ROLAND EMMERICH (Directed / Produced by) is one of the world’s most talented and sought-after directors. His career began in his native Germany. He studied film at the University of Television and Film Munich where his student film The Noah’s Ark Principle went on to open the 1984 Berlin Film Festival.
Emmerich is currently shooting Independence Day Resurgence, the follow up to his 1996 epic sci-fi and box office hit Independence Day. The film started production in May and is slated for a June 2016 release. Roland is directing, co-writing and producing the film.
Emmerich and Dean Devlin are developing a reimagining of Stargate as a follow up to their 1994 hit. They will be partnering with MGM and Warner Bros. and are planning it as part of a trilogy.
The summer of 2013 saw the release of action film White House Down, starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The story followed a Capitol policeman tasked with saving the life of the US President after a paramilitary group seizes the White House. Emmerich directed and produced the film and James Vanderbilt wrote the screenplay. In 2011 Roland directed the controversial feature Anonymous, which explored the theory that William Shakespeare’s plays were written by Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford. The film featured an amazing cast including Vanessa Redgrave, Rhys Ifans and Joely Richardson.
Late 2009 saw the release of the box office hit 2012, an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. This major blockbuster starred John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton. As well as directing, Roland co-wrote the screenplay.
Emmerich is famed for his disaster movies, which also include 10,000 BC, a fantasy-drama that tells the story of the world’s first hero, who brings down an evil empire to save his love. In 2004 The Day After Tomorrow was released, starring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal, which follows a climatologist’s struggle to figure out a way to save the world from global warming. Roland directed, co-wrote and produced both films.
In 2000, Emmerich directed The Patriot based on the history of the American Revolution. The film starred Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger and Joely Richardson. Earlier on, 1994 saw Emmerich direct the cult hit Universal Soldier, which was followed by Stargate in the same year. Following that, 1996 and 1998 brought two of the most popular action films that the world had ever seen, both directed by Emmerich. In 1996 Independence Day grossed over $800 million worldwide, a blockbuster that secured Emmerich’s position as one of Hollywood’s top film directors. In quick succession, Emmerich released another Hollywood blockbuster, Godzilla, which he also and saw him reunite with screenwriter Dean Devlin. The film starred Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno and Hank Azaria.
In addition, to his work in film and television, Emmerich has made considerable contributions to many charities, including but not limited to the Cambodian Children’s Fund and the Gay and Lesbian Center of Los Angeles.