Jon Favreau began his career as an actor in the earlies 1990s, playing supporting roles in a myriad of films ranging from Rudy to Batman Forever. His first directing gig came in 2001 with the Mafia comedy Made, starring Vince Vaughn and Favreau himself. His next films achieved carying degrees of success; the Christmas comedy Elf was a smash hit, earning over $220 million on a $33 million budget. Zathura, on the other hand, was a box-office disappointment. One of Favreaus biggest successes came with the releases of both Iron Man and Iron Man 2, often credited with kickstarting Marvel Studios lucrative superhero movie franchise. However, Favreaus 2011 genre mashup Cowboys & Aliens was both a critical and financial dud. But in true Favreau fashion, he managed to bounce back. In 2014, Favreau starred in and directed Chef, a charming comedy about a man rediscovering his passion after a series of disheartening disasters. Kind of meta, huh? This year will see the release of The Jungle Book, Jon Favreaus CGI-animation remake of the classic Disney film of the same name. Had I not been so pleased with Chef, I might not be as excited about The Jungle Book but it certainly seems like Favreaus got his groove back.
Spencer is a Film Studies major at the Rhode Island College in Providence. He is a professional video editor, hopeful screenwriter, aspiring director, and prays that his ambitions aren't just starry-eyed daydreams. Follow him on twitter @NotSpencerSerra
