DIRECTOR’S REEL

MICHAEL JOHN WARREN
D.G.A. Director
CONTACT
email me
FOLLOW MICHAEL
Like on Facebook Follow on Twitter Tumblr Instagram Threads
LINKS
imdb.com

about michael

Michael John Warren is a multi-Emmy nominated writer, director, showrunner and executive producer known for highly stylized yet story-driven documentaries and innovative concert films.

In early 2023, Deadline announced that Warren is directing and showrunning LOLLA: THE STORY OF LOLLAPALOOZA for Paramount+. In a statement, Warren said, “As a naive teenager trapped in the doldrums of Suburbia, U.S.A, I attended the first-ever Lollapalooza tour, and it totally blew my mind! It was dangerous, beautiful and instantly widened my perspective. So, it’s an honor to be entrusted to tell the true story of one of the most astonishing cultural touchstones in the last half-century.”

A premiere date three-part film series hasn’t been revealed yet.

In 2022 Warren directed the critically acclaimed feature SPRING AWAKENING: THOSE YOU'VE KNOWN for HBO. Using a 2021 reunion concert as a jumping-off point, the film explores the Broadway hit's improbable rise to sweep the 2007 Tony's and the emotional intersection of the show's controversial themes with the budding cast's personal lives. Among the rave reviews, Variety called the film "an unflinching look at the reality of tackling such heavy material at a young age." ABC Radio called the film "masterful." And on Rotten Tomatoes, the film boasts a "100%" on the ever-fickle Tomatometer.

Warren made his directorial debut with what many consider to be the greatest hip-hop film of all time – Jay-Z’s FADE TO BLACK (2004). Since then, he has gone on to profile many of the biggest names in the music industry with DRAKE: BETTER THAN GOOD ENOUGH (2010), NICKI MINAJ: MY TIME NOW (2010), NICKI MINAJ: MY TIME AGAIN (2015), Vh1’s HEAVY: THE STORY OF METAL (2006). He currently has multiple music related projects in various stages of production and post production.

In collaboration with Radical Media, Warren made history by filming many iconic Broadway shows. In 2008, he captured the first-ever, full-show, multi-camera performance in a Broadway theater with RENT: FILMED LIVE ON BROADWAY. The remarkable achievement was so successful that DreamWorks soon followed suit, and Warren helmed SHREK THE MUSICAL: LIVE ON BROADWAY (2013). In 2015, Warren was invited to film selections from the Tony Award-Winning musical HAMILTON just days before it opened on Broadway. This noteworthy work was heavily featured in Great Performances: Hamilton’s America on PBS, 60 Minutes, The 2016 Tony Award broadcast on CBS, and many other outlets. Warren’s, OH HELLO ON BROADWAY starring Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, premiered on Netflix in June 2017 to rave reviews--The New York Times calling the show “stupendously entertaining.”

Warren was the Showrunner for Amazon Prime's true-crime series, FREE MEEK (2019). The explosive series features an investigation of the systemic corruption and racism in the Philadelphia Police Department and the Pennsylvania Judicial System—unearthing new facts that ultimately led to the release of Meek Mill and the dismissal of the charges that kept him entangled in the system for twelve years. The series was nominated for NAACP Image Award.

Warren’s work extends into the sports world as well. In 2007, Warren directed the award- winning KOBE MENTU—a Nike documentary series in Mandarin seen by tens of millions across China. He was a major creative force behind the controversial hit series FRIDAY NIGHT TYKES (2014), which made a significant impact by revealing the shocking intensity of youth football in Texas. In 2016, Warren directed the spine-tingling, Netflix series about professional bull riding called FEARLESS. The cinematic series was nominated for 3 Emmys, including Warren’s second nomination for “Outstanding Long Form Editing.” In 2018, Warren showran and directed the IDA nominated, basketball documentary series BEST SHOT (Executive Produced by Lebron James) which premiered on You Tube Premium and ESPN.

Also in 2018, Warren directed the Eleven Madison Park episode of the Netflix series 7 DAYS OUT. The film focuses on the “#1 restaurant in the world” as it underwent a gut renovation and raced against the clock to reclaim their culinary glory despite harrowing conditions.

Warren has directed all over the world, including Africa, Asia, The Caribbean, Australia, Europe, South America, and North America. He has collaborated with some of the most influential companies in the industry including RadicalMedia, Bron Studios, Boardwalk Pictures, FunMeter, Vox Media, IPC, 441 Productions, 25/7 Productions, C3, HBO, HBO Max, ABC, CBS, PBS, ESPN, AMC, MTV, Vh1, Esquire Network, USA Network, BET, Heineken, Nike, Wyden and Kennedy, BBDO, Sony, Paramount, Paramount +, DreamWorks, Universal, Warner Bros, You Tube, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix.

mjwfilms on instagram

Like on Facebook Follow on Twitter Tumblr Instagram Threads