Shawn Levy

Shawn Adam Levy (/ˈliːvi/ LEE-vee; born July 23, 1968) is a Canadian and American filmmaker and actor. He is the founder of 21 Laps Entertainment. As a producer, he has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and three Primetime Emmy Awards. His work has spanned numerous genres, and his films as a director have grossed a collective $3.5 billion worldwide.

Following early work as a television director, most notably for The Famous Jett Jackson, Levy gained recognition in the 2000s for directing comedy films like Big Fat Liar (2002), Just Married (2003), Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) and The Pink Panther (2006). He then found further success as the director of the first three films in the Night at the Museum film franchise (2006–14).

In the early 2010s, he directed films including Date Night (2010), Real Steel (2011), and The Internship (2013), developed several comedy television pilots, and executive produced the first five seasons of the ABC sitcom Last Man Standing. Levy was a producer on the 2016 sci-fi film Arrival, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

Levy was an executive producer through the entire run of the Netflix original series Stranger Things. He directed the third and fourth episodes of each of the show's first four seasons, as well as the sixth and seventh episodes of the final season. He also directed the Netflix limited series All the Light We Cannot See (2023).

Levy has collaborated with Ryan Reynolds by directing Free Guy (2021), The Adam Project (2022), and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), with the latter emerging as his highest-grossing film and the second highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.

Early life

Levy was born to a Jewish family with two siblings, Jodi and Debby, in Montreal, Quebec. As a teenager, he attended St. George's High School in Montreal and trained at the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in New York's Catskills. Pursuing a career in acting, he attended the performing arts program at Yale University, graduating in 1989; during his time there, he became interested in directing and moved to Los Angeles to study film directing. He received an MFA degree from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 1994.

Career

1985–1994: Early career

Levy began his professional career while pursuing his undergraduate and graduate degrees in the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s. While studying performing arts, he made his acting debut in Zombie Nightmare (1987), a low-budget horror film in which he portrayed the character Jim Bratten, the leader of a group of teenagers.

The film is best known for being featured in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. He also appeared in the 1988 film Liberace: Behind the Music.

He pursued his MFA in production, during which time he continued to act with a guest spot on 21 Jump Street and a recurring role on Beverly Hills, 90210. Since this time, he has acted in primary small and cameo roles as well, like on 30 Rock as TV producer Scottie Shofar.

1995–2014: Directorial career and 20th Century Fox

Through the end of the 1990s, Levy worked primarily as a television director of teen dramas, like Nickelodeon's The Secret World of Alex Mack and Animorphs. He was the primary director and executive producer (season 3) of the Disney Channel coming-of-age show The Famous Jett Jackson (1998–2002) and its companion film (2001).

He made his feature film directorial debut in 1997 with the family films Address Unknown and Just in Time. This was followed by the 2002 teen comedy Big Fat Liar, his first theatrical release, and the 2003 rom com Just Married, which made more than $100 million in the box office. For the remainder of the decade, Levy worked successfully on big-budget family films, namely directing Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), The Pink Panther (2006), and Night at the Museum franchise (2006–2014)—and produced all of their sequel films.

The first Night at the Museum film was Levy's most commercially successful project at the time, and one of the highest-grossing films of 2006. During this time he also produced the 2008 films What Happens in Vegas and The Rocker and executive produced The WB dramedy Pepper Dennis (2006).

Levy directed and produced the 2010 comedy Date Night starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey. The same year, he began directing the sci-fi drama Real Steel (2011), starring Hugh Jackman. Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the film received mixed critical reviews and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

In the mid-2000s, Levy and his company 21 Laps signed a production deal with 20th Century Fox; it was renewed in 2010. Following this deal, Levy created a new television company with Marty Adelstein at 20th Century Fox TV to develop comedy series. Levy and 21 Laps were with the company until 2020. Since 2011, he has been the executive producer of the Tim Allen sitcom Last Man Standing.

He also executive produced the short-lived ABC sitcoms Cristela (2014–2015) and Imaginary Mary (2017). Film projects with FOX include the 2012 Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill comedy The Watch (directed by Akiva Schaffer), Levy's comedy The Internship (2013), Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014), Why Him? (2016), and The Darkest Minds (2018).

Outside of 20th Century Fox, Levy worked to expand 21 Laps' range outside of primarily family-friendly comedies; this included producing the A24 drama The Spectacular Now (2013), the ensemble dramedy This Is Where I Leave You (2014), and the Academy Award-winning sci-fi film Arrival (2016). For his role in Arrival, Levy was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

2015–present: Stranger Things and Netflix

In December 2017, Levy signed a four-year contract with Netflix to create TV projects exclusively for the streaming entertainment company. In 2020, 21 Laps extended its deal with Netflix and signed a first look deal.

In 2021, Levy produced the film adaptation of the slasher novel There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins under his 21 Laps Entertainment label, alongside James Wan's Atomic Monster studio for Netflix. Alongside Eric Heisserer, he also executive produced the 2021 Netflix series Shadow and Bone, an adaptation of the fantasy book series The Grisha Trilogy and the Six of Crows Duology starring Jessie Mei Li, under Netflix's deal with 21 Laps. Levy directed The Adam Project for Netflix starring Ryan Reynolds in the lead role.

Levy directed Deadpool & Wolverine for Marvel Studios. In November 2022, Levy entered talks to direct a Star Wars movie for Lucasfilm following the conclusion of his work on Deadpool & Wolverine and the fifth and final season of Stranger Things.

In February 2023, A24, who successfully bid on the Backrooms film, announced that work had begun on a film adaptation of the Backrooms based on Parsons' videos, with Parsons directing. Roberto Patino is set to write the screenplay, while Levy, James Wan, Michael Clear from Atomic Monster, Dan Cohen, and Dan Levine from 21 Laps Entertainment, Peter Chernin from Chernin Entertainment are set to produce.

In August 2023, Levy was the inaugural recipient of the Norman Jewison Award for career achievement at the TIFF Tribute Awards.

On April 17, 2025, Lucasfilm announced Star Wars: Starfighter, a film directed by Levy that stars Ryan Gosling and set to be released in theaters on May 28, 2027. It takes place five years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. In June 2026, it was reported that Levy was attached to executive produce a television adaptation of the Japanese role-playing game series Persona for Netflix with his 21 Laps Entertainment partner Robert Atwood.

In July 2026, it was announced that Levy would direct a Ghost Rider movie for Marvel Studios, with Ryan Gosling playing the titular hero. Ghost Rider will be released in 2028.

Personal life

Levy has been married to his wife Serena since 1995. They have four daughters together; Sophie, Tess, Charlie, and Colette. He became a U.S. citizen in 2008. Following many years living in Los Angeles, the Levy family moved to Manhattan in the early 2020s. Since 2009, he has also maintained a family home in the Hudson Valley community of New Paltz, New York.

Filmography

Film

• † — Denotes films that have not yet been released

• 1997 — Address Unknown — Yes — No — No
• 1997 — Just in Time — Yes — No — No
• 2002 — Big Fat Liar — Yes — No — No
• 2003 — Just Married — Yes — No — No
• 2003 — Cheaper by the Dozen — Yes — No — No
• 2006 — The Pink Panther — Yes — No — No
• 2006 — Night at the Museum — Yes — Yes — No
• 2009 — Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian — Yes — Yes — No
• 2010 — Date Night — Yes — Yes — No
• 2011 — Real Steel — Yes — Yes — No
• 2013 — The Internship — Yes — Yes — No
• 2014 — This Is Where I Leave You — Yes — Yes — No
• 2014 — Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb — Yes — Yes — No
• 2021 — Free Guy — Yes — Yes — No
• 2022 — The Adam Project — Yes — Yes — No
• 2024 — Deadpool & Wolverine — Yes — Yes — Yes
• 2027 — Star Wars: Starfighter † — Yes — Yes — No

Producer only

• 2001 — I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus — John Shepphird
• 2005 — Cheaper by the Dozen 2 — Adam Shankman
• 2008 — What Happens in Vegas — Tom Vaughan
• 2008 — The Rocker — Peter Cattaneo
• 2009 — The Pink Panther 2 — Harald Zwart — Executive producer
• 2012 — The Watch — Akiva Schaffer
• 2013 — The Spectacular Now — James Ponsoldt
• 2014 — Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible,No Good, Very Bad Day — Miguel Arteta
• 2016 — Arrival — Denis Villeneuve — Nominated – Academy Award for Best PictureNominated – AACTA International Award for Best FilmNominated – BAFTA Award for Best Film
• 2016 — Why Him? — John Hamburg
• 2017 — Fist Fight — Richie Keen
• 2017 — Table 19 — Jeffrey Blitz
• 2018 — The Darkest Minds — Jennifer Yuh Nelson
• 2018 — Kin — Jonathan BakerJosh Baker
• 2020 — The Violent Heart — Kerem Sanga
• 2020 — Love and Monsters — Michael Matthews
• 2021 — There's Someone Inside Your House — Patrick Brice
• 2022 — Cheaper by the Dozen — Gail Lerner — Executive producer
• 2022 — Rosaline — Karen Maine
• 2022 — Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again — Matt Danner
• 2023 — Crater — Kyle Patrick Alvarez
• 2023 — The Boogeyman — Rob Savage
• 2024 — Never Let Go — Alexandre Aja
• 2025 — Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible,No Good, Very Bad Road Trip — Marvin Lemus
• 2026 — Backrooms — Kane Parsons
• 2027 — The Catch † — Dave McCary
• 2027 — Seasons † — Drew Hancock
• TBA — One Attempt Remaining † — Kay Cannon

Acting credits

• 1987 — Wild Thing — Paul
• 1987 — Zombie Nightmare — Jim Batten
• 1988 — Liberace: Behind the Music — Glenn
• 1988 — The Kiss — Terry O'Connell
• 1991 — Our Shining Moment — J.J.
• 1993 — Made in America — Dwayne
• 1997 — Address Unknown
• 1997 — Just in Time — Photographer
• 2002 — Big Fat Liar — Wolf Party Guest
• 2003 — Cheaper by the Dozen — Press/Room Reporter
• 2005 — Cheaper by the Dozen 2 — Hospital Intern
• 2009 — Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian — Guy in Commercial
• 2013 — The Internship — Guy in Nap Pod
• 2021 — All Too Well: The Short Film — Her Dad — Short film

Television

• 1996–1998 — The Secret World of Alex Mack — Yes — No — 6 episodes
• 1997–1998 — The Journey of Allen Strange — Yes — No — 3 episodes
• 1998–1999 — Lassie — Yes — No — 4 episodes
• 1998 — First Wave — Yes — No — Episode: "Marker 262"
• 1998–1999 — Animorphs — Yes — No — 5 episodes
• 1998–2001 — The Famous Jett Jackson — Yes — Yes — Directed 47 episodes
• 1999 — So Weird — Yes — No — 1 episode
• 2000 — In a Heartbeat — Yes — No — 2 episodes
• 2001 — Jett Jackson: The Movie — Yes — Yes — TV movie
• 2002 — Do Over — Yes — No — Episode: "The Block Party"
• 2002 — Birds of Prey — Yes — No — Episode: "Nature of the Beast"
• 2006 — Pepper Dennis — Yes — Yes — Directed pilot episode
• 2012 — Family Trap — Yes — Yes — Unaired FOX pilot[dead link]
• 2016 — Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt — Yes — No — Episode: "Kimmy Drives a Car!"
• 2016–2025 — Stranger Things — Yes — Yes — Directed 10 episodes
• 2017 — Imaginary Mary — Yes — Yes — Directed 2 episodes
• 2023 — All the Light We Cannot See — Yes — Yes — Miniseries

Executive producer only

• Last Man Standing (2011–2016)
• Cristela (2014)
• I Am Not Okay with This (2020)
• Dash & Lily (2020)
• Unsolved Mysteries (2020)
• Shadow and Bone (2021–2023)
• Lost Ollie (2022)
• The Perfect Couple (2024)
• Stranger Things: Tales from '85 (2026)

Acting roles

• 1989 — China Beach — Lieutenant — Episode: "Dear China Beach"
• 1989–1990 — Tour of Duty — SP4 Budd Sills — 2 episodes
• 1990 — 21 Jump Street — Lance — Episode: "Awomp-Bomp-Aloobomb, Aloop Bamboom"
• 1990 — Lifestories — Luke Conforti — Episode: "Art Conforti"
• 1993 — Beverly Hills, 90210 — Howard Banchek — 2 episodes
• 1993 — Step by Step — Daniel — Episode: "Way Off-Broadway"
• 2000 — The Famous Jett Jackson — Producer — 3 episodes
• 2009 — 30 Rock — Scottie Shofar — Episode: "The Problem Solvers"
• 2016 — Stranger Things — Morgue Worker — Episode: "Chapter Four: The Body"

Awards and nominations

• 2016 — 22nd Critics' Choice Awards — Best Drama Series — Stranger Things — Nominated
• 2017 — 74th Golden Globe Awards — Best Television Series – Drama — Stranger Things — Nominated
• 2017 — 28th Producers Guild of America Awards — Best Theatrical Motion Pictures — Arrival — Nominated
• 2017 — 28th Producers Guild of America Awards — Best Episodic Drama — Stranger Things — Won
• 2017 — 89th Academy Awards — Best Picture — Arrival — Nominated
• 2017 — 71st BAFTA Film Awards — Best Film — Arrival — Nominated
• 2017 — 2017 BAFTA Television Awards — Best International Programme — Stranger Things — Nominated
• 2017 — 69th Primetime Emmy Awards — Outstanding Drama Series — Stranger Things — Nominated
• 2018 — 75th Golden Globe Awards — Best Television Series – Drama — Stranger Things — Nominated
• 2018 — 29th Producers Guild of America Awards — Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama — Stranger Things — Nominated
• 2018 — 70th Primetime Emmy Awards — Outstanding Drama Series — Stranger Things — Nominated
• 2020 — 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards — Outstanding Drama Series — Stranger Things — Nominated
• 2024 — 76th Directors Guild of America Awards — Outstanding Directing – Miniseries or TV Film — All the Light We Cannot See — Nominated
• 2025 — 52nd Saturn Awards — Best Film Director — Deadpool & Wolverine — Nominated
• 2025 — 52nd Saturn Awards — Best Film Writing — Deadpool & Wolverine — Nominated