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Joshua Donen

Joshua Donen

Producer, also actor · Born August 10, 1955 (71) · Los Angeles, California, USA

3 Primetime Emmys · 2 other major award bodies

Joshua Donen was born on 10 August 1955 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Gone Girl (2014), Love, Death & Robots (2019) and House of Cards (2013). He was previously married to Nicolette Bret Mount.

Biography from IMDb.

Born
August 10, 1955 (71)
From
Los Angeles, California, USA
Works as
Producer, also actor
Titles
16 on MovieCove
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 32% in 30 days

What are Joshua Donen's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Ideas.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
34%
Ideas
18%
Survival
14%
Self
12%
Power
12%
Bonds
6%
Society
4%
Survival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTechnology2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Wry: How sincerely it treats its story and characters, from ironic to earnest. Browse their wry movies.
Tone · Sincerity
ironicearnest

A split, not a type: Ironic 3 · Wry 0 · Earnest 5

Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 2 · Dark 4

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 3 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 5

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 2 · Intense 5

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Dread
4
Melancholic
6
Contemplative
2
Thrilling
3
Other
6

How their films linger

Fun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Joshua Donen's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 16 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Joshua Donen's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

16 credits, 16 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Spartacus: House of Ashur(2025)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all shows

  • Voir(2021)

    Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Grand Army(2020)

    Show 9 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Love, Death & Robots(2019)

    Show 45 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Mindhunter(2017)

    Show 19 episodes · Executive Producer · Story · Teleplay

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Gone Girl(2014)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Oz the Great and Powerful(2013)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • House of Cards(2013)

    Show 65 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Priest(2011)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Spartacus(2010)

    Show 33 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Armored(2009)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Drag Me to Hell(2009)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Great White Hype(1996)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Underneath(1995)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Quick and the Dead(1995)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Mark of Zorro(1974)

    Production Assistant

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 15 titles from 1974 to 2021.

Biggest box office

Gone Girl (2014)

$371M worldwide

Highest rated

Gone Girl (2014)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Love, Death & Robots (2019)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing1 of 15: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing14 of 15: 13 only producing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score66thOther crew1 of 15: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1970s1 · crew1990s3 · crew2000s2 · crew2010s7 · crew2020s2 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

3 Primetime Emmys from 14 major nominations, 2013–2025.

WinNomination
  1. 2025
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Animated Program
  2. 2022
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Short Form Animated Program
  3. 2021
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Short Form Animated Program
  4. 2020
    • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Drama Series
  5. 2019
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Short Form Animated Program
  6. 2017
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
  7. 2016
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
  8. 2015
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
Show 2 earlier years
  1. 2014
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
  2. 2013
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Joshua Donen's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 9; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 54th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

95thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 16 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th8

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 16 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · producer

Spartacus: House of Ashur (2025)

76th percentile spread · 21% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Gone Girl (2014)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 42. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Joshua Donen's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles81–96 · median 87 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles17–83 · median 49 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles38–93 · median 67 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles27–65 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles67–89 · median 83 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Joshua Donen work with?

People who share at least 2 of Joshua Donen's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; David Fincher shares the most, 4.

Directors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles