David Michôd

David Michôd ( ; born 1972) is an Australian film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. He is best known for directing the critically acclaimed crime drama Animal Kingdom and dystopian drama The Rover (2014). He also co-wrote Hesher (2010).

Early life and education David Michôd was born in 1972

After working for the Victorian Department of Education for a while, he decided to apply for film school while in his mid-20s. He is a graduate of the VCA Film and Television School (part of Melbourne University).

Career Michôd is a film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. Early career: Short films and documentaries Michôd was editor of Inside Film magazine for several years, during which time he made several short films. His first short film to make an impact was Ezra White, LL.B., which he made in 2006. In 2007, Michôd's short film Crossbow, a coming-of-age drama was premiered at the Venice Film Festival and received positive response from critics. Afterwards, the film competed at number of film festivals and earned good reviews. The film also screened at Sundance Film Festival and won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Screenplay in a Short Film.

In 2008, Michôd directed another short film, Netherland Dwarf, which also screened at Sundance Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival and earned positive reviews from critics. The same year, Michôd co-directed Solo, a documentary film with Jennifer Peedom. It depicts the fatal journey of Australian adventurer Andrew McAuley, who went on a solo kayak crossing from Tasmania to New Zealand. The documentary received a positive response upon release, with Empire rating the film five stars: "As a tribute to a man – and man's – insatiable search for adventure, it's unforgettable." In 2009, Michôd directed Inside the Square, a 30-minute behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of 2008 film The Square directed by Nash Edgerton.

Feature films Animal Kingdom In 2010, he released his first feature film, Animal Kingdom. The film was widely acclaimed by critics and received several awards and nominations. Dave Calhoun from Time Out compared him to Martin Scorsese saying that "He brings a big dose of Scorsese to Melbourne in telling of a fictional crime family." J.R. Jones of Chicago Reader praised Michôd s director saying "Writer-director David Michôd creates a densely textured moral universe that makes good on his metaphoric title." Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic said that "The naturalistic style Michôd employs adds to the sense of dread. Is there no way out of this existence?" The film became the third highest-grossing Australian film at the Australian box office in 2010, with a worldwide box office gross of US$5,775,563.

The Rover Michôd's next film, The Rover, was a futuristic Western starring Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson. Filming began on 29 January 2013 in Southern Flinders Ranges in Australia and ended on 16 March 2013 in Marree, north of Adelaide. The film premiered out of competition in the Midnight Screenings section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2014. Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter said "David Michod's follow-up to his internationally successful debut with the Melbourne gangster saga Animal Kingdom is equally murderous but more pared down to basics, as desperate men enact a survival-of-the-meanest scenario in an economically gutted world reduced to Old West outlaw behavior." The film had a limited release on 13 June 2014 in New York City and Los Angeles before expanding nationwide on 20 June 2014 in the United States.

War Machine On 14 April 2014 it was announced that Michôd would write and direct The Operators, based on the 2011 bestseller of the same name by Michael Hastings. The film will be jointly produced by Plan B Entertainment, New Regency and RatPac Entertainment, with Brad Pitt attached to star. It was later retitled War Machine. In March 2017, Netflix released a teaser trailer for the film in which Brad Pitt plays a thinly veiled version of Stanley A. McChrystal. Hastings also wrote the Rolling Stone article that revealed the friction between McChrystal's staff and then President Barack Obama's and which ultimately led to McChrystal losing his job. The film was released on Netflix on 26 May 2017 and was met with mixed reviews.

The King In an interview in 2013, it was revealed that Joel Edgerton and Michôd had co-written The King, an adaptation for Warner Bros. Pictures of three Shakespeare's plays : Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V. In February 2018, it was announced that Timothée Chalamet had been cast in the titular role, with Plan B Entertainment and Blue-Tongue Films, set to produce. Principal photography began on 1 June 2018 in London. The film premiered on Netflix on 1 November 2019.

Christy In May 2024, it was announced that a biographical film about the former professional boxer Christy Martin was in production, with Michôd set to direct, and a screenplay written by Michôd and Mirrah Foulkes. The film stars Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Weaver, Katy O'Brian, Ethan Embry, and Chad L. Coleman. It chronicles the rise of Martin (Sweeney) to become America's best-known female boxer in the 1990s, and later her coach-turned-husband's 2010 attempted murder of her. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 5 September 2025. Michôd and Foulkes were shortlisted for the Betty Roland Prize for Scriptwriting at the 2026 NSW Premier's Literary Awards, for Christy.

Influences In the 2012 Sight & Sound Poll of the greatest films of all time Michôd chose Apocalypse Now, Alien, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Funny Games, Magnolia, Network, Sunset Blvd., The Thin Red Line, Taxi Driver and Werckmeister Harmonies as his top ten picks.

Filmography Film Short film Year Title Director Writer 2000 Noise 2005 The IF Thing 2006 Ezra White, LL.B. 2007 Crossbow Spider 2008 I Love Sarah Jane Netherland Dwarf Solo 2009 Inside the Square 2011 Bear

Producer Dumpy Goes to the Big Smoke (2012)

Feature film

Year Title Director Writer Producer 2010 Animal Kingdom Hesher 2014 The Rover 2017 War Machine 2019 The King 2025 Christy TBA

Acting roles Year Title Role 2000 Noise Dave 2005 The IF Thing Editor – IF Magazine 2006 Kenny Nurse 22007 Crossbow Narrator / lounge Spider Hit Driver Little Deaths Nathan 2008 The List Detective 2010 Animal Kingdom Reporter 2013 The Captain Dead Body

Television Year Title Director Writer Executive producer Notes 2007 Dangerous Episode 5 2013 Enlightened Episode "No Doubt" 2015 Flesh and Bone Episode "Bulling Through" 2016-2022 Animal Kingdom 2017 Doc World Episode "Kayak" 2019 Catch-22 Miniseries

Acting roles Year Title Role Notes 2000 Eugénie Sandler P.I. Trevor Episode 10 2008 Hammer Bay Missing Persons Detective TV movie2018 Mr Inbetween Peter

Recurring collaborators

This chart lists every actor who has appeared in more than one film directed by Michôd. Anthony Hayes, Joel Edgerton, and Mirrah Foulkes are Michôd's most frequent collaborators, with Hayes and Edgerton each having appeared in four and Foulkes in five of his films.

+ Actor Ezra White, LL.B. Crossbow Netherland Dwarf Inside the Square Animal Kingdom The Rover War Machine The King Christy Wizards! Total Dan Wyllie 2 Mirrah Foulkes 5 Joel Edgerton 4 Justin Rosniak 3 Anthony Hayes 4 Nash Edgerton 2 Guy Pearce 2 Susan Prior 2 Ben Mendelsohn 2 Scoot McNairy 2 Robert Pattinson 2 Sean Harris 2

Awards David Michôd was honored along with Joel Edgerton and Teresa Palmer for their work in international roles with the coveted 2011 Australians in Film Breakthrough Award.

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref. 2000 Tropfest Best Screenplay Noise 2007 Melbourne International Film Festival Film Victoria Erwin Rado Award for Best Australian Short Film Crossbow Australian Film Institute Awards (AFI) Best Screenplay in a Short Film Fitz Best Short film Awards Best Film 2008 Flickerfest film festival Best Director 2009 Best Australian Short Film Netherland Dwarf Aspen Shortsfest Best Drama Banff Mountain Film Festival Best Film Solo Festival du Film Voyage & Adventure, Montreal Canada Grand Prix Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Prague International film festival Grand Prix Satellite Awards Best Director Film Critics Circle of Australia Best Director Best Screenplay (Original) Feature Film Screenplay (Original) Stockholm International Film Festival Best Screenplay Inside Film Awards Best Director Best Screenplay Australian Film Institute Awards Best Direction Best Screenplay 2013Australian Film Institute Awards Best Short Fiction Film Dumpy Goes to the Big Smoke 2014 Sydney Film Festival Official Competition Award: Best FilmThe Rover AACTA AwardsBest Direction Australian Film Critics AssociationBest Director