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Kevin Lewis (director)

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Kevin Lewis
Born
Denver, Colorado, US
Alma materUniversity of Southern California
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter, producer
WorksMalibu Spring Break (2003)
The Third Nail (2008)
Willy's Wonderland (2021)
Children4[1]

Kevin Lewis is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Best known for his drama crime film The Third Nail (2008) and his action comedy horror film Willy's Wonderland (2021),[1] his body of work spans many film genres and multiple decades of cinema.[2]

Career

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After directing and producing three independent feature films, Lewis had his breakthrough with Malibu Spring Break (2003).[3] It was the first and only release for Crown International Pictures after fourteen years of dormancy, for a production company that had previously been a major force in the B-movie and low-budget film world.[4][5] Despite starring Playboy Playmate Pilar Lastra, the film received negative reviews upon its 2008 release.[6] In 2007, Lewis directed The Third Nail, a crime drama film.[7]

After this, he took more than a decade away from the feature film world.[1] He returned to direct Willy's Wonderland,[8][9] written by G. O. Parsons.[10][11] It had the highest budget of any Lewis film, at approximately five million dollars,[12] and starred Nicolas Cage as a quiet drifter who is tricked into cleaning up an abandoned family entertainment center inhabited by eight murderous animatronic characters who are possessed with the souls of a cannibalistic killer and his seven psychotic colleagues. It received mixed reviews from critics,[13] but quickly achieved cult film status and drew buzz for a potential sequel.[14][15]

Filmography

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  • The Method (1996) – director, writer, producer
  • Andrew Jackson White Elk (1998) – director, producer
  • Downward Angel (2001) – director, writer[16]
  • The Third Society (2002) – second unit director
  • Malibu Spring Break (2003) – director, written by
  • Dark Heart (2006) – director, writer
  • The Drop (2006) – director, screenplay[16]
  • The Third Nail (2008) – director, writer
  • Willy's Wonderland (2021) – director[17]
  • The Accursed (2022) – director, produced by[18][19]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Mahler, Matt (October 13, 2022). "Exclusive: Kevin Lewis on The Accursed, Willy's Wonderland, and Life After Near-Death". MovieWeb. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  2. ^ Hermanns, Grant (October 25, 2022). "Kevin Lewis Interview: The Accursed". Screen Rant. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  3. ^ "Malibu Spring Break (2003)". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  4. ^ p.86 Slide, Anthony The American Film Industry: A Historical Dictionary 1986 Greenwood Press
  5. ^ Albright, Brian Who Saved Hitler's Brain? The Making and Re-Making of "Madmen of Mandoras" Filmfax Plus Magazine #118
  6. ^ "Malibu Spring Break". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  7. ^ "The Third Nail (2008)". Letterboxd. 2008. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  8. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (October 29, 2019). "Nicolas Cage To Star In Genre Thriller 'Wally's Wonderland'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  9. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (February 13, 2021). "'Willy's Wonderland' Review: Nicolas Cage Faces Off Against Animatronic Kiddie Monsters in a Horror Bash That Revels in its Cageness". Variety. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  10. ^ "'Willy's Wonderland' Trailer Traps Nicolas Cage in a Nightmare World of Killer Animatronics". MovieWeb. January 15, 2021. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  11. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (February 5, 2020). "'Party Of Five' Star Emily Tosta Joins Nicolas Cage In Genre Thriller 'Wally's Wonderland'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 8, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  12. ^ Munro, Shaun (February 12, 2021). "Movie Review – Willy's Wonderland (2021)". Flickering Myth. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  13. ^ "Willy's Wonderland". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  14. ^ Parker, Cris (Interviewer); Parsons, G. O. (Interviewee) (January 21, 2021). Talking To The Creator of Willys Wonderland About FNAF, Animatronics & MORE!. 3C Films on YouTube. Event occurs at 27 minutes. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  15. ^ Weiss, Josh (2021-02-17). "'Willy's Wonderland' director sees his Evil Dead send-up as the next great horror entry in the Nic Cage 'genre'". SYFY WIRE. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  16. ^ a b King, Scott (March 18, 2021). "Why Director Kevin Lewis' "Willy's Wonderland" Is Unbridled Pandemic Fun". Forbes. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  17. ^ Lewis, Kevin (February 13, 2021). "Director Kevin Lewis Just Released 'Willy's Wonderland' — Two Weeks Ago He Nearly Died From COVID". IndieWire. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  18. ^ Weiss, Josh (July 19, 2021). "'Willy's Wonderland' Director Kevin Lewis Tapped For Female-Led Horror Flick 'The Accursed'". Forbes. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  19. ^ Melanson, Angel (November 2, 2022). "Convo X Fango: THE ACCURSED With Director Kevin Lewis". Fangoria. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
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