Line #40 Creator/MaxLandis


1	[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Max_Landis_3166.png]]
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3	Max Landis (born August 3, 1985) is a screenwriter, director, producer and comic book writer, and the son of director Creator/JohnLandis. He is best known for writing ''Film/{{Chronicle}}'', ''Film/VictorFrankenstein'', ''Film/AmericanUltra'' and ''Film/{{Bright}}'' as well as ''Series/DirkGentlysHolisticDetectiveAgency'', the TV adaptation of Creator/DouglasAdams' ''Literature/DirkGently'' book series, which ran for two seasons on BBC America.
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5	Landis is also personally known for releasing a series of short films and videos on [[https://www.youtube.com/user/Uptomyknees his YouTube channel]], including the 2011 "educational parody film" ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PlwDbSYicM The Death and Return of Superman]]'', in which he recounts Franchise/{{Superman}}'s [[ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman infamous death and return]] with the help of numerous celebrity friends. He followed this up in 2015 with ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbq86V6x5LM Wrestling Isn't Wrestling]]'', an exploration of professional wrestling through the {{kayfabe}} story of Wrestling/TripleH's career, with the wrestlers portrayed by female models. This film [[ApprovalOfGod impressed]] both Triple H and his wife Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon so much that [[PromotedFanboy it earned Landis a position as a creative consultant]] for ''Wrestling/WWERaw''.
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7	During his rise in prominence throughout the [=2010s=], Landis gained a reputation for his eccentric personality, [[RummageSaleReject frequently bizarre fashion sense]], ability to [[https://youtu.be/7sVfEFlonTk spontaneously]] [[https://youtu.be/ygWvAqvTrVI?t=1m38s generate]] [[https://youtu.be/ev7BrvTsslU film]] [[https://youtu.be/E9nL22iKUFs pitches]], and [[{{Fanboy}} near-encyclopedic knowledge of comics and film]]. He also attracted controversy on numerous occasions for his significant and opinionated social media presence, apparent high opinion of his own work (frequently blaming others for any problems in his films) and sense of entitlement, {{hipster}} lifestyle, supposed ItsPopularNowItSucks mentality, and comments made about the characterization of Rey in ''Film/StarWarsTheForceAwakens'' that were perceived by many as sexist.
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9	In the late [=2010s=], multiple accusations of serious emotional and sexual abuse were made against Landis, as well as further claims that his alleged behavior was known in the entertainment industry but protected due to the connections of him and his father. As a result, his career stalled, with scripts of his that were set for production being shelved or extensively rewritten, and his influence has dwindled. While he largely stayed silent on the matter for years, he released several essays on his stance regarding the allegations and ensuing fallout that can be read on his [[https://maxlandis.medium.com/ Medium]] page, and later gave an additional statement in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0Yf5jda58c a 2023 video]].
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11	Landis remains active on [=YouTube=] and [[https://www.instagram.com/uptomyknees1985 Instagram]].
12	----
13	!! Selected works:
14	[[index]]
15	* ''Film/{{Chronicle}}'' (2012) (writer)
16	* ''Me Him Her'' (2015) (writer & director)
17	* ''Film/AmericanUltra'' (2015) (writer)
18	* ''Film/MrRight'' (2015) (writer & executive producer)
19	* ''Film/VictorFrankenstein'' (2015) (writer)
20	* ''Series/DirkGentlysHolisticDetectiveAgency'' (2016-17)
21	* ''Film/{{Bright}}'' (2017) (writer)
22	* ''Film/ShadowInTheCloud'' (2020) (writer[[note]]Following the publicizing of Landis' misconduct allegations, he was removed as a producer and his script was rewritten several times, but he was credited as a writer as per Writers Guild of America rules[[/note]])
23	[[/index]]
24
25	!!Tropes applying to Landis' works:
26
27	* AffectionateParody:
28	** His somewhat-mostly-accurate educational parody films ''The Death and Return of Superman'' and ''Wrestling Isn't Wrestling''.
29	** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_Y9eIdJxgo 14 Max Landis]]", a fan film about Max Landis' variety of online personae.
30	* AttentionDeficitCreatorDisorder: [[invoked]] Had half a dozen different projects in production in the years after ''Chronicle''.
31	* CrossCastRole:
32	** ''The Death and Return of Superman'' features Whitney Moore, Jennifer Newman, and Jezlan Moyet as Batman, Robin, and Nightwing, respectively.
33	** ''Wrestling Isn't Wrestling'' retells the first 20 years of Wrestling/TripleH's Wrestling/{{WWE}} career with a GenderFlip premise; male wrestlers like Triple H, Wrestling/ShawnMichaels and Wrestling/TheUndertaker are played by women (headed by Chloe Dykstra as Triple H), and the only featured female wrestler, Wrestling/{{Chyna}}, is played by a man (Sam Witwer). All other parts are played by their sex.
34	%%* EpilepticTrees: If "A Scar no-one else can See" is anything to go by, he is very fond of these.%%Invoked%%
35	* ExecutiveMeddling: [[invoked]] Fox told him to rewrite his script for ''Chronicle 2'' as [[http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/10/10/why-fox-dont-like-the-script-for-chronicle-2/ it wasn't enough of a retread of the first movie]].
36	* NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer: Several times throughout ''Wrestling Isn't Wrestling''.
37	* PromotedFanboy:
38	** He's a big fan of the WebVideo/ScreenJunkies' movie debate show, ''WebVideo/MovieFights''. He was actually featured as one of the gladiators in Episode 47.
39	** He's also a fan of WebVideo/RedLetterMedia. They interviewed him after they reviewed ''American Ultra'', and he appeared on an episode of ''WebVideo/BestOfTheWorst''.
40	** He wrote the critically acclaimed Creator/DCComics miniseries ''ComicBook/SupermanAmericanAlien''.
41	** "Wrestling Isn't Wrestling" led to him being given a position as a creative consultant for WWE, with Triple H claiming that he is one of the few members of the Internet Wrestling Community (IWC) who fully "gets" wrestling.

Context Creator / MaxLandis