The Daniels are a directing duo made up by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.
So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the duo.
- Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert are known collectively as Daniels
- They are American film directors and screenwriters
- They began their career as directors of music videos
- The have directed for the popular DJ Snake & Lil Jon music video for the single “Turn Down for What” (2013)
- They have since ventured into film
- Having written and directed the surreal black comedy-drama Swiss Army Man (2016)
- And the science-fiction film Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
- The latter became A24’s highest-grossing film of all time
- The Daniels were nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay
- Kwan and Scheinert met while they were both studying film at Emerson College in Boston
- They went to college with Sunita Mani
- Sunita starred with Kwan in the music video for “Turn Down for What”
- They directed the music video
- Since 2011, the duo have directed music videos for artists including Foster the People, The Shins and Tenacious D
- In 2018, Kwan co-founded the group We Direct Music Videos (W.D.M.V.)
- Described as “a global community of music video directors who are committed to sustainable directorial labor practices”
- In 2016, the duo expanded to feature films, writing and directing Swiss Army Man, starring Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe
- The film received positive reviews
- As well as the duo winning the Directing Award at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival
- Daniels have since accumulated several television directing credits
- These include Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, Legion (Kwan only) and On Becoming a God in Central Florida (Scheinert only)
- Daniels were attached as directors on a prospective TV adaption of Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
- Being developed by Noah Hawley
- But the project was not picked up
- The duo announced in 2017 they would write, direct and produce a sci-fi film, with their producing partner Jonathan Wang and the Russo brothers
- Everything Everywhere All at Once, starring Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong and Jamie Lee Curtis, was released in March 2022 to widespread critical acclaim
- As of 2022, Daniels have signed a first look TV deal with A24
- The same year, they also signed a five-year film deal with Universal Pictures
- Daniels were on the Time 100 Next list in 2022
- Kwan was born in Westborough, Massachusetts
- He is married to fellow filmmaker and animator Kirsten Lepore
- Scheinert was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama
- He is the son of Becky and Ken Scheinert
- He attended Oak Mountain Elementary and Middle School
- He was a student in the International Baccalaureate program at Shades Valley High School
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