Jonathan Levine

Jonathan Levine was an American screenwriter and director who was best known for helming the 2015 holiday comedy "The Night Before." Born and raised in New York City, Levine always had a passion for filmmaking. However, he felt like he needed some kind of professional training in order to fully pursue the craft. That said, after graduating with a bachelor's degree from Brown University, Levine studied directing at the prestigious American Film Institute in Los Angeles. It was at AFI that Levine learned the technical side of the filmmaking process, while also honing his craft as a screenwriter. After earning his MFA in directing from the Institute, Levine set out to direct his own movies. He earned a heap of praise in 2004 after the release of his debut short film, "Shards," and soon followed that up with a short documentary about various types of love in different cities called "Love Bytes." Then in 2006 Levine directed his debut feature, "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane." That film, however, despite playing on the awards circuit in 2006 and 2007, would not be released theatrically in the United States until 2013. Undeterred, Levine directed three more critically-acclaimed features over the next few years, including "The Wackness" (2008), "50/50" (2011), and "Warm Bodies" (2013). In 2015 Levine co-wrote and directed the holiday comedy "The Night Before." The film, which starred Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, concerned three friends making the most of their final Christmas Eve together as single men.