Adam Shankman
Birthdate: Nov 27, 1964
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
Adam Shankman (birthname: Adam Michael Shankman) is a multi-hyphenate figure in dance-based film and television production (most prominently as director, producer, and choreographer) and made his first mark in pop culture as a judge on seasons 3-10 on Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance (2005-2024). Shankman made his feature directorial debut with the hit rom-com, The Wedding Planner (2001), starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey, with Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Justin Chambers and Alex Rocco, and which grossed $94.7 million for Sony Pictures Releasing via Columbia Pictures.
Shankman directed his second hit, the coming-of-age Nicholas Sparks adaptation, A Walk to Remember (2002), co-starring Shane West, Mandy Moore, Peter Coyote, and Daryl Hannah, produced by Denise Di Novi and Hunt Lowry, and earning a solid $47.5 million for distributors Warner Bros. Pictures (North America)/Pandora Cinema (International). Shankman’s third consecutive hit quickly followed with the Touchstone Pictures comedy, Bringing Down the House (2003), starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah, with Eugene Levy, Jean Smart, Joan Plowright, Missi Pyle, Steve Harris, and Betty White, and which grossed an excellent (based on estimated costs) $164.7 million worldwide for Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
Adam Shankman began a two-decade string of movies as director/executive producer of the commercially successful Disney family comedy, The Pacifier (2005), starring Vin Diesel, Lauren Graham, Faith Ford, Brittany Snow, Max Thieriot, Carol Kane, and Brad Garrett, earning a strong $198.6 million gross (based on estimated costs) for Buena Vista Pictures Releasing. Shankman directed and took an executive producer credit on his second Steve Martin-starring comedy sequel, Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005), with Bonnie Hunt, Tom Welling, Piper Perabo and Hilary Duff, earning $135 million for producer/distributor 20th Century Fox, and then Shankman was director/choreographer/executive producer of his sixth consecutive box office hit, the big-screen version of the 2002 stage adaptation of John Waters’ camp parody, Hairspray (2007), written by Leslie Dixon, starring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Snow, Zac Efron and Allison Janney, grossing a great $203.5 million (based on estimated costs) for distributors New Line Cinema (U.S.)/Entertainment Film Distributors (U.K.).
Shankman was director/executive producer of the Disney fantasy comedy and his seventh hit, Bedtime Stories (2008), starring and produced by Adam Sandler, with Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, Aisha Tyler, Russell Brand, Richard Griffiths, Teresa Palmer, Lucy Lawless and Courteney Cox, produced in part by Shankman’s Offspring Entertainment, and released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures to a terrific $213 million global gross (based on estimated costs). Shankman’s remarkable box office streak as director ended with the rock jukebox musical, Rock of Ages (2012), based on Chris D’Arienzo’s musical, co-written by Allan Loeb and Justin Theroux, with Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Brand, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Malin Akerman, Mary J. Blige, Alec Baldwin and Tom Cruise, produced (in part) by New Line Cinema and released by Warner Bros. Pictures for a poor $59.4 million gross (based on estimated costs).
Adam Shankman was director/executive producer on his commercially successful rom com, What Men Want (2019), a loose remake of the Nancy Meyers-directed What Women Want (2000), co-starring Taraji P. Henson and Tracy Morgan, with Aldis Hodge, Richard Roundtree, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Tracy Morgan, produced (in part) by BET Films/Paramount Players, and which grossed over $72 million worldwide for Paramount Pictures.
Shankman was director/producer of the action-comedy satire, Stop! That! Train! (2026), starring Ginger Minj, Jujubee, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Latrice Royale, Marty Lauter, Monet X Change, Symone, RuPaul Charles, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicole Richie, Raven-Symone, Michelle Visage, Chris Parnell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Charo, Joel McHale, Rachel Bloom, Missi Pyle, and Jerry O’Connell, produced in part) by World of Wonder and released widely by Bleecker Street (U.S.-Canada)/Universal Pictures (International).
Adam Shankman has a long track record as a producer only of several wide-audience movies, including the franchise series starting with Step Up (2006), Step Up 2: The Streets (2008), Step Up 3D (2010), Step Up Revolution (2012), Step Up: All In (2014) and Step Up: Year of the Dance (2019); and also the Sandra Bullock-starring Premonition (2007), the Zac Efron-starring 17 Again (2009), the Nicholas Sparks-adapted The Last Song (2010), Going the Distance (2010), Status Update (2018) and the Anne Fletcher-directed Hocus Pocus 2 (2022).
Personal life
Adam Shankman was born and raised in Los Angeles by parents Ned (entertainment lawyer and manager) and Phyllis (Gestalt Therapy practitioner). Shankman has a sister, Jennifer Gibgot (producer). Shankman attended and graduated from Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades, California. Shankman studied dance at The Juilliard School in New York City. Shankman is gay. Shankman’s estimated net worth is $6 million.
Known For
Adam Shankman Movies
director
Upcoming (1)
- 2026 |
Stop! That! Train!
Two train stewardess BFFs switch from a dull railway to the luxurious Glamazonian Express. During a massive storm, they must work with snooty first-class crew and President Gagwell to prevent disaster in LA.
Previous (6)
- 2019 |
What Men Want
A woman is boxed out by the male sports agents in her profession, but gains an unexpected edge over them when she develops the ability to hear men's thoughts.
- 2012 |
Rock of Ages
A small-town girl and a city boy meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams.
- 2007 |
- 2005 |
The Pacifier
Having recovered from wounds received in a failed rescue operation, Navy SEAL Shane Wolfe is handed a new assignment: Protect the five Plummer kids from enemies of their recently deceased father -- a government scientist whose top-secret experiment remains in the kids' house.
- 2003 |
Bringing Down the House
When a lonely guy meets a woman on the internet who happens to be in prison, she breaks out to get him to prove her innocence, and proceeds to wreak havoc on his middle-class life.
- 2002 |
A Walk to Remember
Two North Carolina teens, Landon Carter and Jamie Sullivan, are thrown together after Landon gets into trouble and is sentenced to perform community service.
actor
Previous (16)
producer
Previous (4)
- 2018 |
Status Update
Uprooted by his parents' separation, teenager Kyle Moore is unable to fit into his new hometown until he stumbles upon a magical app that makes his social-media updates come true, changing his entire life.
- 2014 |
Step Up All In
Dancer Sean Asa goes to Hollywood and forms a group with Andie West and his friend Moose. Together, they will need to face the renowned Grim Knights in a famous competition.
- 2012 |
Step Up Revolution
Emily arrives in Miami with aspirations to become a professional dancer. She sparks with Sean, the leader of a dance crew whose neighborhood is threatened by Emily's father's real estate development plans.
- 2010 |
The Last Song
A rebellious girl is sent to a Southern beach town for the summer to stay with her father. Through their mutual love of music, the estranged duo learn to reconnect.
Facts About Adam Shankman
Latecomer: Adam Shankman was accepted into the dance program at The Juilliard School without having taken a dance class and began his work in dance at the very late age of eighteen.
Shingle: Shankman is co-founder (with sister Jennifer Gibgot) of the film and TV production company, Offspring Entertainment.
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