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Rupert Sanders
Sanders in 2012
Born	Rupert Miles Sanders (1971-03-16) 16 March 1971 (age 53) London, England
Occupation	Film director
Years active	1999–present
Notable work	Snow White and the Huntsman Ghost in the Shell The Crow
Spouse	Liberty Ross ​ ​(m. 2002; div. 2014)​
Children	2

Rupert Miles Sanders (born 16 March 1971) is an English film director. Sanders directed the films Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), Ghost in the Shell (2017), and The Crow (2024). He also directed the pilot episode of the Apple TV+ science fiction series Foundation.

Early life

Sanders was born in Westminster, London, the eldest son of Thalia (née Garlick) and hospital ophthalmologist Michael Sanders. After a foundation year at Kingston School of Art he graduated with a degree in graphic design from Central St Martins.

Career

Sanders began his commercial production career under Tony Kaye. He had primarily done art direction before Kaye suggested he try out directing. Sanders has directed numerous television advertisements, including The Life for Halo 3: ODST, which won him two Golden Lions at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.

Sanders' first feature film was Snow White and the Huntsman, which was released in the US in early June 2012. The film's budget was $170 million, including an eight-figure marketing expenditure, and it earned $20.3 million on its opening day in the US. To date, the film has grossed $396,592,829 at the box office.

After passing the offer to direct the fifth instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, Sanders directed a film adaptation of science fiction manga franchise Ghost in the Shell, with Avi Arad and Steven Paul producing and Scarlett Johansson starring in the main role. It was released in late March 2017.

In March 2017, Sanders expressed interest in a sequel to Ghost in the Shell. Due to the film's box office failure, talks for a sequel were abandoned.

In June 2018, Sanders was announced to be directing Johansson again in Rub & Tug, a planned biopic about Dante "Tex" Gill and his girlfriend Cynthia Bruno, with Johansson starring as Gill. However, the film has been left in development hell after Johansson stepped down from starring in the film when the transgender community criticised having a female actress play a trans man.

Sanders directed the 2024 reboot film The Crow, with Bill Skarsgård starring as Eric / The Crow.

Personal life

Sanders married model Liberty Ross, sister of musician Atticus Ross, in 2002. They moved to Los Angeles to further Sanders' career. Together they have two children, daughter Skyla and son Tennyson. In July 2012, Us Weekly published photos of Sanders in an intimate embrace and kissing with actress Kristen Stewart, prompting Sanders and Stewart to issue separate public apologies. Ross subsequently filed for divorce from Sanders in January 2013, seeking joint custody, spousal support, and legal fees. The divorce was finalised on 30 May 2014.

Filmography

Film

1. Also credited as executive producer

Television

Music video

References

1. ^ Babb, Francesca (1 June 2012). "Snow White & the Huntsman Director Rupert Sanders Is Living the Fairy Tale". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
2. Wakelin, Simon. "Rupert Sanders, Omaha Pictures, Los Angeles". Boards. Archived from the original on 9 April 2001. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
3. McClintock, Pamela (2 June 2012). "Box Office Report: 'Snow White and the Huntsman' Tops Friday With Strong $20.3 Million". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
4. "Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)". Retrieved 13 September 2012.
5. Fleming, Mike Jr. (9 May 2013). "Disney Getting Close On 'Pirates 5' Director; Here's The Short List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
6. Kroll, Justin (5 January 2015). "Scarlett Johansson Signs on to Star in DreamWorks' 'Ghost in the Shell' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
7. "Scarlett Johansson Confirmed to Star in Ghost in the Shell". Time. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
8. "Scarlett Johansson wants a Ghost In The Shell sequel on one condition (exclusive)". Yahoo! Movies. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
9. Fleming, Mike Jr. (2 July 2018). "New Regency Wins 'Rub & Tug'; Rupert Sanders Directs Scarlett Johansson In Joel Silver-Produced Tale Of Pittsburgh Massage Parlor Queen". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
10. Dry, Jude (18 July 2018). "Don't let Scarlett Johansson dropping out kill Hollywood's first trans studio film — Opinion". Salon. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
11. Kroll, Justin (1 April 2022). "'The Crow': Bill Skarsgard Tapped To Play Eric Draven In New Reimagining From Rupert Sanders". Deadline. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
12. "Kristen Stewart Cheats on Robert Pattinson With Director Rupert Sanders". Us Weekly. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
13. "Liberty Ross – Kristen Stewart Affair: Who Exactly Is Liberty Ross?". Contactmusic.com. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
14. ^ "Liberty Ross: 6 Things to Know About Rupert Sanders' Wife". ABC News. 28 July 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
15. "Kristen Stewart, Rupert Sanders apologize for affair". CBCNews. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
16. "Kristen Stewart's Apology to Robert Pattinson for Cheating". People. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
17. "Kristen Stewart's Cheating Apology: PR Insider Weighs In". HuffPost. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
18. D'Zurilla, Christie (25 July 2012). "Rupert Sanders apologizes for Kristen Stewart hookup". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
19. "Liberty Ross Files for Divorce from Rupert Sanders". People. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
20. "Liberty Ross and director Rupert Sanders have finalized their divorce". United Press International. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.

External links

• Rupert Sanders at IMDb

• 1971 births
• Film directors from London
• Living people
• English expatriates in the United States
• Television commercial directors
• People from Westminster
• English music video directors
• English television directors