- Gerard Johnstone is a New Zealand screenwriter, director, and producer renowned for his unique ability to blend sharp comedy with high-tension horror. He gained international recognition as the creative force behind the global hit M3GAN (2023), which became a viral sensation and a major box office success for Blumhouse and Universal Pictures.
Johnstone first made waves in the industry with the award-winning sitcom The Jaquie Brown Diaries (2008-2009), which he co-created, wrote, and directed. He transitioned to feature films with his directorial debut, the horror-comedy Housebound (2014). The film premiered to critical acclaim at SXSW and is often cited as a modern cult classic for its inventive take on the haunted house genre.
Following his success in horror-comedy, Johnstone directed several high-profile television projects, including the 2016 reboot of Terry Teo and the action-adventure series The New Legends of Monkey (2018). His reputation for balancing tone and genre led to him being handpicked by producer James Wan to helm the M3GAN franchise.
Recently, Johnstone returned to write and direct the sequel, M3GAN 2.0 (2025), expanding the universe of the iconic AI doll. His upcoming projects include directing a live-action Monster High film for Mattel and Universal Pictures, further cementing his place as a leading director in the reimagining of classic and contemporary monster properties.
- IMDb mini biography by: Nizam Miah
- Martial Arts Aspirations: As a child, Johnstone dreamed of being a martial arts movie star and used to make and edit his own kung fu films on a VHS player. He even moved to Australia with only $2,000 to join the Gold Coast Stunt Academy, though he ran out of funds before he could enrol.
- Struggling Start: To save money after his failed stunt academy attempt, he spent eight months working at Australian Meat Holdings in Ipswich. Later, he used prize money from winning the 48Hours film contest twice to fund a comedy pilot that eventually led to his hit series The Jaquie Brown Diaries.
- Budgetary Brilliance: His debut feature Housebound (2014) was shot on a shoestring budget of roughly $250,000. To save money, he decided to set the entire film in a single location, which led to the inventive "haunted house" premise that caught Hollywood's attention.
- Creative Influences: He cites filmmaker Sam Raimi as a major influence on his style, particularly for his ability to blend humour, shock, and heart. For the sequel M3GAN 2.0, he looked to classic sequels like Terminator 2 and The Empire Strikes Back for inspiration on how to expand a franchise without repeating the first film.
- Accidental Horror Career: Johnstone has admitted that he never intended to be a horror director. He chose the genre for Housebound because it was financially successful on low budgets in New Zealand, and only later "went back to school" on the genre to learn how to do it properly.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
