David Michôd

Education and early career

Michôd was educated at Sydney Grammar School before moving to Melbourne to study arts at the University of Melbourne. After working for the Victorian Department of Education he decided to attend film school while in his mid-20s. He was the editor of Inside Film magazine from 2003 to 2006.

Career

Early career: Short films and documentaries

Michôd began his directing career in short films, with Ezra White, LL.B. in 2006 being one of the first to make an impact. 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 best seller 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 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2025.

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

''''Producer''''

• Dumpy Goes to the Big Smoke (2012)

Feature film

Acting roles

Television

Acting roles

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.

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.

References

References

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2. "DAVID MICHOD".
3. "David Michôd: Q&A with the Animal Kingdom director".
4. Chai, Paul. (20 January 2010). "Director to Watch: David Michod". Variety.
5. Maddox, Garry. (25 May 2010). "Killer crims take Sundance by storm". The Sydney Morning Herald.
6. "Directors Jennifer Peedom & David Michôd". Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival.
7. "5 Key Directors of New Australian Cinema As Andrew Dominik's 'Killing Them Softly' Hits Theaters".
8. "Angie Fielder Co-Founder, Aquarius Films".
9. "Crossbow A STYLISH AND MEDITATIVE FILM CENTERING ON THE UNHAPPY LIFE OF A NEGLECTED TEEN, TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF HIS NEIGHBOR WHO ATTEMPTS TO MAKE SENSE OF HIM.".
10. "Crossbow A STYLISH AND MEDITATIVE FILM CENTERING ON THE UNHAPPY LIFE OF A NEGLECTED TEEN, TOLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF HIS NEIGHBOR WHO ATTEMPTS TO MAKE SENSE OF HIM.".
11. "AACTA 2007 Winners & Nominees".
12. "NETHERLAND DWARF GETS ANOTHER GONG".
13. "TGIFilm: Netherland Dwarf".
14. "DAVID MICHOD'S SWEET AND SAD STAMPY".
15. "Solitary Endeavour on the Southern Ocean".
16. "Ratemymeds: Solo".
17. "Adventurer Andrew McAuley attempts to kayak from Australia to New Zealand". Empire (film magazine).
18. "Writer/Director – David Michod".
19. "ANIMAL KINGDOM: A MASTERPIECE OF CREEPING DREAD".
20. Kung, Michelle. (31 January 2010). "Sundance 2010: "Animal Kingdom" Director David Michôd on the Origins of his Film". The Wall Street Journal.
21. Turan, Kenneth. (27 January 2010). "Young directors Nicole Holofcener and David Michod have a bond down deep". Los Angeles Times.
22. (13 January 2010). "Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2010: David Michod's Animal Kingdom". IMDb.
23. Calhoun, David. (22 February 2011). "Animal Kingdom (15)". Time Out.
24. "Animal Kingdom". [[Chicago Reader]].
25. "'Animal Kingdom', 4.5 stars". [[The Arizona Republic]].
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27. "Robert Pattinson gets Down Under and dirty with Guy Pearce in 'The Rover' – FIRST LOOK".
28. (16 March 2013). "Pattinson's new role shows he's come a long way since Twilight". The Sydney Morning Herald.
29. "Hollywood comes to the Outback". The Advertiser.
30. "Robert Pattinson far from Twilight filming new movie The Rover in Outback Australia". The Courier-Mail.
31. "'Foxcatcher', 'Map To The Stars', 'The Rover', 'The Search' And New Jean-Luc Godard Lead Cannes 2014 Line-Up".
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34. "A24 Dates 'The Rover' With Robert Pattinson For June 13, Keira Knightley's 'Laggies' For September 26".
35. A24. (17 March 2014). "No one #roverreact now – we just pushed up the release date for @TheRoverFilm to June!".
36. (29 January 2014). "'The Rover' Teaser Trailer – Robert Pattinson and Guy Pearce Trek Across the Australian Outback".
37. "'Animal Kingdom' Filmmaker Boards Brad Pitt's Adaptation of Michael Hastings' 'The Operator'".
38. "David Michod to Direct, Write Brad Pitt's 'The Operators'".
39. [https://www.avclub.com/article/brad-pitt-puts-his-spin-general-stanley-mcchrystal-251279 "Brad Pitt puts his spin on General Stanley McChrystal in the War Machine teaser"], avclub.com, 1 March 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
40. Davies, Luke. (June 2013). "Joel Edgerton after Gatsby".
41. Fleming, Mike Jr.. (8 February 2018). "Timothee Chalamet To Play King Henry V in David Michôd Netflix Film 'The King".
42. Wiseman, Andreas. (31 May 2018). "Robert Pattinson, Lily-Rose Depp, Among Cast Joining Timothée Chalamet in Netflix Pic 'The King', Cameras Roll This Week".
43. (May 8, 2024). "Sydney Sweeney Getting Into The Ring To Portray Trailblazing Boxer Christy Martin For Director David Michôd, Black Bear & Anonymous Content; Actress Is "Itching To Start Training" For Role – Cannes Market Hot Project".
44. (May 8, 2024). "Sydney Sweeney to Play Boxer Christy Martin in Biopic".
45. (2012). "David Michôd Sight & Sound 2012". British Film Institute.
46. "Australians in Film Breakthrough Awards".
47. "TROPFEST 2000: THE WINNERS, THE NIGHT".
48. "MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL:AUSTRALIA ALL GENRES".
49. "AACTA 2007 Winners & Nominees".
50. "THE FITZ Best Short Film Awards of 2007".
51. "Winners of the 17th annual Flickerfest Awards announced".
52. "Flickerfest: Celebrating 20 Years".
53. "Edgerton, Michod wins at Flickerfest".
54. "Flickerfest getting closer".
55. (8 April 2009). "Shorts Monthly: "The Witness" Captivates Audience and Jury at Aspen Shortsfest 2009".
56. "Aspen shortsfest".
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60. "Australian Directors Guild unveils 2010 award winners".
61. (24 September 2010). "Michod king of directors' kingdom".
62. "2010 Nominations". [[International Press Academy]].
63. "WINNERS OF THE FCCA AWARDS FOR AUSTRALIA FILM FROM 2000 TO 2011.".
64. "Winners at the 2010 Australian Writers' Guild Awards".
65. "43rd Annual AWGIE Awards – Winners List".
66. (30 January 2010). "2010 Sundance Film Festival Announces Awards". sundance.org.
67. (30 November 2010). "21st STOCKHOLM FILM FESTIVAL EMBRACES INDIE TALENT ON THE RISE".
68. "2010 Kodak Inside Film Awards Sydney Nominees". ifawards.com.
69. "Chicago Film Critics Awards – 2008–2010". [[Chicago Film Critics Association]].
70. "AFI Award Winners and Nominees". afi.org.au.
71. "Winners by Award – Artisan Awards – Best Video". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).
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75. "AFCA Award Nominations".