
| 2007 | Perfect Stranger | Yes | |||
| 2008 | Giants of Radio | Yes | TV movie, executive producer | ||
| 2008 | Meet Dave | Yes | |||
| 2009 | This Might Hurt | Yes | TV movie, executive producer | ||
| 2016 | Sully | Yes | |||
| 2019 | The Professor and the Madman | Yes | |||
| 2024 | Bonhoeffer | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2024 | Earth Abides | Yes | TV series, created by | ||
References
- ^ Komarnicki's biography at Amazon MGM Studios
- ^ McNary, Dave (18 December 2003). "'Elf' esteem at Paramount". Variety.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (2007-04-12). "'Perfect Stranger': Unearthing secrets, by any means necessary". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ^ Safinia, Farhad (2019-05-10), The Professor and the Madman (Biography, Drama, History), Mel Gibson, Sean Penn, Eddie Marsan, Voltage Pictures, Fábrica de Cine, Definition Films, retrieved 2025-07-14
- ^ Lodderhose, Diana (2016-09-30). "Ioan Gruffudd Joins Mel Gibson & Sean Penn For 'The Professor And The Madman'". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ^ Earth Abides on IMDb
- ^ Robbins, Brian (11 July 2008). "Meet Dave".
- ^ "Sully (2016) - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com.
- ^ McNary, Dave (19 December 2015). "Tom Hanks' 'Sully' to Land in September". Variety.
- ^ "'Sully' Flies Past The Box Office Competition With $35.5 Million Debut". Huffington Post. 11 September 2016.
- ^ "AFI Awards". www.afi.com.
- ^ "'Godzilla Resurgence' Wins Big at 40th Japan Academy Prize Awards". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2025-07-14.