Barry Sonnenfeld Biography

Barry Sonnenfeld (born April 1, 1953) is an American filmmaker and television director. He worked as cinematographer for the Coen brothers, then later he directed films such as The Addams Family and its sequel, Addams Family Values along with the Men in Black trilogy, and the critically acclaimed Get Shorty.

Life and career

Sonnenfeld was born and raised in New York City, the son of Kelly, an art teacher, and Sonny Sonnenfeld. He was raised in a Jewish family. After he received his bachelor's degree from Hampshire College, he graduated from New York University of Film School in 1978. He began working on pornographic films, before starting work as director of photography on the Oscar-nominated In Our Water (1982). Then Joel Coen and Ethan Coen hired him for Blood Simple (1985). This film began his collaboration with the Coen brothers, who used him for their next two pictures, Raising Arizona (1987) and Miller's Crossing (1990). He also worked with Danny DeVito on Throw Momma from the Train (1987) and Rob Reiner on When Harry Met Sally (1989) and Misery (1990).

Sonnenfeld gained his first work as a director from Paramount Pictures on The Addams Family, a box-office success released in November 1991. Its sequel, Addams Family Values (1993), was not as successful at the box office, but he received critical acclaim for his fourth directorial outing, Get Shorty (1995). Produced by Jersey Films and based on a novel by Elmore Leonard, the film won a Golden Globe for John Travolta (Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical). The film was also entered into the 46th Berlin International Film Festival. Following Tim Burton and the Coen Brothers, Sonnenfeld would tell stories about unusual, unorthodox people who are into the unexpected and the strange. He would use as his trademarks unusual camera angles, offbeat dialog, and in certain films, strange behavior and weird creatures.

In 1996, Steven Spielberg asked him to direct Men in Black (1997). Starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, the film was a critical and financial smash. Producer Jon Peters then asked Sonnenfeld to direct Wild Wild West (1999), an adaptation of an old TV series. Wild Wild West was an expensive disappointment. He also directed the comedy Big Trouble (2002), after which he made his most successful film sequel, Men in Black II (2002). He is also a contributing editor for Esquire. He also co-produced the 2007 film Enchanted for Disney that starred Amy Adams. In 2008, Sonnenfeld earned an Emmy for directing Pushing Daisies. On April 21, 2010, it was announced that Sonnenfeld intended to return for Men in Black 3. The film came out two years later and received good reviews and made more money than the first two films of the series. He lives in New York City with his wife Susan and their child.

Plane Crash

On February 16, 1999, Sonnenfeld was a passenger in a Gulfstream II jet that ran off the end of a runway at Van Nuys Airport.

Filmography

His works include:

• Blood Simple (1984), cinematography
• Compromising Positions (1985), cinematography
• Three O'Clock High (1987), cinematography
• Throw Momma from the Train (1987), cinematography
• Raising Arizona (1987), cinematography
• Big (1988), cinematography
• When Harry Met Sally... (1989), cinematography
• Misery (1990), cinematography
• Miller's Crossing (1990), cinematography
• The Addams Family (1991), Passenger in Gomez' train; director
• Addams Family Values (1993), Mr. Glicker; director
• For Love or Money (1993), director
• Get Shorty (1995), Doorman; director; executive producer
• Men in Black (1997), director
• Out of Sight (1998), executive producer
• Wild Wild West (1999), director; producer
• The Crew (2000), producer
• The Tick (2001"2003), Man on Couch; executive producer
• Men in Black II (2002), Neuralyzed Father; director
• Big Trouble (2002), Confused Sports Radio Call in Voice; director; producer
• RV (2006), director; Irv (photo only)
• Enchanted (2007), producer
• Pushing Daisies (2007), executive producer; director (TV series)
• Space Chimps (2008), producer
• Suburban Shootout (2008), executive producer; director (TV series)
• Men in Black 3 (2012), director

He has also done advertising:

• The Puttermans

Future projects

He is working on new projects, among them include Things a Man Should Never Do Past 30: a single-camera comedy from executive producer/director Sonnenfeld, the Tannenbaum Company and Sony Pictures Television. The project mostly is based on the personal experiences of Esquire writer David Katz and Esquire editor at large A. J. Jacobs. The show is about a man working at a men's magazine who is reluctant to embrace adulthood and his friend who is an immersion journalist. Al Higgins (Malcolm in the Middle), is set to serve as showrunner/head writer if the project is picked up.

He has become attached to a movie adaption of The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz, about a family of private investigators. Sonnenfeld will direct the movie adaption of the fantasy novel Gil's All Fright Diner in partnership with DreamWorks Animation. He is also developing a sitcom for ABC, Funny in Farsi, based on the book of the same name.

Barry is also is in talks with Warner Bros. to make a live action film adaptation of the DC Comics characters, The Metal Men.

He also agreed to direct the Beverly Hills Cop pilot for CBS and serve as an executive producer as well.