Patty Jenkins is an award-winning writer and director best known for directing Warner Bros. Pictures and DCs’ 2017 blockbuster WONDER WOMAN and her debut Oscar-winning feature MONSTER. Additionally, Jenkins is responsible her creative work helming the pilot and series finale of AMC’s hit show “The Killing,” garnering her the 2012 DGA Award for Best Director of the Year along with a Primetime Emmy nomination.
Patty Jenkins began her career as a painter at The Cooper Union in New York City. Upon transitioning to filmmaking, she spent eight years as an Assistant Camera Person/Focus Puller for thousands of music videos and commercials and then attended the AFI in Los Angeles. In 2003, Jenkins wrote and directed her debut feature film MONSTER, starring Charlize Theron. The film garnered Jenkins numerous awards, including Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards, AFI’s Movie of the Year and Roger Ebert’s BEST FILM OF THE YEAR (2004) and Third BEST FILM OF THE DECADE. Additionally, Theron went on to sweep the awards circuit amongst every acting award of the year, including winning the Academy Award in the Best Actress category.
After the success of her debut feature, Jenkins went on to direct many commercials and TV programs. In addition to her award-winning work on the pilot and finale of “The Killing,” she directed episodes of Fox’s “Arrested Development” and HBO’s “Entourage,” and the pilot episodes of ABC’s “Betrayal” and “Exposed.
In 2017, Jenkins became the first woman in history to helm a live action film with a budget over $100 million, and the first woman to direct a major superhero film with her global and critical hit WONDER WOMAN. The film opened to rave reviews and became one of Rotten Tomatoes’ highest-rated superhero films of all time. Additionally, it smashed box office records, becoming the highest-grossing film of the summer and third-highest-grossing film of the year domestically, and the highest-grossing live-action film directed solo by a woman – domestic and worldwide. To date, WONDER WOMAN has grossed more than $822.1 million at the global box office.
Jenkins directed and executive produced TNT’s limited drama series “I Am the Night,” which premiered to critical acclaim in January of 2019. She also signed an overall, multi-year TV deal with Netflix in which she will produce new series exclusively for the streamer. Most recently, Jenkins premiered the highly anticipated sequel WONDER WOMAN 1984, which she directed, co-wrote and produced and became the first woman to helm a live action film with a budget over $200 million. The film was released in theaters and on HBO Max on Christmas Day 2020 and was the most watched subscription video on demand movie of the year.
Up next, Jenkins is writing and directing WONDER WOMAN 3, the threequel to her vastly successful franchise, and is set to direct STAR WARS: ROGUE SQUADRON, making her the first female to direct a Star Wars feature film. She is also producing the anticipated Gal Gadot-starring CLEOPATRA
Patty Jenkins is the 2022 recipient of the CUAA Augustus Saint-Gauden’s Award which she will receive on February 10, 2022.