Shawn Levy
The director who brought Goosebumps to the big screen.
via Wikipedia: 21 Laps Entertainment · see source
Shawn Levy is the founder and runner of 21 Laps Entertainment, an American film and television production company best known as the producers of Stranger Things. The company's name originates from the number of laps Levy's eldest daughter ran in a jogathon when she was 5 years old, and the logo is supposed to represent a race track.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Director and Producer
- Affiliation
- 21 Laps Entertainment
Lore & Background
Levy founded his production company, originally incorporated as Wunjo, Inc. in 1999, and rebranded it to 21 Laps Entertainment in 2005. The company has produced films like Cheaper by the Dozen, The Spectacular Now, Real Steel, Arrival, and the Night at the Museum franchise, as well as Levy's collaborations with actor and producer Ryan Reynolds, which include Free Guy, The Adam Project and Deadpool & Wolverine. The company exclusively distributes content through a partnership with Netflix, and in 2020 signed a first look deal with Netflix.
Reader's Guide
He made his breakout role as a film director on Big Fat Liar, Just Married, and Cheaper by the Dozen. In 2003, after the success of his aforementioned feature films, Levy launched his own production company with a first-look deal at 20th Century Fox Television. The deal was to produce half-hour sitcoms and hour-long dramas. In 2010, Levy and Marty Adelstein signed on to form a television company called 21 Laps/Adelstein Productions, and they signed a deal with 20th Century Fox Television. In July 2016, one of the company's television projects, Stranger Things, premiered on Netflix and achieved critical acclaim, earning a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes with 55 out of 58 reviews being positive. The show's first season was also one of Netflix's most watched series, averaging 14.07 million adults 18–49 in its first 35 days. Along with producing the series, Levy directed two of the premiere season's episodes. The third season premiered on July 4, 2019 and the fourth season premiered in two parts on May 27, 2022 and July 1, 2022. It was renewed for a fifth and final season.
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