Joel Schumacher

Joel T. Schumacher (; born August 29, 1939) is an American filmmaker. Schumacher rose to fame after directing three hit films: St. Elmo's Fire (1985), The Lost Boys (1987), and Flatliners (1990). He later went on to direct the John Grisham adaptations The Client (1994) and A Time to Kill (1996). His films Falling Down (1993) and 8mm (1999) competed for Palme d'Or and Golden Bear, respectively. In 1993, he signed on to direct the next installments of the Batman film series. The Schumacher-directed Batman films Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997) received mixed-to-negative reactions from both critics and the public. After the Batman films, Schumacher pulled back from blockbusters and returned to making minimalist films such as Tigerland (2000) and Phone Booth (2002), both earning positive reviews. He also directed The Phantom of the Opera (2004), The Number 23 (2007), and two episodes of House of Cards. Known for casting young actors, Schumacher helped actors like Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, and Matthew McConaughey to launch careers.