James Ward Byrkit (also known as James Byrkit or Jim Byrkit) is an American filmmaker. He is perhaps best known for his many collaborations with director Gore Verbinski. Byrkit was the conceptual consultant and storyboard artist on the first three films of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, having helped create several props and designed some of the most iconic sequences of Gore Verbinski's trilogy. Byrkit also directed Tales of the Code: Wedlocked (2011), a short film and an immediate prequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
Byrkit is also known for directing the science fiction thriller Coherence and co-writing the script for Rango, also directed by Gore Verbinski. For Rango, Byrkit starred as several characters, most notably Waffles, a horned lizard.
Byrkit's debut feature Coherence earned critical and audience praise and garnered attention for his unconventional approach in the making of the film as "proof that inventive filmmakers can do a lot with a little", and identifying him as a groundbreaking talent. Since its release, Coherence has become an international sensation and regularly appears on ranking lists of best films.
Byrkit's follow-up project, Shatter Belt, is an episodic series in the tradition of Twilight Zone. Production on the first four episodes was completed in 2022, with the world premiere scheduled for 2023 at the SXSW Film & TV Festival.
In the Disney+ series Prop Culture, Byrkit made a guest appearance with concept artist Crash McCreery to discuss their work in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
Awards
- Breakthrough Director (nominated) at the Gotham Independent Film Awards 2014
- Next Wave Best Screenplay at the Austin Fantastic Fest for Coherence (2013)
- Maria Award for Best Screenplay at the Sitges Film Festival for Coherence (2013)
- Carnet Jove Jury Award for Best In Competition at the Sitges Film Festival for Coherence (2013)
- Black Tulip Award for Best Feature Debut at the Imagine Film Festival for Coherence (2014)
- Imagine Movie Zone Award, Special Mention at the Imagine Film Festival for Coherence (2014)
- Annie Award for Writing in a Feature Production for Rango (2011, won, shared with John Logan and Gore Verbinski)
Filmography
Short film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Yes, and... | Yes | Yes | No |
| Fractalus | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2011 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Tales of the Code: Wedlocked | Yes | No | No |
Feature film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Rango | No | Story | No | Waffles |
| 2013 | Coherence | Yes | Yes | Executive | |
| 2016 | The Forest | No | No | Co-producer |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Stop at Nothing | Yes | No | TV movie | |
| Special Unit 2 | Yes | No | Episode "The Rocks" | ||
| 2020 | Prop Culture | No | No | Himself | Disney+ docuseries; Episode: "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" |
| 2023 | Shatter Belt | Yes | Yes | 4 episodes |
Video game
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Rango | Yes | Yes |
References
- "Wedlocked". jimbyrkit.com. Archived from the original on 2018-05-29. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
- Cavna, Michael. "As a creative renaissance man, writer-director James Ward Byrkit brings 'RANGO' and 'PIRATES' film to your screen". The Washington Post. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
- "The 40 Best Movies of 2014". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- "Coherence :: Regie: James Ward Byrkit". Rolling Stone (in German). 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- "Age Gate". Canvas by Grolsch. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- Adam. "EIFF 2014: Coherence Review - Film Reviews & Features - Seensome". www.seensome.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-19. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- Seitz, Matt Zoller. "Coherence Movie Review & Film Summary (2014) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- "A Super-Spoilery Interview With the Director of 'Coherence,' the Twistiest Movie of the Year". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- stubarr70 (2015-01-22). "THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF 'COHERENCE' – why this micro budget film is a treat for science fiction movie fans". maxrennblog. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - "Best Of 2014: The 20 Breakthrough Directors Of The Year". Indiewire. 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- 彗星来的那一夜 Coherence (in Chinese (China)), retrieved 2023-01-30
- "150 Best Sci-Fi Movies of All Time - 150 Best Science-Fiction Movies to Watch Now". Retrieved 2023-01-30.
- Simmons, Jacob (2023-01-10). "10 Best "Everything You Know Is A Lie" Moments In Sci-Fi Movies". WhatCulture.com. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
- Amadi, Grace (2022-12-28). "10 Underrated Movies That Had Iconic Plot Twists". Collider. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
- Lanigan, Dan; Byrkit, Jim (May 2020). "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the BLack Pearl". Prop Culture. Disney+.
- Lattanzio, Ryan (2014-10-23). "How Gotham Nominee James Ward Byrkit Made 'Coherence' in 5 Days with No Script or Budget". Indiewire. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- ^ "'Coherence' Trailer Introduces Psychological Puzzle". Bloody Disgusting. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
- "Sitges - 46ed. Festival Internacional de Catalunya (11/10 - 20/10)". Sitges Film Festival. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
- "'Rango' wins the Annie Award for animated feature". LA Times. 5 February 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2014.