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Jonathan Sanger

Producer, director and actor · Born April 21, 1944 (82) · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Producer Jonathan Sanger has enjoyed over a 40 year successful career as both a movie and theatre producer. To date his films have received 3 Academy Awards, 21 Academy Award Nominations, a British Academy Film award and a French Cesar among numerous other awards. Jonathan's film producing credits include but are not limited to The Elephant Man, directed by David Lynch starring Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt; Frances, starring Jessica Lange and Sam Shepard, Without Limits, starring Billy Crudup and Donald Sutherland, Vanilla Sky, starring Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz, and The Producers-The Musical, starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. He recently produced Chapter & Verse, starring Loretta Divine, Daniel Beaty, and Amari Hardwick and Marshall, starring Chadwick Boseman, Kate Hudson, Josh Gad, and Sterling K. Brown. Among Sanger's numerous director credits are more than 15 episodic TV shows, including Twin Peaks, Wiseguy and LA Law. He directed Code Name Emerald, starring Ed Harris and Max Von Sydow and Down Came A Blackbird starring Laura Dern and Vanessa Redgrave which was nominated for 3 Cable Ace Awards. He directed several movies of the week, wrote and directed the short film entitled Peacemaker with Lucas Haas for PBS which won the Houston International Film Festival's first prize for Best Short Subject. Jonathan received a BA and Masters in Communications at the University of Pennsylvania. He spent three years in the Peace Corps in South America and speaks fluent Spanish.

Read more

Biography from IMDb.

Born
April 21, 1944 (82)
From
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Producer, director and actor
Titles
33 on MovieCove · 63 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 37 days to Oct 26Down 49% in 30 days

What are Jonathan Sanger's films like?

Across their 20 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Biography5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Crime 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
Morality
23%
Self
20%
Survival
20%
Bonds
18%
Society
12%
Ideas
5%
Power
2%
Justice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 20 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 12 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 8 · Intense 9

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

A split, not a type: Steady 10 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 6 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 8

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

Resolved 15 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
13
Melancholic
9
Hopeful
9
Dread
5
Warm
4
Other
16

How their films linger

Hopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous2

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 Jonathan Sanger's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 33 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jonathan Sanger'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

63 credits, 33 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Cabrini(2024)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Death and Ramen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Executive Producer

  • Wuhan Driver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Executive Producer

  • Marshall(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Chapter & Verse(2016)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Altered Minds(2013)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • 100 Feet(2008)

    Producer · as Man on Bus with Newspaper (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Paraiso Travel(2008)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Producers(2005)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Suspect Zero(2004)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Vanilla Sky(2001)

    Executive Producer · Second Unit Director · as Frozen Pediatric Cardiologist

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Others(2001)

    Production Consultant

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • 'N Sync: Bigger Than Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Executive Producer

  • Mission: Impossible II(2000)

    Executive In Charge Of Production

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Without Limits(1998)

    Executive Producer · Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Mr. & Mrs. Smith (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Down Came a Blackbird(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Marshal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • 12:01(1993)

    Unit Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Love Matters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Therapist

  • Lush Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Executive Producer

  • The Secrets of Lake Success (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • SeaQuest 2032(1993)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows

  • House of Cards(1993)

    Co-Producer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Just My Imagination (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Obsessed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Contact (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Executive Producer

  • Chance of a Lifetime(1991)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • To The Moon, Alice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Executive Producer

  • The Commish(1991)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • Under Cover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Session Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Executive Producer

  • Broken Badges (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Children of the Bride(1990)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Flash(1990)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • Twin Peaks(1990)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • 12:01 PM (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Executive Producer

  • The Heart of the Deal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Executive Producer

  • Peacemaker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director · Writer

  • Conquering Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Executive Producer

  • Hothouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • The Jogger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Producer

  • Astronomy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Producer

  • Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Producer

  • Wiseguy(1987)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • L.A. Law(1986)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows

  • Flight of the Navigator(1986)

    Executive Producer · as Dr. Carr

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Doctor and the Devils(1985)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Code Name: Emerald(1985)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Frances(1982)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Writer

  • Below the Belt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Assistant Director

  • The Elephant Man(1980)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Fatso (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Associate Producer

  • A Force of One(1979)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • The Brink's Job(1978)

    Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • High Anxiety(1977)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Thieves(1977)

    Second Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Nasty Habits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Assistant Director

  • Hawmps! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Second Assistant Director

  • Next Stop, Greenwich Village(1976)

    Second Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Sound Sleeper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Camera Operator

  • In The Small Hours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Consulting Producer

Career shape

A full career of 61 titles, 60 of them dated from 1973 to 2024.

Biggest box office

The Producers (2005)

$38M worldwide

Highest rated

The Elephant Man (1980)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Cabrini (2024)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting4 of 61: 1 only acting, 3 with another roleDirecting20 of 61: 18 only directing, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score57thWriting2 of 61: 0 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing29 of 61: 25 only producing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score77thOther crew13 of 61: 11 only other crew, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score68th

61 titles, 6 with more than one role.

By decade

1970s8 · crew1980s16 · 1 acting · 16 crew1990s24 · 1 acting · 23 crew2000s8 · 2 acting · 8 crew2010s1 · crew2020s3 · 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.

How do Jonathan Sanger's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 27; across their 20 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Reach · how many have seen their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Midcredits score across 33 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

16 of their 33 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · producer

Chapter & Verse (2016)

84th percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

The Elephant Man (1980)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 69/100 and the pacing 47/100 in their films, across 18 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 Jonathan Sanger's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, every category sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles8–68 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles9–55 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles33–65 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles13–53 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles12–63 · median 35 · moderatenear the median of all 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 Jonathan Sanger work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jonathan Sanger's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Freddie Francis shares the most, 3.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles