Marc Forster Biography

Marc Forster (born ) is a German-Swiss filmmaker and screenwriter. He is best known for directing the films Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland, Stranger than Fiction, The Kite Runner, Quantum of Solace, and World War Z.

Life and career

Forster was born in Au (today Illertissen), in the Neu-Ulm district of Bavaria. The son of a German doctor and a Swiss architect, Forster grew up in Davos, a winter resort in eastern Switzerland.

In 1990, when he was 20 years old, Forster moved to New York, in the United States. For the next three years, he attended New York University's film school, making several documentary films. In 1995, he moved to Hollywood and shot an experimental low-budget film ($10,000) called Loungers, which won the Slamdance Audience Award. Forster's first feature-length motion picture was the psychological drama Everything Put Together (2000), which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

His breakthrough film was Monster's Ball (2001), in which he directed Halle Berry in her Academy Award-winning performance as the wife of a man on death row. His next film, Finding Neverland (2004), was based on the life of author J.M. Barrie. The film was nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Forster received BAFTA, Directors Guild of America, and Golden Globe nominations for his direction.

Forster's next film, the thriller Stay (2005) starred Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts and grossed $8 million (USD) in the United States. Stranger than Fiction (2006), a surreal romantic comedy starring Will Ferrell, was a critical success and earned $54 million worldwide.

Forster then directed an adaptation of best-seller Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, scripted by repeat collaborator David Benioff and starring British newcomer Khalid Abdalla. The film follows an Afghani-American man who returns to his war-ravaged country to save the son of his former best friend. The Kite Runner was released on December 14, 2007 and grossed $73 million worldwide.

Forster directed the twenty-second James Bond film, Quantum of Solace which began shooting on January 2, 2008, shortly before his 39th birthday, making him the youngest director in the series' history (beating the previous record set by Guy Hamilton, who was 41 when he directed Goldfinger five years before Forster's birth). Quantum of Solace was released in the United Kingdom on October 31, 2008. This was the third highest grossing Bond film (behind Skyfall and Casino Royale), pulling in over $586 million worldwide.

He is a frequent collaborator with Kansas City based motion graphics firm MK12, who designed the opening credit sequences and other surreal onscreen graphics for The Kite Runner, Stranger Than Fiction and Quantum of Solace.

He is also attached with the thriller novel Angelology to make it into a feature film. Will Smith and James Lassiter's Overbrook Entertainment will co-produce with Marc Forster. Forster will be directing the film.

In January 2010 Forster acquired the rights of the novel to make it into a feature film. Leonardo DiCaprio is set to star and produce the film and Peter O'Brien is attached to write the script for the film.

Forster directed the film adaptation of the novel World War Z, starring Brad Pitt, which Paramount announced at the July 2010 San Diego Comic-Con. The film opened the 35th Moscow International Film Festival.

In July 2010 Forster is set to direct and produce a religious film Heretic for a 2014 release date. Marcus Hinchey will write the script for Forster. The film will focus on Carlton Pearson.

In 2010 it was announced that Disney had purchased the rights to make a film adaptation of the comic book Cowboy Ninja Viking. Zombieland screenwriters Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese are slated to pen the film's screenplay. Disney dropped the film in turnaround and Universal acquired the rights in 2012, with director Marc Forster attached to direct.

In September 2012 Forster was in negotiations and later set to direct Imagining Nathan for the Walt Disney Pictures. The story of the fantasy film revolves around a six year old character titled Nathan.

Humanitarian efforts

Marc Forster was, along with Renée Zellweger, part of the 2005 HIV prevention campaign by the Swiss federal health department.

Forster is also involved in the Red Cross organization "Our World. Your Move" and additionally works with Rokpa International, who help the hungry, sick, orphaned and poor throughout Tibet and Nepal.

Filmography

Year	Title	No. of Oscar nominations	No. of Oscar wins
2000	Everything Put Together
2001	Monster's Ball	2	1
2004	Finding Neverland	7	1
2005	Stay
2006	Stranger Than Fiction
2007	The Kite Runner	1
2008	Quantum of Solace
2011	Machine Gun Preacher
2013	World War Z
2014	Heretic