Rian Craig Johnson (born December 17, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film Brick (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly $4 million on a $450,000 budget. Going on to make higher-profile films, Johnson achieved mainstream recognition for writing and directing the science-fiction thriller Looper (2012) to critical and commercial success. Johnson landed his largest project when he wrote and directed the space opera Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), which grossed over $1 billion. He returned to the mystery genre with the Knives Out film series (2019–present), which earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Rian Johnson | |
|---|---|
 Johnson at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival | |
| Born | Rian Craig Johnson December 17, 1973 Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1990–present |
| Known for |
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| Spouse | Karina Longworth (m. 2018) |
| Relatives | Nathan Johnson (cousin) |
Additionally, Johnson is known for directing three highly acclaimed episodes for the television series Breaking Bad (2008–2013), namely "Ozymandias", "Fly", and "Fifty-One"; for the last, he received the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series in 2013. He created the murder mystery series Poker Face for Peacock starring Natasha Lyonne. Johnson is known for his longstanding collaboration with actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who has appeared in all of his feature films to date in varying capacity. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.
Early life
Johnson was born on December 17, 1973, in Silver Spring, Maryland. He grew up in Denver, Colorado, until sixth grade, when he moved to San Clemente, California. He attended San Clemente High School (graduating in 1992), where Brick was predominantly filmed. He attended the University of Southern California and graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 1996. Johnson's second short film, Evil Demon Golfball from Hell!!!, loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart", was included as an easter egg on the Looper Blu-ray.
Career
Johnson has said he was inspired to become a film director after seeing Woody Allen's 1977 film Annie Hall. "It moved me in a way that very few other films have moved me. That's something that, I pray to God, if I am able to keep making movies, I can only hope, twenty years down the line maybe, I'll be able to approach."
Early films and Breaking Bad
Johnson's debut feature film, Brick, is a crime drama released in 2005 and made for just under $500,000. Johnson has said he looked to Dashiell Hammett's novels as inspiration for the film's unique use of language. While the film is classified as a film noir, Johnson claims that no references were made to film noir during production, so as to focus the production away from reproducing a genre piece. Brick was released on DVD by Focus Features.
Johnson directed the video for the Mountain Goats' song "Woke Up New" in 2006. He is a professed fan of the band and was asked to direct the video when bandleader John Darnielle noticed a reference to them in the credits for Brick. A song is credited to "The Hospital Bombers Experience", which is a reference to the Mountain Goats song titled "The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton". Johnson also directed a live performance film of the Mountain Goats' 2009 album The Life of the World to Come. The film consists of a single shot, depicting Darnielle performing the entire album on guitar and piano with minimal accompaniment. This film was screened in New York City, Chicago, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon upon its completion, and was released as a limited edition DVD on Record Store Day (April 17, 2010).
Johnson's second feature film, The Brothers Bloom, is a con-man story released in theaters in May 2009 to moderately positive critical reviews. On Metacritic, the film was assigned a weighted average score of 55 out of 100 based on 26 reviews from mainstream critics.
In March 2010, Johnson announced that he was directing an episode of the TV series Breaking Bad for its third season. The episode, "Fly", aired on May 23, 2010. Johnson directed a second episode of the show, "Fifty-One", which aired on August 5, 2012, and earned him a Directors Guild of America Award. He directed a third episode, "Ozymandias", which received high praise from critics, frequently cited as being 'one of the best television episodes' to air.
Johnson has made a number of short films, some of which are available on his website. His short film from high school, Ninja Ko, is available as an easter egg on the Brick DVD. After working with Joseph Gordon-Levitt on Brick, the two shot a short film in Paris titled Escargots. In 2002, he directed a short film, The Psychology of Dream Analysis, which is available to view on his Vimeo account. Johnson directed the episode "Manifest Destiny" of the TV series Terriers.
Johnson's third feature film, Looper, began shooting in Louisiana on January 24, 2011, and was released on September 28, 2012, by TriStar Pictures and FilmDistrict. Set in the near future, it has been described as dark science fiction, and involves hitmen whose victims are sent from the future. The film opened the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and the 2012 Palo Alto International Film Festival.Looper was a surprise success at the box office.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
On June 20, 2014, news broke that Johnson would write and direct the eighth installment in the Star Wars film series. Johnson confirmed the report that following month. The film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, was released on December 15, 2017, to positive reviews from critics and audiences. While multiple sources reported that Johnson turned down an offer from Lucasfilm to write and direct the film's follow-up, the then-untitled Episode IX, Johnson denied that he was ever in discussion for, or turned down, the role.
On November 9, 2017, it was announced that Johnson would write a new trilogy of Star Wars films, separate from the main story arc of previous films in the franchise, and would direct the first installment of his trilogy. By 2025, Johnson's plans for a Star Wars trilogy had not materialized and the project never got past the conceptual stage. But he did not rule out working with Lucasfilm in the future.
Knives Out and Poker Face
Following The Last Jedi, Johnson directed the murder mystery feature film Knives Out, starring Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas and Christopher Plummer. He penned the script and co-produced with longtime producing partner Ram Bergman.Knives Out was released on November 27, 2019, and was a major success with critics, as well as audiences, grossing over $300 million at the box office worldwide. It earned Johnson his first Academy Award nomination, for Best Original Screenplay.
In September 2019, Johnson and producer Ram Bergman launched T-Street, a company that will generate original content for film and TV shows. The venture is fully capitalized by global media company Valence Media. T-Street launched with a first look deal with Valence Media's Media Rights Capital for film and television projects. Valence Media holds a substantial minority equity stake in the company. Johnson and Bergman intend to make their own original creations through the company, and produce others.
In July 2020, Johnson directed a commercial for the augmented mobile video game Pokémon Go. In March 2021, it was announced that Johnson was writing/directing a ten-episode mystery drama television series for Peacock titled Poker Face, starring Natasha Lyonne, which premiered on the service on January 26, 2023. A second season premiered in May 2025.
Due to the success of Knives Out, Lionsgate announced that a sequel was officially approved in February 2020, with Johnson set to return to write and direct the film. That same month, it was reported that Netflix had obtained the rights to two sequels to Knives Out for around $450 million. Filming on the first Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion, began on June 28, 2021. After premiering at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, the film received a one-week theatrical release across the United States and in other international markets from November 23 to 29, 2022, before streaming on Netflix beginning on December 23. A third film in the series, Wake Up Dead Man, was released on Netflix in November 2025.
In March 2024, Johnson signed a deal with Warner Bros. to produce two films under his studio T-Street.
Personal life
Johnson is a folk singer and banjo player. His brother is music producer Aaron Johnson. His cousin Nathan Johnson composed the scores for Brick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper, Knives Out, Glass Onion, and Wake Up Dead Man. Rian and Nathan make up a folk duo called the Preserves.
Johnson has been married to film writer, historian, and podcaster Karina Longworth since 2018. They met when she was working as a film critic.
His paternal grandfather is a Swedish immigrant who is in the homebuilding business.
Filmography
Feature film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Brick | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2008 | The Brothers Bloom | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2012 | Looper | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2017 | Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2019 | Knives Out | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2022 | Glass Onion | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2025 | Wake Up Dead Man | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Executive producer
- Fair Play (2023)
- American Fiction (2023)
Short film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Ninja Ko, the Origami Master | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1997 | Evil Demon Golfball from Hell!!! | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2001 | Ben Boyer and the Phenomenology of Automobile Marketing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2002 | The Psychology of Dream Analysis | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Executive producer | Creator | Episode(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Terriers | Yes | No | No | No | "Manifest Destiny" |
| 2010-2013 | Breaking Bad | Yes | No | No | No | directed 3 episodes |
| 2014 | HitRecord on TV | No | Yes | No | No | "RE: Trash" |
| 2023-2025 | Poker Face | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | directed 4 episodes, wrote 2 episodes |
| 2024 | 3 Body Problem | No | No | Yes | No |
Other works
Documentary films
- The Mountain Goats: The Life of the World to Come (2010)
Music videos
| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "Woke Up New" | The Mountain Goats |
| 2018 | "Oh Baby" | LCD Soundsystem |
Commercials
| Year | Title | Product | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Look Closer | Pokémon Go Fest |
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | BoJack Horseman | Bryan (voice) | Episodes: "Yes, And" and "Out to Sea" |
| 2016 | Rogue One | Imperial Technician | Cameo role |
| 2017 | Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Luke Skywalker's Hand | Cameo; as Hand double |
Technical credits
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Omaha | Production Assistant |
| 1997 | Greater Than a Tiger | Editor |
| 1998 | Phyfutima | Camera Operator |
| 2002 | May | Editor |
Frequent collaborators
Individuals are actors unless marked otherwise.
Work Person | 2005 | 2008 | 2012 | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023– | 2025 | N/a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brick | The Brothers Bloom | Looper | Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Glass Onion | Poker Face | Wake Up Dead Man | Total | ||
| Joseph Gordon-Levitt |  | | | | | | | | 8 |
| Nora Zehetner | | | 2 | ||||||
| Lukas Haas | | | 2 | ||||||
| Noah Segan | | | | | | | | | 8 |
| Andy Nyman | | | 2 | ||||||
| Adrien Brody | | | 2 | ||||||
| Frank Oz | | | 2 | ||||||
| Daniel Craig | | | | 3 | |||||
| K Callan | | | 2 | ||||||
| Natasha Lyonne | | | 2 | ||||||
| Ram Bergman (producer) | | | | | | | | | 8 |
| Steve Yedlin (cinematographer) | | | | | | | | | 8 |
| Bob Ducsay (editor) | | | | | | | 6 | ||
| Nathan Johnson (composer) | | | | | | | | 7 |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Brick | Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision | Won |
| Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize | Nominated | ||
| 2006 | Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay | Won | |
| Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Overlooked Film | Nominated | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Director | Won | ||
| Citizen Kane Award for Best Directorial Revelation | Won | ||
| Deauville Film Festival Grand Special Prize | Won | ||
| San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Breakthrough Filmmaker | Nominated | ||
| Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||
| Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best First Feature | Nominated | ||
| Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award | Nominated | ||
| 2007 | Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best First Film | Won | |
| Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer | Nominated | ||
| 2008 | The Brothers Bloom | Stockholm International Film Festival Bronze Horse | Nominated |
| 2012 | Looper | Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay | Won |
| Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||
| Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) | Nominated | ||
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Screenplay | Won | ||
| National Board of Review Award for Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||
| Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||
| Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||
| 2013 | Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | |
| North Carolina Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||
| North Carolina Film Critics Association Award for Best Director | Nominated | ||
| Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation | Nominated | ||
| Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Saturn Award for Best Director | Nominated | ||
| Breaking Bad | Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series (Episode: "Fifty-One") | Won | |
| 2018 | Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Empire Award for Best Director | Won |
| Saturn Award for Best Director | Nominated | ||
| Saturn Award for Best Writing | Won | ||
| Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) | Nominated | ||
| Circuit Community Awards for Honorable Mentions | Won | ||
| Denver Film Critics Society for Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation | Nominated | ||
| 2019 | Knives Out | Fantastic Fest Audience Award | Nominated |
| Philadelphia Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film | Won | ||
| Philadelphia Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay | Won | ||
| Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Dublin Film Critics' Circle Award for Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Phoenix Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay | Won | ||
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||
| Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award for Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||
| Seattle Film Critics Society Award for Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||
| Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical | Nominated | ||
| Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| 2020 | Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| North Carolina Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle Award for Best Studio Film | Won | ||
| Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle Award for Best Original Screenplay | Won | ||
| Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Nominated | ||
| Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Hollywood Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Screenplay, Original | Nominated | ||
| Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Comedy | Nominated | ||
| Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| 2023 | Glass Onion | Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Adapted Screenplay | Won |
| Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Adapted Screenplay | Won | ||
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Adapted Screenplay | Won | ||
| Capri Hollywood International Film Festival Award for Best Adapted Screenplay | Won | ||
| Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Nominated | ||
| Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| 2025 | Wake Up Dead Man | Savannah Film Festival Award for Outstanding Achievement in Directing | Won |