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Josann McGibbon

Writer and producer

Primetime Emmy nominee · 2 other major award bodies

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Josann McGibbon's first major success as a screenwriter was the early Brad Pitt film, The Favor. Her biggest hits since then include Three Men and a Little Lady and Runaway Bride. In 2007, she co-wrote and produced the hit Debra Messing miniseries, The Starter Wife. The Starter Wife received 8 Emmy nominations in 2007, including best screen-writing. Description above from the Wikipedia article Josann McGibbon, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Works as
Writer and producer
Titles
13 on MovieCove · 15 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Down 12% in 30 days

What are Josann McGibbon's films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
62%
Self
26%
Morality
9%
Society
3%
Friendship6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 11 · Serious 0 · Dark 0

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 5

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

Gentle 8 · Charged 3 · Intense 0

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

Steady 8 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 9 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
6
Warm
6
Hopeful
5
Romantic
5
Tense
5
Other
4

How their films linger

Feel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet1

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 Josann McGibbon's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (7).

Subscription and free streaming for Josann McGibbon'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

15 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page.

  • Descendants: Wicked Wonderland(2026)

    Characters

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Descendants: The Rise of Red(2024)

    Characters

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Choose Love(2023)

    Executive Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Descendants: The Royal Wedding(2021)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Descendants 3(2019)

    Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Audrey's Royal Return: A Descendants Short Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Writer

  • Descendants 2(2017)

    Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Descendants(2015)

    Co-Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Starter Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 10 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

  • The Starter Wife(2007)

    Show 6 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Teleplay

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all shows

  • Desperate Housewives(2004)

    Show 23 episodes · Co-Executive Producer · Consulting Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Runaway Bride(1999)

    Novel · Writer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Favor(1994)

    Co-Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Three Men and a Little Lady(1990)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Worth Winning(1989)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 15 titles from 1989 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Runaway Bride (1999)

$309M worldwide

Highest rated

Descendants (2015)

Midcredits 71st

Most popular right now

Descendants: Wicked Wonderland (2026)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing15 of 15: 7 only writing, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score36thProducing8 of 15: 0 only producing, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score71stOther crew2 of 15: 0 only other crew, 2 with another role

15 titles, 8 with more than one role — writing and producing overlap on 8 of them.

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s3 · crew2000s3 · crew2010s4 · crew2020s4 · 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

1 major award from 5 major nominations, 2007–2016.

WinNomination
  1. 2016
    • Writers Guild Award, won · Children's Long Form
  2. 2008
    • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Long Form - Adaptation
    • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television
  3. 2007
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Miniseries
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special

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 Josann McGibbon's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 36th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 38th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

90thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 13 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 13 titles are Mixed.

  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · writer

Descendants: The Rise of Red (2024)

85th percentile spread · 43% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer, producer

Desperate Housewives (2004)

Midcredits 81st · 82% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 41/100 and the plot and story 35/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 Josann McGibbon's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles9–31 · median 22 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles16–32 · median 22 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles8–28 · median 17 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles6–23 · median 12 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles8–37 · median 26 · mildlighter 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 Josann McGibbon work with?

People who share at least 2 of Josann McGibbon's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Sara Parriott shares the most, 11.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers