David Gordon Green

David Gordon Green (born April 9, 1975) is an American filmmaker. Green began his career in 1997 and gained fame with the independent film George Washington. He directed two additional independent dramas, All the Real Girls (2003) and Snow Angels (2007), as well as the thriller Undertow (2004), all of which he wrote or co-wrote.

In 2008, Green transitioned into Hollywood studio comedies, directing the films Pineapple Express (2008), Your Highness and The Sitter (both 2011). He briefly returned to his dramatic roots with the independent films Prince Avalanche (2013), Joe (2013), and Manglehorn (2014). Following this departure, he returned to studio films with Our Brand Is Crisis (2015) and Stronger (2017). Green directed a trilogy of slasher films for the Halloween franchise: Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills (2021), and Halloween Ends (2022), which he co-wrote with frequent collaborator Danny McBride. Most recently, Green directed The Exorcist: Believer (2023) and the Christmas comedy Nutcrackers (2024).

Green has also directed episodes of the comedy series Eastbound & Down (2009–2013), Red Oaks (2014–17), Vice Principals (2016–17), and The Righteous Gemstones (2019–2025), on all of which he additionally served as executive producer.

Early life

Green, one of four children, was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and grew up in Richardson, Texas. His mother, Jean Ann (née Hunter), was a Lamaze instructor, and his father, Hubert Gordon Green Jr., was a medical school dean. Green attended Richardson High School, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he studied film directing. He currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

Career

As a college student, Green made the two short films, Pleasant Grove and Physical Pinball, at the North Carolina School of the Arts prior to his feature film debut in 2000, the critically acclaimed George Washington, which he both wrote and directed. He followed that with All the Real Girls in 2003 and Undertow in 2004. In 2007, he directed Snow Angels, his first adaptation, based on the Stewart O'Nan novel. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and stars Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale. It was released by Warner Independent Pictures.

In 2008, Green's career transitioned when he directed the Seth Rogen buddy comedy Pineapple Express, and the HBO series Eastbound & Down, for which he directed twelve episodes and served as a consulting producer. In 2011, he co-created the animated series Good Vibes and directed the comedies Your Highness and The Sitter, both of which received negative reviews.

In 2013, Green briefly returned to independent film when he directed and co-wrote Prince Avalanche and Joe. He followed these films with Manglehorn (2014), Our Brand Is Crisis (2015), and Stronger (2017).

In 2018, Green directed the horror sequel Halloween, produced by Jason Blum, executive produced by John Carpenter, and co-written by Green and Danny McBride. He also directed its sequels Halloween Kills, released in October 2021, and Halloween Ends, released in October 2022.

In December 2020, it was announced Green will direct a new installment of The Exorcist franchise which will be a direct sequel to William Friedkin's 1973 film adaptation of the 1971 novel. The Exorcist: Believer was released in October 2023.

Green subsequently directed the Christmas-set comedy Nutcrackers, which premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Of the film, Green stated; "This movie is a lot of things. It's a comedy, it's a drama, it's a horror movie. But for me, it's a reason to dance, you know, I just wanted to start moving, move my body a little bit, and get out to the farm and kick some pig shit." Green's next film will be Supermax, which began filming on August 24, 2026.

Influences

Green's favorite films are, in order, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Gravy Train, The Bad News Bears, Deliverance, Nashville and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

It has been suggested, even by the director himself, that Green's early films (most notably George Washington) take influence from the works of Terrence Malick. Malick himself served as an executive producer of Green's 2004 film Undertow.

Filmography Film Year Title Director Writer Producer 2000 George Washington 2003 All the Real Girls 2004 Undertow 2007 Snow Angels 2008 Pineapple Express 2011 Your Highness The Sitter 2013 Prince Avalanche Joe 2014 Manglehorn 2015 Our Brand Is Crisis 2016 Goat 2017 Stronger 2018 Halloween 2021 Halloween Kills 2022 Halloween Ends 2023 The Exorcist: Believer 2024 Nutcrackers TBA Supermax

Executive producer The Comedy (2012) Compliance (2012) Nature Calls (2012) See Girl Run (2012) Camp X-Ray (2014) Land Ho! (2014) Booger Red (2015) Hot Sugar's Cold World (2015) Donald Cried (2016) Fraud (2016) Flower (2017) Dayveon (2017) Arizona (2018) An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn (2018) The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter (2018) City of Joel (2018)Producer Shotgun Stories (2007) Great World of Sound (2007) The Catechism Cataclysm (2011)

Actor Year Title Role2022 The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent Himself Bones and All Brad 2023 I'm a Virgo Bartender

Television Year(s) Title Director ExecutiveProducer Notes 2009–2013 Eastbound & Down 12 episodes 2011 Good Vibes Also writer and co-creator 2014 Chozen 2014–2017 Red Oaks 6 episodes 2016–2017 Vice Principals 8 episodes 2017 There's... Johnny! Episodes "Andy Goes to Hollywood" and "Dog Day Afternoon" Tarantula 2019–2025 The Righteous Gemstones 9 episodes 2019 Dickinson Episodes "Because I could not stop" and "I have never seen 'Volcanoes'" 2020 Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet Episodes "Pilot", "The Casino" and "The Convention" 2021 The Sex Lives of College Girls Episode: "Welcome to Essex" 2023 Telemarketers 2026 Scarpetta 5 episodes Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed