David Mandel, whose credits include directing five episodes of the HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm starring Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, has joined Green Dot Films for commercials and branded content. Mandel also earlier served as a writer and producer on Seinfeld from 1995 until the show’s conclusion in ’98.
In addition, Mandel wrote and produced the Sacha Baron-Cohen film comedy The Dictator (2012) alongside Alec Berg and Jeff Schaffer. His most recent writing and producing work is the HBO movie Clear History (2013), which stars Jon Hamm, Kate Hudson, and Larry David that premiered this month.
Mandel brings to Green Dot an affinity for scripted and improv-centric comedy. He was a key writer on Saturday Night Live from 1992-’95, a period which included working on a wide range of commercial parodies as well as such memorable skits as “Bill Clinton at McDonald’s.” Mandel’s subsequent work on Seinfeld earned multiple Emmy and Writers Guild of America (WGA) award nominations for writing–most notably for his work on the popular “Bizarro Jerry” episode–as well as a WGA award win for the episode “The Pool Guy”. He’s also written for The Simpsons and is an alumnus of The Harvard Lampoon.
Over the years, Mandel’s work has yielded multiple Emmy, WGA and Producers Guild of America award nominations.
“David Mandel has written and directed some of the funniest things I’ve seen from the last 15 years. He consistently creates the type of funny that hits your brain and belly at the same time,” said Darren Foldes, executive producer and head of sales at Green Dot Films. “That fact alone would be enough for Green Dot to be excited to represent him, but he has also shown his talent in a variety of media, successfully telling comedic stories of varying lengths, and has worked closely with many of the true comedic giants of our time.”
Mandel joins a Green Dot directorial roster that includes: Rebecca Baehler, Alain Briere, Mark Coppos, Richard Farmer (formerly of the directing team HAPPY), Rafael Fernandez, Kim Jacobs, Robert Jitzmark, Minivegas, Luc Schurgers (founder of Minivegas), Brent Thomas and Claire Thomas.
“Red One” Tops Weekend Box Office With $34.1 Million
Moviegoers were not exactly feeling the Christmas spirit this weekend, or at least what "Red One" was offering. The big budget, star-driven action comedy with Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans sold $34.1 million in tickets in its first weekend in theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. It easily topped a box office populated mostly by holdovers.
For traditional studios, a $34.1 million debut against a $200 million+ production budget would be a clear indication of a flop. Some even peg the budget closer to $250 million. But "Red One" is an Amazon MGM Studios release and they have the luxury of playing the long game, accounting not only for global box office where Johnson tentpoles often overperform, but its life on Prime Video for years to come.
"Red One," in which Johnson plays Santa's bodyguard, was also originally built to go straight-to-streaming. There's a narrative that the theatrical earnings are not only just a bonus, but that it's an additive gesture towards struggling theaters looking for a consistent stream of new films. The first major studio holiday release since 2018, "Red One" opened on 4,032 screens, including IMAX and other large formats, on an otherwise quiet weekend for major releases.
Warner Bros. is handling the overseas release, where it has made an estimated $50 million in two weekends from 75 territories and 14,783 screens.
Still, it's certainly not a theatrical hit in North America. Even "Joker: Folie à Deux" made slightly more in its first weekend. "Red One," directed by Jake Kasdan and produced by Johnson's Seven Bucks, was roundly rejected by critics, with a dismal 33% Rotten Tomatoes score. Jake Coyle, in his review for The Associated Press, wrote that it "feels like an unwanted high-priced Christmas... Read More