Joseph Aaron Carnahan(born May 9, 1969) is an Americanfilm director,screenwriter,producer andactorwhose films includeBlood, Guts, Bullets and Octane;[1]Narc;Smokin' Aces;The A-Team;The Grey;andBoss Level.He also wrote and directed several episodes for theNBCtelevision seriesThe Blacklist.He is the brother of screenwriterMatthew Michael Carnahanand producer Leah Carnahan.
Joe Carnahan | |
|---|---|
 Carnahan at theA-Teamfilm premiere | |
| Born | Joseph Aaron Carnahan May 9, 1969 Michigan,U.S. |
| Alma mater | Sacramento State University |
| Occupation(s) | Film director,screenwriter,producer |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Matthew Michael Carnahan(brother) |
Early life
editCarnahan was raised inMichiganandNorthern California.Carnahan graduated fromFairfield High Schoolin 1987, where he also played football.[citation needed]He attended college atSan Francisco State University[citation needed]but later transferred toCalifornia State University, Sacramento,and earned hisB.A.in Filmography there.[2]Carnahan eventually became employed in the Promotional Department ofSacramento'sKMAX-TV,producing short films and television spots.[3]
Film career
editIn 1998, he won some cult and critical acclaim for his filmBlood, Guts, Bullets and Octanewhich premiered in September 1997 at the New York Independent Feature Film Market and later at the 1998Sundance Film Festival.
He directed the 2002 Detroit-set thrillerNarc,starringRay LiottaandJason Patric.FollowingNarc,he directed an entry in theBMW FilmstitledTickerstarringClive OwenandDon Cheadle.At one point he was solicited to directMission: Impossible III,produced byTom CruiseandPaula Wagner(who also executive producedNarc), however, he subsequently left the production due to conflicting views on the tone of the film. It was also announced in October 2005, Carnahan would be directing a film based on the life of convicted drug dealer Will Wright, but the project seems to be abandoned.
His next film,Smokin' Aces,was produced in 2006 and released in January 2007. He also co-wrote the screenplay ofPride and Glory,released in 2008, nearly a year behind schedule.
He was attached to direct an adaptation ofJames Ellroy's novelWhite JazzwithGeorge Clooneyproducing and starring, but Clooney later pulled out from the production and in 2009, Ellroy stated that all adaptations of the film were dead.[4]
In 2007, Carnahan pennedRemarkable Fellowsfor Universal withJason Batemanset to star,[5]but the film never went into production.
In 2010,Brian Bloomand Carnahan were then hired by Fox for the revamping of their long-gestatingA-Teamproject, based on the hit'80's television series.He also showed interest in directing film adaptations forGarth Ennis' graphic novelPreacherandDavid Michelinie'sTaskmaster.[6]
In 2011, he directed the thrillerThe Grey,starringLiam Neeson.[7]
Carnahan was one of the executive producers forNBC'sThe Blacklist,starringJames SpaderandMegan Boone,during its first season. He directed the pilot, and went on to co-write and direct the ninth episode, "Anslo Garrick". Carnahan also wrote the story for episode 16, "Mako Tanida".
He is currently writing the script for the film adaptation of theMark Millarcomic book seriesNemesiswith his brother Matthew and will be directing.[8][9]He is also set to directMark Bowden's bookKilling Pablo.[10]
Carnahan executive produced the NBC political thrillerState of Affairs,starringKatherine HeiglandAlfre Woodard,which premiered November 17, 2014. He directed and co-wrote the pilot.
In April 2022,Lionsgate Filmsrevealed that Carnahan will directShadow Force,starringKerry WashingtonandOmar Sy.[11]
In June 2023, Carnahan began filmingNot Without Hope,a survival thriller adapted from the non-fiction book by Nick Schuyler and Jeré Longman and starringZachary LeviandJosh Duhamel.
On June 18, 2024, it was announced that Carnahan would write and direct the crime thrillerRIP,starringBen Affleck(who had previously worked with Carnahan onSmokin' Aces) andMatt Damon,with the project to be produced by Affleck and Damon'sArtists Equity.[12]On July 2, it was announced that the project had been acquired byNetflix.[13]Production onRIPbegan in October 2024.[14]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Karate Raider | No | Yes | No | |
| 1998 | Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also editor |
| 2002 | Narc | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2006 | Smokin' Aces | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2008 | Pride and Glory | No | Yes | No | |
| 2010 | The A-Team | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2011 | The Grey | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2014 | Stretch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Direct-to-video |
| 2018 | Death Wish | No | Yes | No | |
| El Chicano | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2020 | Bad Boys for Life | No | Yes | No | |
| Boss Level | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2021 | Copshop | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2025 | RIP | Yes | Yes | No | Post-production |
| TBA | Shadow Force | Yes | Yes | No | Post-production |
| Not Without Hope | Yes | Yes | Yes | Post-production[15] |
Producer only
- The Fourth Kind(2009)
- Wheelman(2017)
- Point Blank(2019)
Associate producer
- The Devil Takes a Holiday(1996)
Executive producer
- Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball(2010) (Also story writer)
- Into the Ashes(2019)
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane | Sid French | |
| 2010 | The A-Team | Mike 'The Operator' | Credited as "Bo Anzo" |
| 2018 | El Chicano | Role: Federal #1 | |
| 2020 | Boss Level | Guy in diner | Uncredited |
Short films
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Taco Heaven | No | Yes | No | |
| 2000 | Nail in My Coffin | No | No | No | Editor |
| 2002 | Ticker | Yes | Yes | No | Segment from theBMWshort film seriesThe Hire |
| 2003 | Boyz Up Unauthorized | No | No | Executive | |
| 2009 | Susannah | No | No | Yes | |
| 2011 | The Devil's Dosh | No | No | Executive |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Faceless | Yes | Yes | No | Unsold TV pilot |
| 2013 | Dino and Dash | No | Executive | No | Television film |
| The Blacklist | Yes | No | Yes | ||
| 2014 | Those Who Kill | Yes | No | No | |
| State of Affairs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Frequent collaborators
edit| Collaborator | Narc | Smokin' Aces | The A-Team | The Grey | Stretch | Boss Level | Copshop | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Barton | 
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|
2 | |||||
| Brian Bloom |
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|
2 | |||||
| James Badge Dale |
|
|
2 | |||||
| Mauro Fiore |
|
|
2 | |||||
| Frank Grillo |
|
|
|
3 | ||||
| Christopher Michael Holley |
|
|
2 | |||||
| Quinton Jackson |
|
|
2 | |||||
| Ray Liotta |
|
|
|
3 | ||||
| Liam Neeson |
|
|
2 | |||||
| Chris Pine |
|
|
2 | |||||
| Ridley Scott |
|
|
2 | |||||
| Maury Sterling |
|
|
2 | |||||
| Patrick Wilson |
|
|
2 |
References
edit- ^Holden, Stephen(April 9, 1999)."'Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane': Don't Buy a Used Car From Either of Them ".The New York Times.
- ^"CSU Alumni: Entertainment & Media – JOE CARNAHAN".California State University.RetrievedFebruary 2,2019.
- a"CSU Sacramento, B.A. Film Studies (1994)."
- ^"Sacramento's Joe Carnahan and Liam Neeson Tomorrow!".Good Day Sacramento.January 26, 2012.RetrievedJuly 20,2013.
- a"...(who started right here at Good Day Sacramento,)." — ¶ 1.
- ^Conley, Stephen (September 21, 2009)."James Ellroy".The Cult. Archived fromthe originalon January 2, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 21,2009.
- ^Fleming, Michael (May 16, 2007)."Universal buys 'Remarkable' pitch".Variety.RetrievedMay 16,2007.
- ^Marnell, Blair (June 6, 2010)."'A-Team' Director Wants 'Taskmaster' And 'Preacher' Movies ".MTV. Archived fromthe originalon June 8, 2010.RetrievedJune 6,2010.
- ^"Joe Carnahan Talks 'A-Team' DVD And Sequel, Says 'The Grey' Will Be 'Jaws-Like'".Archived fromthe originalon 2012-07-11.
- ^Carnahan, Joe (December 29, 2012)."Joe Carnahan Teases His Adaptation Of Mark Millar's NEMESIS".Twitter.RetrievedDecember 29,2012.
- ^Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 4, 2013)."Mark Millar Raving Over Carnahan Clan Adaptation Of 'Nemesis'".Deadline.RetrievedOctober 4,2013.
- ^Chitwood, Adam (April 11, 2012)."Director Joe Carnahan Talks Mark Millar's NEMESIS and KILLING PABLO".Collider.RetrievedApril 11,2012.
- ^Wiseman, Andreas (April 8, 2022)."Omar Sy & Kerry Washington Set To Star In Lionsgate Action-Thriller 'Shadow Force'; Joe Carnahan Directing".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedNovember 16,2022.
- ^Kroll, Justin (June 18, 2024)."Matt Damon & Ben Affleck To Star In Crime Thriller 'RIP' From Artists Equity And Joe Carnahan: Hot Package".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedOctober 9,2024.
- ^Kroll, Justin (July 2, 2024)."Netflix Lands Artists Equity's Crime Thriller 'RIP' Starring Matt Damon And Ben Affleck With Joe Carnahan Directing".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedOctober 9,2024.
- ^Kit, Borys (October 10, 2024)."Kyle Chandler Joins Ben Affleck, Matt Damon in Netflix Crime Thriller 'RIP' (Exclusive)".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedNovember 28,2024.
The actor will squeeze inRIPbeforeLanterns,as the Netflix feature begins production later this month in Miami and Los Angeles.
- ^Lang, Brent (15 June 2023)."Josh Duhamel Joins Joe Carnahan's Survival Thriller 'Not Without Hope' (EXCLUSIVE)".Variety.Retrieved31 August2023.