Creative Collaborations: Meet the team behind ‘Escape from Spiderhead’ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Joseph Kosinski (director) received his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University before graduating from Columbia University with a graduate degree in Architecture.

He is a director whose uncompromising visual style has quickly made a mark in the filmmaking zeitgeist. His feature film debut, Tron: Legacy for Walt Disney Studios, grossed over $400 million worldwide and was nominated for several awards including an Academy Award and a Grammy® for the score by Daft Punk.

For his sophomore feature, Kosinski created the science-fiction thriller Oblivion for Universal Pictures, starring Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman. With a score by M83, it grossed $288 million worldwide.

Kosinski has won three AICP Awards for his commercials Gears of War “Mad World”, Assassin’s Creed “Unity” and Destiny “Become Legend”, all of which are now featured in the Department of Film at the Museum of Modern Art.

His recent commercials have included work for Apple, BMW, Doom and Lexus.

Kosinski made the moving action-drama Only the Brave for Black Label Media and Lionsgate, starring Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly and Jeff Bridges, which was released in 2017.

Kosinski most recently completed production of Top Gun: Maverick for Paramount. It is the long-awaited sequel to the legendary 1986 Tom Cruise blockbuster to be released in July 2021. It stars Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Ed Harris and Jon Hamm.

He has completed principal photography on Netflix’s Escape from Spiderhead, starring Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller and Jurnee Smollett.

Tommy Harper (producer) is a veteran of the motion picture business and one of the most sought-after producers in the industry, who has worked on such blockbuster films as Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond for J.J. Abrams. Other credits include Alice in Wonderland, Battle: Los Angeles, Jack Ryan and Big Eyes, just to name a few.

Harper’s infectious work habits have gained the attention of a number of talents, both above the line and below, as well as studio executives across the entertainment business and is often handpicked by producers and directors. His ability to take on challenging projects and communication skills have rewarded him great accolades on locations all over the world.

During his 20-year plus career, Harper has been fortunate to work with directors such as J.J. Abrams, Tim Burton, Joseph Kosinski, Angelina Jolie, Lee Tamahori, Kenneth Branagh, Garry Marshall and Brad Bird. The numerous films he has been involved with also include the talents of Johnny Depp, Julia Roberts, Eddie Murphy, Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford, Chris Pine and Tom Cruise.

After finishing principal photography on Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens as executive producer for Walt Disney Pictures, Lucasfilm and Bad Robot, Harper continued his longstanding relationship with J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot by joining the team in 2014-2017 as COO and Head of Production.

Following the completion of Top Gun: Maverick, Harper continued his association with director Joseph Kosinski as producer of the upcoming Netflix’s Escape from Spiderhead.

Academy Award winner and two-time Oscar nominee, Claudio Miranda (director of photography) is one of the most creative and technologically innovate cinematographers in feature motion pictures.

He was nominated for an Academy Award and ASC Award for his outstanding work on David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Miranda then won an Academy Award and BAFTA Award, and received another ASC Award nomination for Ang Lee’s Life of Pi.

He has previously collaborated with Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski on Oblivion and Only the Brave and was also the cinematographer of Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland.

Miranda has also served as director of photography for dozens of commercials for major clients.

Miranda has completed principal photography with Joseph Kosinski as director of photography on Netflix’s Escape from Spiderhead.

Jeremy Hindle (production designer) has previously designed Kathryn Bigelow’s highly acclaimed Zero Dark Thirty, for which he received an Art Directors Guild nomination, as well as designed for feature film Detroit and the thriller True Story, directed by Rupert Goold.

Hindle worked with Joseph Kosinski on Top Gun: Maverick and has just wrapped on Kosinski’s latest movie, Escape from Spiderhead.