Mike Gunther

Michael "Mike" Gunther is an American film director and stuntman. He is known for being the second unit director on Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), Star Trek Beyond (2016) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016) in addition to Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014). At the end of 2011, he directed the feature film Setup starring Bruce Willis. During 2017-2019 Gunther developed and then directed the popular Netflix "Rogue Warfare" trilogy of films,^[1] In 2020 he was the 2nd Unit Director for the Will Smith, Martin Lawrence blockbuster "Bad Boys For Life".^[2] 2021 found him serving as the Second Unit Director on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings for Marvel Pictures. Gunther also owns and operates 5150Action Productions, a film production company focusing on a wide slate of original content development.^[3]

Career

After a career creating action sequences for films, Gunther developed and sold a slate of MTV shows: Live Free or Die Hard: Inside the Action (2007) Ghost Rider: Inside the Action (2007) Your Movie Show (2005–2006) and Underworld: Evolution – Inside the Action (2005) before directing the theatrical feature films Beatdown (2010) starring Danny Trejo and Rudy Youngblood as well as the Bruce Willis and 50 Cent action vehicle Setup (2011).^[4]

In 2014, he started second unit directing for the major studio franchises Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)^[5]Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016) Star Trek Beyond (2016) and Transformers: The Last Knight (2017).

In 2018, Gunther served as Second Unit Director on the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee for Paramount Studios as well as becoming a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences by invitation.^[6]

In 2019 he was Second Unit Director for Sony Pictures on Bad Boys For Life starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.

In 2021 he was the Second Unit Director on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings for Marvel Pictures as well as "The Forever Purge" for Universal Pictures.

Filmography

As Second Unit Director

Year	Title	Director	Notes
2002	Kung Pow! Enter the Fist	Steve Oedekerk	Also stunt double: Steve Oedekerk
2009	Fast & Furious	Justin Lin	Mexico; uncredited
2009	Fighting	Dito Montiel	uncredited
2010	Zeke and Luther	Joe Menendez	Television series; Episode: Tall Stack Of Waffles
2014	Sabotage	David Ayer
	Transformers: Age of Extinction	Michael Bay
	The Purge: Anarchy	James DeMonaco
2014-2018	Scorpion	Various	Television series
2015	Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse	Christopher Landon
2016	Star Trek Beyond	Justin Lin
2016	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows	Dave Green
2017	Transformers: The Last Knight	Michael Bay
2018	Bumblebee	Travis Knight
2018	Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan	Daniel Sackheim	Television series; Episode: Inshallah
2020	Bad Boys For Life	Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah
2021	The Forever Purge	Everardo Valerio Gout
2021	Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings	Destin Daniel Cretton
2022	The Lost City	Aaron and Adam Nee
	Ambulance	Michael Bay
	Me Time	John Hamburg
2024	Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire	Gil Kenan
	Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F	Mark Molloy
	Twisters	Lee Isaac Chung

As Director / Writer / Producer

Setup (2011) (Director, Writer)
End of Watch (2012) (Associate Producer)
Rogue Warfare (2019) (Director, Writer, Producer)
Rogue Warfare: The Hunt (2019) (Director, Producer)
Rogue Warfare: Death of a Nation (2020) (Director, Producer)
A Violent Land (TBA) (Director, Writer, Producer)
Stop Frank (TBA) (Director, Writer)
Criminal (TBA) (Director, Writer)

Awards

2010 World Stunt Awards – Won, Taurus Award – Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director: Feature Film for Fast & Furious^[7]
2012 World Stunt Awards – Won, Taurus Award – Best High Work for Fast Five^{[citation needed]}
2012 World Stunt Awards – Won, Taurus Award – Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director: Feature for Fast Five^{[citation needed]}
2012 World Stunt Awards – Won, Taurus Award – Best Fight for Fast Five^{[citation needed]}
2012 World Stunt Awards – Won, Taurus Award – Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director for Fast Five – Universal Pictures^{[citation needed]}
2020 World Stunt Awards – Nominated Taurus Award – Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director for Bad Boys for Life – Columbia Pictures Entertainment^{[citation needed]}
2021 Indiana Film Journalists Association – Nominated, IFJA Award – Best Stunt/Movement Choreography for Ambulance – Universal Pictures^{[citation needed]}

References

^ Floorwalker, Mike (2020-08-03). "A Sneaky Good Action Movie Has Been Dominating Netflix". Looper.com. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
^ "Director Mike Gunther". BFI.Org. 2020-12-21. Archived from the original on May 28, 2016.
^ viapiuser (2018-04-19). "Mike Gunther". Variety. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
^ "Director Mike Gunther talks about filming 'Setup' in Grand Rapids with 50 Cent, Bruce Willis". mlive. 2010-12-21. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
^ "Transformers: Age of Extinction Interview: Mike Gunther". Collider. 2014-06-24. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
^ "Academy Invites Record 928 New Members". The Hollywood Reporter. 25 June 2018.
^ "Winners & Nominees". Taurus World Stunt Awards. Retrieved 2021-06-10.

[:0-1] Floorwalker, Mike (2020-08-03). "A Sneaky Good Action Movie Has Been Dominating Netflix". Looper.com. Retrieved 2021-06-10.

[2] "Director Mike Gunther". BFI.Org. 2020-12-21. Archived from the original on May 28, 2016.

[3] viapiuser (2018-04-19). "Mike Gunther". Variety. Retrieved 2024-05-13.

[4] "Director Mike Gunther talks about filming 'Setup' in Grand Rapids with 50 Cent, Bruce Willis". mlive. 2010-12-21. Retrieved 2021-06-10.

[5] "Transformers: Age of Extinction Interview: Mike Gunther". Collider. 2014-06-24. Retrieved 2021-06-10.

[6] "Academy Invites Record 928 New Members". The Hollywood Reporter. 25 June 2018.

[7] "Winners & Nominees". Taurus World Stunt Awards. Retrieved 2021-06-10.

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