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Ken Kao

Ken Kao

Producer

Ken Kao is an American film producer. He is known for working with Terrence Malick and co-founding Arcana with Ryan Gosling. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ken Kao, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Biography from TMDB.

Works as
Producer
Titles
22 on MovieCove · 27 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 155 days to Oct 26Down 5% in 30 days

What are Ken Kao's films like?

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

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 33rd percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Horror3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 86th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy 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
Survival
25%
Self
24%
Bonds
16%
Morality
16%
Power
10%
Society
7%
Ideas
2%
Identity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 20 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 4 · Serious 3 · Dark 13

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 6 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 7

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 6 · Intense 11

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 5 · 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 11 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 3 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 8

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 3 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 14

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 5

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
14
Melancholic
10
Dread
7
Contemplative
9
Absurd
4
Other
14

How their films linger

Thought-provoking10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet11
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous5

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 Ken Kao's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 22 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ken Kao'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

27 credits, 22 with a MovieCove page.

  • I Love Boosters(2026)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Hokum(2026)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Project Hail Mary(2026)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Hamlet(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Splitsville(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • She Rides Shotgun(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Actor(2025)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Cuckoo(2024)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Burden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Thanks

  • The Favourite(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Mid90s(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Tau(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Outsider(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Hostiles(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Woodshock(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • The Glass Castle(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Song to Song(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Lost in London(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Silence(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Nice Guys(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Sea of Trees(2015)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Knight of Cups(2015)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Rampart(2011)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Later the War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • MORA (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • The Pull (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • Untitled William S. Burroughs Project (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

Career shape

A full career of 27 titles, 23 of them dated from 2011 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Project Hail Mary (2026)

$684M worldwide

Highest rated

Project Hail Mary (2026)

Midcredits 99th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Producing26 of 27: 26 only producing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score56thOther crew1 of 27: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

2010s14 · crew2020s9 · 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 Ken Kao's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 56th percentile, the median of all 22; across their 20 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 61st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Reach · how many have seen their films

95thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Midcredits score across 22 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 22 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · producer

Hamlet (2025)

73rd percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Project Hail Mary (2026)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

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 Ken Kao's work okay for kids?

Across up to 16 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore16 titles33–88 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity16 titles6–75 · median 26 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity16 titles30–88 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs16 titles20–72 · median 50 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense16 titles39–77 · median 60 · intenseheavier than most 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 Ken Kao work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ken Kao's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Josh Rosenbaum shares the most, 11.

Actors

Editors

Producers