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Jake Kasdan

Jake Kasdan

Director, producer, writer and actor · Born October 28, 1974 (51) · Detroit, Michigan, USA

Primetime Emmy nominee · Golden Globe nominee · 2 other major award bodies

Jacob Kasdan (born October 28, 1974) is an American filmmaker and actor. He is the eldest son of prolific screenwriter and director Lawrence Kasdan. Jake is best known for directing comedies such as Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), Bad Teacher (2011) and Sex Tape (2014). He is also known for his collaborations with actor Dwayne Johnson in action-comedies such as Red One (2024) and the Jumanji reboot trilogy (2017–26).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 28, 1974 (51)
From
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Works as
Director, producer, writer and actor
Titles
24 on MovieCove · 31 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 12% in 30 days

What are Jake Kasdan's films like?

Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
45%
Bonds
41%
Morality
8%
Ideas
4%
Power
1%
Society
1%
Family bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 11 · Serious 1 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 4 · Charged 8 · Intense 0

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 7 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 3

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 8

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 0 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 3

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 11 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
9
Warm
7
Absurd
6
Hopeful
4
Thrilling
3
Other
13

How their films linger

Feel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet8

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jake Kasdan's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jake Kasdan's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

31 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Jumanji: Open World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Red One(2024)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • American Born Chinese(2023)

    Show 8 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • Prom Pact(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.(2021)

    Show 20 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • Jumanji: The Next Level(2019)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Bless This Mess(2019)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle(2017)

    Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Speechless(2016)

    Show 41 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Weird Loners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

  • Fresh Off the Boat(2015)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Sex Tape(2014)

    Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Ben and Kate(2012)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Friends with Kids(2011)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • New Girl(2011)

    Show 146 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Bad Teacher(2011)

    Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Shades of Ray(2008)

    Producer · as Director #3

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story(2007)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Californication(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The TV Set(2006)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Orange County(2002)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Undeclared (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Grosse Pointe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Freaks and Geeks(1999)

    Show 15 episodes · Director · Consulting Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Zero Effect(1998)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Accidental Tourist(1988)

    as Scott Canfield

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Silverado(1985)

    as Stable Boy

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Big Chill(1983)

    as Autograph Seeker

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Foster the Snowman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • John Henry and the Statesmen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Untitled Jake Kasdan LEGO Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer

Career shape

A full career of 30 titles, 26 of them dated from 1983 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

$963M worldwide

Highest rated

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

Midcredits 78th

Most popular right now

Red One (2024)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting4 of 30: 4 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting20 of 30: 7 only directing, 13 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndWriting5 of 30: 0 only writing, 5 with another roleProducing19 of 30: 6 only producing, 13 with another role · typical Midcredits score66th

30 titles, 13 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 13 of them.

By decade

1980s3 · acting1990s2 · crew2000s7 · 1 acting · 6 crew2010s10 · crew2020s4 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

4 major nominations and no wins, 1998–2012.

  1. 2012
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
  2. 2009
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
  3. 2008
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Song - Motion Picture
  4. 1998
    • Cannes award, nominated

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Jake Kasdan's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

94thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Midcredits score across 24 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

16 of their 24 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · director, producer

Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. (2021)

73rd percentile spread · 16% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, producer

Freaks and Geeks (1999)

Midcredits 98th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 61/100 and the pacing 50/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Jake Kasdan's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity, profanity and alcohol & drugs run heavier than most films and frightening / intense lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles10–48 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles25–71 · median 42 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity10 titles42–82 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs8 titles21–80 · median 45 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles9–44 · median 29 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Jake Kasdan work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jake Kasdan's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Tara Timpone shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles