Skip to content
MovieCove
John Lesher

John Lesher

Producer · Born May 12, 1966 (60) · USA

Oscar winner · Primetime Emmy nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 2 other major award bodies

John Huttner Lesher (born May 12, 1966) is an American film producer known for winning the Academy Award for Best Picture for the 2014 film Birdman. Description above from the Wikipedia article John Lesher (producer), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 12, 1966 (60)
From
USA
Works as
Producer
Titles
19 on MovieCove · 27 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 155 days to Oct 26Down 17% in 30 days

What are John Lesher's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Survival.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 95th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama 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
23%
Survival
22%
Morality
18%
Self
15%
Society
12%
Power
6%
Ideas
3%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 2 · Dark 10

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 6 · Intense 8

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 4

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

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 3

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

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 2

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

A split, not a type: Casual 5 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 6

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 2 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 7

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

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Melancholic
11
Dread
6
Warm
4
Hopeful
3
Other
13

How their films linger

Bittersweet10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet11
  • 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 John Lesher's films?

As of October 24, 2026, all 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Lesher'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

27 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Focker-in-Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Producer

  • The Dink(2026)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Born to Bowl(2026)

    Show 5 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost(2025)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Extremist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Executive Producer

  • Ferrari(2023)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Pale Blue Eye(2022)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon(2021)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Tokyo Vice(2022)

    Show 18 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Severance(2022)

    Show 10 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Beach Bum(2019)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • White Boy Rick(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Hostiles(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Black Mass(2015)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Mediterranea(2015)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Mississippi Grind(2015)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)(2014)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Fury(2014)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Blood Ties(2013)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • End of Watch(2012)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Little Odessa(1994)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Airman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • Protective Custody (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Executive Producer

  • Slaying the Badger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • Stone Mattress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • The Off Weeks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show Executive Producer

  • The Seven Five (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

Career shape

A full career of 27 titles, 20 of them dated from 1994 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Fury (2014)

$212M worldwide

Highest rated

Fury (2014)

Midcredits 95th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Producing26 of 27: 26 only producing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score74thOther crew1 of 27: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1990s1 · crew2010s10 · crew2020s9 · 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

an Oscar and 2 other major awards from 7 major nominations, 2015–2026.

WinNomination
  1. 2026
    • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
  2. 2025
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Drama Series
  3. 2016
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best First Feature
  4. 2015
    • Oscar, won · Best Motion Picture of the Year
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Film
    • +2 other major bodies · 2 wins
      • Producers Guild Award, won · Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Feature

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 John Lesher's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 69th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

96thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 19 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th2

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 19 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · producer

The Beach Bum (2019)

55th percentile spread · 30% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Severance (2022)

Midcredits 98th · 93% liked

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 John Lesher's work okay for kids?

Across up to 13 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore12 titles40–94 · median 68 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity13 titles22–51 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity13 titles50–92 · median 73 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs10 titles36–76 · median 56 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense11 titles33–87 · median 63 · intenseheavier 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 John Lesher work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Lesher's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Scott Cooper shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers