Johnny Royal

Johnny Royal (born John Michael Herrera, June 12, 1976) is an American film director and composer.

He is best known for writing and directing the documentary films 33 & Beyond: The Royal Art of Freemasonry (2017) and Illuminated: The True Story of the Illuminati (2019), works on esoteric history and secret societies. He also wrote an episode and was cast in the television series Longmire (2012-2017), and is the director of the television series American Magick (2025-Present).

As a composer, Royal is best known as the founding member of the industrial rock band Black Lodge, and for his compositions, which have appeared on numerous hit television series, including VH1, The Chelsea Handler Show, and LA Ink. He has written with several notable musicians, including Jeordie White, aka Twiggy Ramirez, Gilby Clarke, Sean Beavan, and Grammy-nominated producer Johnny K.

Early life and education Royal was born in Zaragoza, Spain, at the Zaragoza Air Base on June 12, 1976. His father, John Herrera, was a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force and served as Director of SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). His mother, Lynne Johnson-Christy (née Smith), worked in field intelligence for a U.S. General. The family's military and intelligence background would later influence his interest and work in national security and film genres related to the occult and supernatural. At age 4, Royal's mother took him to the movies to watch the film An American Werewolf in London (1981). This was his first theatre experience, which kicked off his interest in horror, occult, and supernatural storytelling.

Royal attended Saint Vincent College on a scholarship, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance with a minor in Accounting, and was awarded the Wall Street Journal Scholarship. He later earned an MBA in International Finance from the University of Westminster in London.

Career

Finance and national security Royal began his career at Morgan Stanley in the World Trade Center, New York City, where he worked as an equity underwriter, institutional equity trader, and broker. Following the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on the U.S., he transitioned from finance to roles within the intelligence and defense communities.

His work has included consulting on financial intelligence, counterterrorism, and defense strategy. He has contributed to counterintelligence efforts, focusing on analyzing financial flows and surveillance methodologies.

Royal has consulted for national intelligence agencies and the U.S. Space Force, advising on advanced technologies, including UAV weapon systems, quantum computing, and AI-driven geospatial intelligence.

DARPA and strategic innovation In 2010, as the CEO and Chairman of Luthier Society, Inc., Royal worked with other CEOs from the defense industry in partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to discuss the major challenges to America's national security. This was the first DARPA summit held in Washington, D.C., during Dr. Regina Dugan's tenure.