Adam Shankman

In film, television and commercials, Adam sets the perfect rhythm for comedy, musicals and all of the emotional bridges in between. At 18, Adam began dancing. Despite having never taken a dance class, he was accepted to Juilliard. Adam’s career officially began in music videos, dancing alongside artist Janet Jackson. His pivot into feature films started as a choreographer.

Working with A list casts on dance sequences soon gave way to Adam sliding into the director’s chair himself, helming – and also choreographing – an expanding showcase of barrier-breaking musicals and star-packed studio comedies such as The Wedding Planner, Bringing Down the House, The Pacifier, Bedtime Stories, Hairspray, Rock of Ages and What Men Want. Adam recently directed production directing Disenchanted for Disney+, starring Amy Adams, Maya Rudolph, James Marsden and Patrick Dempsey, the highly-anticipated sequel to the beloved blockbuster musical Enchanted.

As a producer, Adam launched the Step Up film franchise and also co-produced the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, which earned twelve total Emmy nominations, and Adam himself two nominations for producing and choreography. Adam recently acted as Executive Producing for Hocus Pocus 2, the sequel to the original Hocus Pocus, for Disney+, which reunites the beloved cast of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy.  

Adam’s range of talent, and body of work, also extends to culture-defining television. Adam has directed episodes for zeitgeist-grabbing shows that include Glee, Modern Family and Netflix’s A.J. and the Queen, and next he will be directing episodes for season two of Emmy-nominated Only Murders in the Building.

As a commercial/branded content director, Adam continues to collaborate with forward-looking companies to create unique storytelling experiences, as he has with previous campaigns for Macy’s, Schick and Rock the Vote.