Writer and director James Gunn at Los Angeles premiere of 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.'

Writer and director James Gunn at Los Angeles premiere of 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.'

Writer, director and producer James Gunn is one of the most popular filmmakers working today!

Gunn began his career writing such popular movies as 'Scooby-Doo' and Zach Snyder's 'Dawn of the Dead,' and would eventually go on to direct his own movies like 'Slither' and 'Super' before taking on the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' franchise for Marvel Studios and 'The Suicide Squad' for DC.

Gunn is also the new co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios along with producer Pater Safran, and will soon be writing and directing 'Superman: Legacy.' Meanwhile, his final film in the 'Guardians' trilogy, 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3' is currently in theaters now.

In honor of his new film, Moviefone is counting down every movie James Gunn has ever made from worst to best. Fort this list, we are including any movie Gunn either wrote, directed, produced, or some combination of the three, but we are not including his TV work, such as the 'Peacemaker' series or 'The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.'

Let's begin!


13. 'Tromeo & Juliet' (1997)

Written by Gunn, 'Tromeo & Juliet' is a modern, punk adaptation of Shakespeare's classic. Told irreverently, this film attempts to impact the viewer in the same way theatre-goers were effected in Shakespeare's time. Bawdy, Violent, Humorous, and Romantic.

Tromeo & Juliet

Tromeo & Juliet

"Body Piercing, Kinky Sex, Dismemberment. The Things That Made Shakespeare Great"
Audience
Score
60
Release Date: Feb 28, 1997
Run Time: 1 hr 47 min
Budget: $350,000


12. 'The Belko Experiment' (2016)

Orion Pictures

Orion Pictures

Written and produced by Gunn, a group of eighty American workers are locked in their office and ordered by an unknown voice (Gregg Henry) to participate in a twisted game.

Audience
Score
62
Release Date: Mar 17, 2016
Run Time: 1 hr 29 min
Budget: $5,000,000


11. 'The Specials' (2000)

Written by Gunn, America's 7th Best Superhero Team, the Specials, are a group of geeks and oddballs (including Thomas Haden Church and Rob Lowe). We get to see one day in their lives as fan and new member Nightbird (Jordan Ladd) joins the group, just in time for the group to get a new line of action figures. But the members' extreme personalities and personal issues threaten to rip the group apart.

The Specials

The Specials

"They're not incredible, they're just special."
Audience
Score
51
Release Date: Sep 22, 2000
Run Time: 1 hr 22 min
Budget: $1,000,000


10. 'Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed' (2004)

Written by Gunn, when Mystery, Inc. (Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mathew Lillard and Linda Cardellini) are guests of honor at the grand opening of the Coolsville Museum of Criminology, a masked villain shows up and creates havoc before stealing the costumes of the gang's most notorious villains...Could it be that their nemesis, mad scientist Jonathan Jacobo (Tim Blake Nelson) has returned and is trying to recreate their deadliest foes?

Audience
Score
61
Release Date: Mar 26, 2004
Run Time: 1 hr 33 min
Budget: $80,000,000


9. 'Slither' (2006)

Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures

Written and directed by Gunn, a small town is taken over by an alien plague, turning residents into zombies and all forms of mutant monsters.

Slither

"Horror has a new face."
Audience
Score
65
Release Date: Mar 31, 2006
Run Time: 1 hr 35 min
Budget: $15,000,000


8. 'Brightburn' (2019)

Sony Pictures Releasing

Sony Pictures Releasing

Produced by Gunn, what if a child (Jackson A. Dunn) from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister?

Brightburn

"He's not here to save the world"
Audience
Score
61
Release Date: May 24, 2019
Run Time: 1 hr 31 min
Budget: $6,000,000


7. 'Super' (2011)

IFC Midnight

IFC Midnight

Written and directed by Gunn, after his wife (Liv Tyler) falls under the influence of a drug dealer, an everyday guy transforms himself into Crimson Bolt (Rainn Wilson), a superhero with the best intentions, though he lacks for heroic skills.

Super

Super

"Shut up, crime!"
Audience
Score
65
Release Date: Apr 1, 2011
Run Time: 1 hr 36 min
Budget: $2,500,000


6. 'Scooby-Doo' (2002)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Warner Bros. Pictures

Written by Gunn, the Mystery Inc. gang (Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mathew Lillard and Linda Cardellini) have gone their separate ways and have been apart for two years, until they each receive an invitation to Spooky Island. Not knowing that the others have also been invited, they show up and discover an amusement park that affects young visitors in very strange ways.

Scooby-Doo

Scooby-Doo

"Be afraid. Be kind of afraid."
Audience
Score
61
Release Date: Jun 14, 2002
Run Time: 1 hr 27 min
Budget: $84,000,000


5. 'Dawn of the Dead' (2004)

Written by Gunn, a group of survivors (including Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames and Ty Burrell) take refuge in a shopping mall after the world is taken over by aggressive, flesh-eating zombies.

Dawn of the Dead

"When there's no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the Earth."
Audience
Score
71
Release Date: Mar 19, 2004
Run Time: 1 hr 41 min
Budget: $26,000,000


4. 'Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3' (2023)

Karen Gillan as Nebula, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer in 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.'

Walt Disney Studios

Written and directed by Gunn, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), still reeling from the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldana), must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

Review
Score
85
Release Date: May 5, 2023
Run Time: 2 hr 30 min
Budget: $250,000,000


3. 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' (2017)

Walt Disney Studios

Walt Disney Studios

Written and directed by Gunn, the Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill's (Chris Pratt) true parentage.

Audience
Score
76
Release Date: May 5, 2017
Run Time: 2 hr 17 min
Budget: $200,000,000


2. 'The Suicide Squad' (2021)

(L to R) David Dastmalchian, John Cena, Idris Elba and Daniela Melchior in 'The Suicide Squad.'

Warner Bros. Pictures

Written and directed by Gunn, welcome to Belle Reve, the prison where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out, even join the super-secret Task Force X. Today's assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), and everyone's favorite psycho, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie).

Now arm them heavily and drop them on the enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) on the ground to make them behave, and Amanda Waller's (Viola Davis) government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement.

The Suicide Squad

"They’re dying to save the world."
Review
Score
90
Release Date: Aug 6, 2021
Run Time: 2 hr 12 min
Budget: $185,000,000


1. 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014)

Zoe Saldaña, Chris Pratt, Rocket, Dave Bautista and Groot in 'Guardians of the Galaxy.'

Walt Disney Studios

Written and directed by Gunn, light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace).

Guardians of the Galaxy

"When things get bad, they'll do their worst."
Audience
Score
79
Release Date: Aug 1, 2014
Run Time: 2 hr 1 min
Budget: $170,000,000