Rian Johnson: podcast appearances and interviews

Rian Craig Johnson, born on December 17, 1973, is an American filmmaker recognized for his work as a director. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film Brick in 2005, which received positive reviews and was commercially successful. Johnson gained mainstream recognition for his science-fiction thriller Looper in 2012, both critically and commercially successful. His largest project to date was the space opera Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 2017, which grossed over one billion dollars. Johnson also returned to the mystery genre with the Knives Out film series, which began in 2019 and earned him Academy Award nominations for both Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay. In addition to his feature film work, Johnson directed three acclaimed episodes of the television series Breaking Bad, notably 'Ozymandias,' 'Fly,' and 'Fifty-One.' The episode 'Fifty-One' earned him the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series in 2013. He created the murder mystery series Poker Face for Peacock, starring Natasha Lyonne. Johnson is known for his ongoing collaboration with actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who has appeared in all his feature films in various roles. His influence and contributions to the industry were recognized when he was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.