Destin Daniel Cretton
Cretton at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con
Born
Haiku, Hawaii, U.S.[1]
Alma materPoint Loma Nazarene University
San Diego State University
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
  • producer
  • editor
Years active2002–present
Spouse
Nicola Chapman
​
(m. 2016)​
Children2

Destin Daniel Cretton is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his films Short Term 12 (2013), The Glass Castle (2017), Just Mercy (2019) and the Marvel Studios film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).

Early life

Cretton was born and raised in Haiku, Hawaii on the island of Maui. He is half-Japanese descent.[2][3] He was home-schooled by his Christian mother.[4][5] His sister Joy is a costume designer who has worked on several of Destin's projects.[6] He lived in Haiku in a two-bedroom house with his five siblings,[7] until he was 19 years old. He moved to San Diego, California to attend Point Loma Nazarene University, where he majored in communications.[8] After graduating, Cretton worked for two years as a staff person at a group home for at-risk teenagers.[9][10]

He made short films as a hobby, which developed as a vocational path. He attended and graduated from film school at San Diego State University.[9]

Career

While at San Diego State University, Cretton made a 22-minute short film, Short Term 12, based on his experiences at the facility for teenagers. The short film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking.[11]

Cretton at the Deauville American Film Festival in 2013

After graduating from film school, Cretton made his feature directorial debut with the 90 minute film, I Am Not a Hipster, which premiered at Sundance on January 20, 2012.[12] The film was produced by Ron Najor, who would later go on to produce the feature adaptation of Short Term 12 alongside Maren Olson, Asher Goldstein, and Joshua Astrachan.[13] Cretton's feature-length screenplay won one of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' five Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting in 2010.[14]

The film premiered on March 10, 2013, at South by Southwest, where it won the Grand Jury and Audience Awards for a Narrative Feature.[15] Widely acclaimed as one of the best films of 2013, it was listed on many film critics' annual top ten lists.[16] The film earned several accolades, including three Independent Spirit Award nominations.[17]

In 2014, Cretton was attached to rewrite the script and direct The Glass Castle, an adaptation of Jeannette Walls' 2005 best-selling memoir of the same name about a successful young woman raised by severely dysfunctional parents.[18] Starring Brie Larson, the film also features Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts as her alcoholic father and eccentric mother, respectively.[19] Larson's role was originally considered by Jennifer Lawrence, but she dropped out while the studio was seeking the male lead.[20] The film was released on August 10, 2017.[19] It received mixed reviews from critics; they praised the performances of its cast (particularly Larson and Harrelson) but criticized the emotional tones and adaptation of the source material.[21]

In 2016, it was announced that Ryan Coogler had teamed up with Cretton and poet/playwright Chinaka Hodge to develop Minors, a television drama series produced by Charles D. King. Drawing from Cretton's experiences working in residential foster care, Hodge's background teaching under-served youth in San Francisco Bay area continuation schools and Coogler's upbringing in the East Bay, Minors promises to take an unflinching look at institutionalization, exploring juvenile facilities and the children who grow up in that system. The series will show how that system shapes young people over a one-year period. Hodge will write the series, and Coogler and Cretton will direct.[22]

Cretton in 2019

Cretton subsequently teamed with Larson and Michael B. Jordan for Just Mercy, a drama film based on civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson's New York Times bestselling memoir: Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption.[23] Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama, where he provided defense counsel to men on death row. The plot follows Stevenson (Jordan) as he explores the case of a death row prisoner, Walter McMillian, whom he fought to free.[24] The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2019,[25] and was theatrically released on December 25, 2019, by Warner Bros. Pictures. Just Mercy was critically acclaimed.[26]

In March 2019, Cretton was hired by Marvel Studios to direct a film based on Shang-Chi.[27] Both the film and Cretton's involvement were confirmed during the San Diego Comic-Con 2019, with the film being titled Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.[28] The film, which is Marvel's first superhero movie tentpole franchise with an Asian protagonist,[23] stars Simu Liu as the title character, with Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Awkwafina co-starring.[28] On January 5, 2020, Cretton said that he signed up to the project because he wanted "to give [his] son a superhero to look up to".[29] The film was set to be released on February 12, 2021,[28] but was delayed to May 7[30] and later July 9[31] due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Shang-Chi's production in Australia was temporarily suspended while Cretton self-isolated. Production was halted on March 12, 2020,[32] and resumed in August 2020 and concluded in October 2020. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was released in theaters on September 3, 2021.[33] In December 2021, Cretton signed a deal with Marvel Studios and Hulu's Onyx Collective to develop a Shang-Chi sequel and new Disney+ MCU series through his production banner Family Owned.[34] In June 2022, the series was revealed to be in early development and titled Wonder Man, centered on the character Simon Williams / Wonder Man, with Cretton directing two episodes of the series and developing it with series creator and showrunner Andrew Guest.[35][36] In July, Cretton was confirmed as the director of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty for Marvel Studios.[37] In November 2023, Cretton stepped down as the director of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to focus on other Marvel projects, such as the Shang-Chi sequel and Wonder Man.[36]

In December 2022, Cretton was revealed to be an executive producer on the short film Same Old, which was written and directed by Lloyd Lee Choi. Cretton is set to produce a feature-length film adaptation of the short, titled Lucky Lu, through his Family Owned banner alongside Ron Najor and Asher Goldstein, with Choi returning as writer and director.[38][39] The following year, Cretton was reported to be an executive producer on Choi's short film Closing Dynasty.[39]

Personal life

In 2016, Cretton married fashion designer Nicola "Nikki" Chapman.[40][41] They have two children.[42]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Director Writer Notes
2012 I Am Not a Hipster Yes Yes Also producer and editor
2013 Short Term 12 Yes Yes
2017 The Glass Castle Yes Yes Co-wrote with Andrew Lanham and Marti Noxon
The Shack No Yes Co-wrote with John Fusco and Andrew Lanham
2019 Just Mercy Yes Yes Co-wrote with Andrew Lanham
2021 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Yes Yes Co-wrote with Dave Callaham and Andrew Lanham

Executive producer

Documentary film

Year Title Director Writer Notes
2006 Drakmar: A Vassal's Journey Yes Yes Also co-producer and editor

Television

Year Title Director Executive Producer Notes
2022–present Tokyo Vice No Yes
2023 American Born Chinese Yes Yes 2 episodes
TBA Wonder Man† Yes Yes Filming on hiatus; 2 episodes[36]

References

  1. ↑ Tekula, Sara (June 17, 2013). "Featured Filmmaker: Destin Cretton, Writer/Director of 'Short Term 12'". Maui Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2017-11-13. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  2. ↑ Willmore, Alison (May 31, 2016). "28 Asian-American Filmmakers You Need To Know". BuzzFeed.
  3. ↑ Robinson, Greg (January 1, 2018). "The Great Unknown and the Unknown Great: Cinematic 20th century Nikkei". Nichi Bei.org.
  4. ↑ Wianecki, Shannon (October–November 2013). "Moving Pictures". Hana Hou!. Vol. 16, no. 5. Archived from the original on 2021-04-18. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  5. ↑ Sugidono, Chris (August 11, 2017). "Filmmaker recalls his Haiku past while directing 'The Glass Castle'". The Maui News.
  6. ↑ Shang-Chi Director Destin Daniel Cretton Reveals His Sister Worked on the Movie's Costumes
  7. ↑ Valentini, Valentina (August 8, 2017). "Director Destin Daniel Cretton Has Always Lived in The Glass Castle". Vanity Fair.
  8. ↑ Goldstein, Jessica (August 30, 2013). "'Short Term 12' writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton on real-life inspiration behind his film". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Meet the 2013 SXSW Filmmakers #30: 'Hipster' Destin Daniel Cretton Returns With Brie Larson Starring Drama 'Short Term 12'". Indiewire. March 5, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  10. ↑ Adams, Sam (August 23, 2013). "Short Term 12 filmmaker Destin Cretton". The Dissolve. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  11. ↑ Goldstein, Jessica (August 31, 2013). "'Short Term 12' writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton on real-life inspiration behind his film". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  12. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (21 January 2012). "I Am Not a Hipster". Variety.
  13. ↑ "Ron Najor". Film Independent.
  14. ↑ "Short Term 12" (PDF) (Press release). Verve Pictures. 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  15. ↑ Hopewell, John (August 11, 2013). "Memento Rolls Out 'Short Term 12' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Film Critic Top 10 Lists - Best Movies of 2013". Metacritic. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  17. ↑ Atkinson, Katie (March 1, 2014). "Independent Spirit Awards 2014: The winners list". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  18. ↑ McNary, Dave (August 8, 2014). "Jennifer Lawrence's 'Glass Castle' Gains Momentum at Lionsgate". Variety. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
  19. 1 2 Kit, Borys (2016-03-29). "Naomi Watts in Talks to Join Brie Larson in Drama 'Glass Castle' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
  20. ↑ Busch, Anita (November 5, 2015). "Woody Harrelson in Talks For 'The Glass Castle' Opposite Brie Larson". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
  21. ↑ Giles, Jeff (August 10, 2017). "Annabelle: Creation is a Potent Prequel". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  22. ↑ Lincoln, Ross A. (February 25, 2016). "Ryan Coogler Teams With Destin Daniel Cretton & Chinaka Hodge For TV Drama 'Minors'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2016-03-25.
  23. 1 2 Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 13, 2019). "Destin Daniel Cretton Marvel's Choice To Direct 'Shang-Chi'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
  24. ↑ Petski, Denise; Ramos, Dino-Ray (August 8, 2018). "Brie Larson In Talks To Join Michael B. Jordan In 'Just Mercy'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
  25. ↑ Lang, Brent (July 23, 2019). "Toronto Film Festival: 'Joker,' 'Ford v Ferrari,' 'Hustlers' Among Big Premieres". Variety. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  26. ↑ "Michael B. Jordan's 'Just Mercy' Lands Year-End Awards Release; 'Sesame Street' Officially Pushed". The Hollywood Reporter. 16 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  27. ↑ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (March 13, 2019). "Marvel's 'Shang-Chi' Sets Director Destin Daniel Cretton". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  28. 1 2 3 Kroll, Justin (July 20, 2019). "Marvel's Shang-Chi Finds Its Lead". Variety. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  29. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (January 5, 2020). "From 'Just Mercy' to 'Shang-Chi': Why Destin Daniel Cretton Shifted Gears for Marvel's Superhero Film". Hollywood Reporter.
  30. ↑ Welk, Brian (April 3, 2020). "'Black Widow' Moves to November as Other MCU Films Shift Back to 2021, 2022". The Wrap.
  31. ↑ Lang, Brent; Rubin, Rebecca (September 23, 2020). "'Black Widow,' 'West Side Story,' 'Eternals' Postpone Release Dates". Variety.
  32. ↑ Kit, Borys (March 12, 2020). "Marvel's 'Shang-Chi' Temporarily Suspends Production as Director Self-Isolates (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  33. ↑ "Is This Our First Look At Tony Leung's Mandarin In 'Shang-Chi'?". Heroic Hollywood. 2021-04-02.
  34. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Andreeva, Nellie; Kroll, Justin (December 6, 2021). "Destin Daniel Cretton Inks Overall Deal With Marvel Studios & Hulu's Onyx Collective; Set For Disney+ MCU Series & 'Shang-Chi' Sequel". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  35. ↑ Kit, Borys (June 16, 2022). "Marvel Developing 'Wonder Man' Series with Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Guest (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  36. 1 2 3 D'Alessasndro, Anthony (November 15, 2023). "Destin Daniel Cretton Departs As Director On 'Avengers: The Kang Dynasty'; Remains Aboard 'Wonder Man', 'Shang-Chi 2' & More In MCU". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  37. ↑ Kit, Borys (July 26, 2022). "'Avengers: The Kang Dynasty' to Be Directed by 'Shang-Chi' Filmmaker' Destin Daniel Cretton (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  38. ↑ Yossman, K. J. (2022-12-13). "Destin Daniel Cretton Boards Lloyd Lee Choi's Short 'Same Old' as Exec Producer, Feature Adaptation in the Works (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  39. 1 2 Yossman, K. J. (2023-12-13). "Gemma Chan, Destin Daniel Cretton Board Lloyd Lee Choi's Short Film 'Closing Dynasty' as Executive Producers (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  40. ↑ "Director Destin Daniel Cretton Has Always Lived in The Glass Castle". Vanity Fair. 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2021-09-04.
  41. ↑ "Zola Registry". www.zola.com. Retrieved 2021-09-04.
  42. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (2020-03-17). "'Shang-Chi' Director Destin Daniel Cretton Tests Negative For Coronavirus, Says "Social Distancing Is An Act Of Love…For Every Person"". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2021-09-04.
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