Chris Columbus, Academy Award® Nominated Filmmaker
Academy Award® nominated filmmaker Chris Columbus has written, directed and produced some of the industry’s most successful box-office hits, establishing him as a major force in contemporary Hollywood. Along with being a prominent figure in film, Columbus is also a New York Times best-selling author. His novel, House of Secrets, the first iteration of an epic new fantasy series, was published in April 2013 to rave reviews and quickly rose to the top of the charts.
Columbus and his daughter, Eleanor Columbus, launched Maiden Voyage Productions in 2014. The duo’s first film, Sara Colangelo’s Little Accidents starring Elizabeth Banks, premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Amplify in January 2015. They followed up with Robert Eggers’ The Witch, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews and was acquired by A24 for a 2015 release. Also in 2015, Maiden Voyage produced Jonas Carpignano’s Mediterranea, a feature based on the Venice Film Festival short A Chjana, that premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. In 2016 they released Sian Heder’s Tallulah starring Ellen Page, Allison Janey, and Zachary Quinto. Maiden Voyage’s Patti Cake$ became the breakout star of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, finally selling to Fox Searchlight after a heated bidding war.
In 2011, Columbus released the blockbuster hit The Help starring Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek, Jessica Chastain and Viola Davis under his 1492 Pictures banner. At the 84th Academy Awards®, The Help garnered four nominations, including two for Best Supporting Actress and one for Best Picture. Octavia Spencer won the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her portrayal of the character Minny Jackson. To date, the film has grossed over $212 million worldwide.