Joe Russo is currently in post-production on his feature-length directorial debut, The Au Pair, an independent thriller which he and Chris LaMont co-wrote.The writing duo have been recognized by Holly ...Show More
Joe Russo is currently in post-production on his feature-length directorial debut, The Au Pair, an independent thriller which he and Chris LaMont co-wrote.The writing duo have been recognized by Hollywood development executives multiple times for having written the best screenplays of the year, becoming the first writers to make The Bloodlist three years in a row with: The Last Will and Testament of Charles Abernathy (2018) which was also named to The Hit List; The Red Pill (2017); and Soul Mates (2016) which also made The Hit List. Russo & LaMont have sold screenplays to studios and producers like MGM TV, Mark Burg (SAW 1-9) and Emmett Furla Oasis (Lone Survivor, The Irishman), who are scheduled to shoot the duo's screenplay, Open Source, in January 2020, with Bruce Willis set to star.In 2019, Joe produced the horror anthology feature, Nightmare Cinema, which was released by Shudder after headlining over thirty festivals worldwide. The film stars Academy Award Nominee Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), with segments from acclaimed filmmakers, including Joe Dante (Gremlins) and David Slade (Hard Candy). The Certified Fresh horror film was the second most-watched movie debut on Shudder in 2019, nominated for Best Limited Release by Fangoria Magazine and selected by Entertainment Weekly as one of "2019's Best Horror Films". The movie received positive reviews in The LA Times, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. Richard Roeper crowned it "the bloodiest, most violent, most gruesome, and most twisted movie I've seen this year."Joe is producing several upcoming projects with studios like Netflix, MGM, Skydance and more, including the "Hulk Hogan" biopic starring Chris Hemsworth from Academy Award Nominee Todd Phillips (Joker) and The Greatest Beer Run Ever, a book adaptation being written and directed by Academy Award Winner Peter Farrelly (Green Book).In 2017, Joe directed the short film Be Mine for Crypt TV. His short Midnight Clear debuted on Entertainment Weekly, was featured on Nerdist and io9, and was later released on Gunpowder & Sky's digital platform, Alter. Joe's award-winning short, Take-Out, appeared as a featured segment in the horror anthology feature film Dark Deadly & Dreadful, released on Amazon in 2018.Joe began his career in 2006, working in production on commercials, web-series, television and feature films for such companies as Nike, FOX, SyFy, A/E, Lionsgate Films and Universal Studios.In 2010, Joe joined Level 1 Entertainment under producer Bill Todman, Jr. (X-MEN, WILD WILD WEST), working his way up to Director of Development, where he managed a slate of feature films and television series, working hand-in-hand with major motion picture studios and television networks such as Fox, MGM, Showtime, SyFy, History, and Amazon on projects, including the sale of the Antonio Banderas and Ben Kingsley thriller, SECURITY. During his time at Level 1, Joe developed projects with companies and talent like Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment, Adam Sandler's Happy Madison, the creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the writer of Academy Award winner A Beautiful Mind, the writer of Black Hawk Down, the creator of The X-Files, the director of Captain America and more.In 2015, Joe served as a Development Consultant for Christina Aguilera and Matthew Rutler's MX Productions, advising the company on their feature film division and their first-look television deal with Lionsgate Entertainment, where they produced the pilot TRACKS for Spike TV.Joe has continually been recognized for his work with writers, developing many acclaimed screenplays over the last several years which have been selected by film and television executives for the Young & Hungry List, The Blood List, The Hit List, and The Black List - Hollywood's most prestigious list of the best unproduced screenplays.Joe also produces the Fangoria podcast series Post Mortem with Mick Garris, featuring over seventy in-depth conversations with genre legends like Stephen King, John Carpenter, Rob Zombie, John Landis, Roger Corman, Bryan Fuller, Michael Dougherty and many more. Hide
