Derek Wayne Johnson (born February 23, 1983) is an American film director, screenwriter, editor and producer.

Early life and education

Born and raised in Carthage, Texas, Johnson began making short films at an early age, winning several awards while still in high school. Johnson directed his first feature film, ''Within Us'', in his senior year of film school at Stephen F. Austin State University. He graduated with a Master of Arts in Film.

Career

Acting and Directing

After college, Johnson tried his hand at acting, starring in independent films and appearing in theatrically released and made-for-TV movies. Deciding to forgo acting and focus solely on filmmaking, he directed three feature films in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

and

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, including ''Broken Blood'' and ''Scrape'', before landing in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Documentaries

Upon arriving in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

, Johnson directed ''John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs'', about the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

-winning director whose credits include ''

Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American independent film, independent sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the Rocky (film series), ''Rocky'' franchise and also star ...

'' and '' The Karate Kid''. The documentary features interviews with

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...

, Ralph Macchio,

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...

Talia Shire Talia Rose Shire (née Coppola; born April 25, 1946) is an American actress and member of the Coppola family. She is best known for her roles as Connie Corleone in The Godfather (film series), ''The Godfather'' trilogy and Adrian Pennino, Adrian ...

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor most famous during the 1970s and 1980s. He became well known in television series such as ''Gunsmoke'' (1962–1965), '' Hawk'' (1966) and '' Dan Augus ...

and many more. Alongside John Avildsen and the cast and crew of '' The Karate Kid'', Johnson received a Commendation by the City of Los Angeles for his documentary and its association with '' The Karate Kid'' legacy. In 2022, Johnson and his documentary were mentioned in Ralph Macchio‘s New York Times Bestselling book ''Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me''.

hand-picked Johnson to direct '' 40 Years of Rocky'': ''The Birth of a Classic''. The documentary, narrated by Stallone, details the making of ''

'' and was acquired by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

(MGM). Johnson and his documentary were mentioned in the 2021 ''

Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

'' magazine special issue dedicated to the

franchise. Johnson directed ''Stallone: Frank, That Is'', highlighting musician and actor Frank Stallone, brother of Sylvester. The documentary features interviews with

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...

, Billy Dee Williams,

Duff McKagan Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan (born February 5, 1964) is an American musician. He was the bassist of hard rock band Guns N' Roses for twelve years, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. McKagan rejoined the b ...

, Joe Mantegna and many others.

once again hand-picked Johnson to edit ''The Making of Rocky vs. Drago'', a documentary directed by John Herzfeld and distributed by

(MGM).

Return to Feature Films

Recently, Johnson wrapped production on his directorial return to feature films with ''Blood Streams'', a crime/drama/thriller starring Han Soto, Brad Maule, Hollin Haley, and Yuji Okumoto. The film was shot entirely in

Panola County, Texas Panola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 22,491, with its county seat in Carthage. Located in East Texas and originally developed for cotton plantations, the county's name is der ...

and will see a worldwide release.

Personal life

Derek Wayne Johnson - Carthage Main Street Arts Walk of Fame - Esquire Theater - 2022

On February 18, 2022, Johnson received a “star” in downtown Carthage, Texas as part of the first class of inductees to the Carthage Main Street Arts Walk of Fame. The plaque is located on the sidewalk outside the historic Esquire Theater. Johnson also received a Key to the City of Carthage, presented by the Mayor. Johnson cites his original VHS copy of ''

Raiders of the Lost Ark ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Set in 1936, the film stars Harrison Ford as Indiana ...

'' as the reason he became a filmmaker, calling it "the holy grail" of his movie collection and the film he studied the most growing up.Gonzalez, Bobby
"Spoken Dreams: Derek Wayne Johnson, Filmmaker"
''KTLA'', Los Angeles, CA, 19 February 2018. Retrieved on 21 August 2018. Johnson is a lifelong martial artist and 4th Level Black Belt in the art of American Karate. In 2020, he was inducted into the AMAA Who's Who in the Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Derek Wayne Living people 1983 births Film producers from Texas American male screenwriters American male actors People from Carthage, Texas Film directors from Texas Screenwriters from Texas People from Panola County, Texas Stephen F. Austin State University alumni