Gareth Edwards (director)

Gareth James Edwards (born 13 July 1975) is a British filmmaker. His accolades include three British Independent Film Awards and nominations for the British Academy Film Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards.

Edwards first gained recognition for '' Monsters'' (2010), an independent film in which he served as writer, director, cinematographer, and visual effects artist. He subsequently directed the big-budget adventure film ''Godzilla'' (2014) and the science fiction films '' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (2016), '' The Creator'' (2023) and '' Jurassic World Rebirth'' (2025).

Career

Gareth Edwards was born on 13 July 1975 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. He is of Welsh parentage. Edwards wanted to direct his own films since childhood, stating that "''Star Wars'' is definitely the reason that I wanted to become a filmmaker". He attended Higham Lane School, followed by college at North Warwickshire College of Technology and Art (now NWSLC), completing a BTEC National Diploma in Audio Visual Studies under lecturers such as Graham Bird. Edwards studied film and video at the Surrey Institute of Art & Design, University College in Farnham, graduating in 1996. In 2012, he received an honorary Master of Arts from UCA. Edwards got his start in visual effects, creating digital effects for shows including '' Nova'', '' Perfect Disaster'' and ''Heroes and Villains'', for which he created 250 visual effects. In 2008 he entered the Sci-Fi-London 48-hour film challenge, for which a film had to be created start-to-finish in two days and within certain criteria. Edwards won the contest with his short film ''Factory Farmed'' and went on to write and direct '' Monsters'', his first feature. Edwards created the visual effects for ''Monsters'' using off-the-shelf equipment. Besides the two main actors, the crew consisted of just five people.

The success of ''Monsters'' brought sufficient awareness in Hollywood to land first major projects. After the film's release, he had interviews with several studios, including Legendary Pictures. In January 2011, Edwards got his first major feature deal, to direct the 2014 ''Godzilla'' reboot from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures.

Edwards directed '' Rogue One'', the first ''Star Wars'' stand-alone film, written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy, based on a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta, starring Felicity Jones, and released on 16 December 2016.

Three of his influences for filmmaking are George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino. In May 2016, Edwards exited '' Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' in an amicable split with the studio to work on smaller scale projects.

In February 2020, it was reported that Edwards was set to direct and write a film with the working titled ''True Love'' for New Regency, with '' Rogue One'' co-producer Kiri Hart serving as producer for the project. The film has since been renamed and released in 2023 as '' The Creator''. The film stars John David Washington. It marked his second collaboration with ''Rogue One'' cinematographer Greig Fraser and his first collaboration with composer Hans Zimmer. It was released on 29 September 2023.

On 29 January 2024 Edwards was named as an honorary Freeman of the borough in his hometown of Nuneaton by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council during a civic awards ceremony at the Town Hall.

In February 2024, it was reported that Edwards was set to direct '' Jurassic World Rebirth'' for Universal Pictures scheduled for 2 July 2025. Edwards replaced David Leitch, who had left the project over creative differences with the studio.

Filmography

Film

Short film

Other credits

Television

TV movie

Documentary series

Other credits

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Gareth
1975 births
Living people
People from Nuneaton
English film directors
English film producers
English screenwriters
English cinematographers
British science fiction film directors
British production designers
English people of Welsh descent
British filmmakers
English filmmakers