Alumnus James Mangold '99 to Direct Buster Keaton Film for 20th Century Studios

Film Program alumnus James Mangold ’99 is set to direct and produce a new Buster Keaton biopic for 20th Century Studios.

The film, which is still in the early stages of development, will adapt Marion Meade’s biography of Keaton, Buster Keaton: Cut to the Chase (Hachette Books, 1995). Keaton was a comedian and filmmaker who dominated the silent screen era with his physical comedy and impressive stunt work. The book is based on Meade’s four years of research and countless interviews with notable figures such as Billy Wilder, Gene Kelly, Irene Mayer Selznik, and even Keaton’s close relatives who had refused to discuss him in the past. In this definitive biography, Meade explores Keaton’s often brutal childhood acting experiences, the making of his masterpieces, his shame at his own lack of education, his life-threatening alcoholism, and his turbulent marriages.

The Keaton biopic is part of Mangold’s first-look deal with 20th Century Studios. Mangold is currently finishing production on Indiana Jones 5, starring Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Mads Mikkelsen. Mangold himself received his first Oscar nomination for Writing (Adapted Screenplay) alongside Scott Frank and Michael Green for Logan, the final Wolverine film starring Hugh Jackman.

James Mangold got his start in film as an undergrad at CalArts, where he studied film and acting. After graduating, he worked for Disney as a screenwriter, earning writing credits on Oliver and Company. Magold recently directed the Academy Award winning Ford v Ferrari (2019), which starred Academy Award winning actors Matt Damon and Christian Bale. Mangold’s previous directing credits also include Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma, Knight and Day, Girl Interrupted, The Wolverine, and Logan. Upcoming projects include the romantic drama Juliet and Crenshaw, an adaptation of the children’s book by Newbery-winning author Katherine Applegate.