Ruben Samuel Fleischer (/ˈflaɪʃər/; born October 31, 1974) is an American film director, film producer, television producer, music video director, and commercial director who lives in Montclair, New Jersey. He is best known as the director of Zombieland (2009), his first feature film, and its sequel Zombieland: Double Tap (2019). He has also directed the films 30 Minutes or Less, Gangster Squad, Uncharted, and 2018's Venom featuring the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Prior to features, he directed television commercials for such brands as Cisco, Eurostar, ESPN, and Burger King, and music videos for artists such as M.I.A., Electric Six, DJ Format and Gold Chains.
Ruben Fleischer | |
|---|---|
 Fleischer at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | Ruben Samuel Fleischer[1] October 31, 1974 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Spouse |
Holly Shakoor (m. 2012) |
Early life
editFleischer was born and raised in Washington, D.C, the son of Karen Lee (née Samuel) and David Elliot Fleischer, who is a physician at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona and a professor of medicine.[1][3] His brother, Lucas, works in new media.[4] His father was born to a Jewish family, while his mother converted to Judaism. Fleischer was raised in Reform Judaism.[5]
After graduating with a major in history from Wesleyan University, Fleischer moved to San Francisco, where he worked as a freelance HTML programmer, unsure what he wanted to do with his life.[6][7][8]
Career
editTaking the advice of close friend Mike White (also a Wesleyan graduate), Fleischer worked as a PA in the writers' office of Dawson's Creek.[3] He eventually turned to directing and worked his way through the industry, tackling music videos, and television commercials before landing his first feature film, Zombieland, in 2009. His second feature, 30 Minutes or Less, opened in theaters on August 12, 2011.[9]
Fleischer directed Gangster Squad, a 2013 action thriller film, based on the special tactical group created by the LAPD to combat the Los Angeles crime family.[10] He next directed Venom, a film about Marvel Comics character Eddie Brock, starring Tom Hardy; it was released on October 5, 2018.[11]
In 2019, he directed Zombieland: Double Tap, reuniting the four original leads.[12] In February 2020, he was hired to direct Uncharted, based on the video game series of the same name.[13] In September 2022, he was hired to direct Now You See Me 3.[14]
Filmography
editShort film
| Year | Title | Director | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Girls Guitar Club | Yes | Yes |
| 2005 | Gumball 3000: 6 Days in May | Yes | Yes |
Feature film
edit| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Zombieland | Yes | No |
| 2011 | 30 Minutes or Less | Yes | No |
| 2013 | Gangster Squad | Yes | Yes |
| 2018 | Venom | Yes | No |
| The Mule | No | Yes | |
| 2019 | Zombieland: Double Tap | Yes | Yes |
| 2021 | Venom: Let There Be Carnage | No | Yes |
| 2022 | Uncharted | Yes | Yes |
| 2025 | Now You See Me 3 | Yes | No |
- Producer
- Two Night Stand (2014)
- Unicorn Store (2017)
- Bad Trip (2021)
Television
edit| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–2006 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Yes | No | 3 episodes |
| 2006–2007 | Rob & Big | No | Yes | |
| 2008 | Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis | Yes | No | 2 episodes |
| 2009–2015 | Fantasy Factory | No | Yes | |
| 2010 | Funny or Die Presents | Yes | No | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | Marry Me | Yes | No | Episode "F Me" |
| 2015–2021 | Superstore | Yes | Yes | Directed 7 episodes |
| 2016 | American Housewife | Yes | Yes | Directed episode "Pilot" |
| 2017 | Santa Clarita Diet | Yes | Yes | Directed 2 episodes |
| 2017–2021 | The Bold Type | No | Yes | |
| 2019–2020 | Stumptown | Yes | Yes | Directed 1 episode |
| 2023 | White House Plumbers | No | Yes | |
| Jury Duty | No | Yes | ||
| 2024 | St. Denis Medical | Yes | Yes | Directed 2 episodes |
Music videos
edit| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| "Galang" | M.I.A. |
| "Fix Up, Look Sharp" | Dizzee Rascal |
| "Stand Up Tall" | |
| "Pro Nails" | Kid Sister |
| "I Came From SF" | Gold Chains |
| "Cali Nights" | |
| "The Game" | |
| "Nada" | |
| "Dance Commander" | Electric Six |
| "Vicious Battle Raps" | DJ Format |
| "We Know Something You Don't" | |
| "The Hit Song" | |
| "Mocito" | Pigeon Funk |
| "Pies" | Wiley |
| "Dirty Girl" | Bobby Light |
| "Wash in the Rain" | The Bees |
| "Here She Comes Again" | The Stands |
| "I Believe in You" | Amp Fiddler |
| "Stadtkind" | Ellen Allien |
| "Time Bomb" | The Dismemberment Plan |
| "Just a Simple Plan" | Piebald |
| "French Jacuzzi Dub" | Explosion Robinson |
| "Come On to Me" | Major Lazer featuring Sean Paul |
Commercials
edit| Title | Brand |
|---|---|
| "Ladies Man" | Boost Mobile |
| "Geek" | |
| "Shopaholic" | |
| "Good Inside" | McDonald's |
| "After Party" | |
| "Revision 43A" | Cisco |
| "Jack 245" | |
| "Call Jimmy" | |
| "Manager" | |
| "Up Late with The King" | Burger King |
| "Handoff" | |
| "Bounce" | |
| "Circles" | Eurostar |
| "Quiet" | ESPN |
| "Mascots" | |
| "The Drop" | Courir |
| "Nose" | Cinnamon Toast Crunch |
| "Infomercial" | Borat soundtrack |
| "Believe It or Not" | G4 |
| "Asai Kenichi" | Levi's |
| "Hiroshi Fujiwara" | |
| "Chara" | |
| "Cops" | Ribena |
| "Down Home" | KFC |
| "Har Mar Superstar" | Vladivar |
| "A Way In" | Vogue |
Collaborations
editLike many directors, Fleischer has worked with certain actors on two or more of his films:
| Actor | Zombieland (2009) |
30 Minutes or Less (2011) |
Gangster Squad (2013) |
Venom (2018) |
Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) |
Uncharted (2022) |
Now You See Me 3 (2025) |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abigail Breslin |  |
|
2 | |||||
| Jesse Eisenberg | |
|
|
|
4 | |||
| Woody Harrelson | |
|
|
|
4 | |||
| Bill Murray | |
|
2 | |||||
| Michael Peña | |
|
2 | |||||
| Emma Stone | |
|
|
3 |
References
edit- ^ a b "Jennings, Hughes, Wilkes, Webber, Aldridge U.K.:Information about Ruben Samuel Fleischer". Familytreemaker.genealogy.com. August 15, 1996. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ^ "Emma Stone officiates a wedding – just like these other celebrities". UsMagazine.com. November 14, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
- ^ a b Bloomer, Jeffrey (October 2, 2009). "Getting to Know... Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer". Paste Magazine.
- ^ Hornaday, Ann (October 17, 2009). "With 'Zombieland,' D.C. Native Ruben Fleischer Turns His Directorial Debut Into a Hit". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ^ "Gangster Squad's Comedy Nerd – The Arty Semite – Forward.com". Blogs.forward.com. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
- ^ Ann Hornaday (October 17, 2009). "Don of the Dead". The Washington Post.
- ^ Ruben Fleischer’s ‘Gangster Squad’, New York Times. By Michael Cieply. Published: January 4, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
- ^ Steve Weintraub (July 9, 2009). "Director Ruben Fleischer Interview ZOMBIELAND". Collider Magazine.
- ^ Germain Lussier (April 22, 2011). "'30 Minutes Or Less' Teaser Posters". Slashfilm.
- ^ Sneider, Jeff; Kroll, Justin (July 26, 2011). "Emma Stone rounds up 'Gangster Squad'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on January 8, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (October 10, 2016). "Tom Hardy to Star in 'Spider-Man' Movie 'Venom,' Ruben Fleischer to Direct". Variety.
- ^ Michael Kennedy (March 23, 2017). "Zombieland 2 Writers Reveal Script is Completed". Screen Rant. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (March 2, 2020). "Antonio Banderas Joins Tom Holland in 'Uncharted' Movie (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ^ Grobar, Matt; D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 29, 2022). "Ruben Fleischer To Direct Next 'Now You See Me' Pic For Lionsgate".