Birthplace: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Michael Sarnoski made a striking feature filmmaking debut as director and writer (with producer Vanessa Block as co-writer of the story) with the charged drama, Pig (2021), released by Neon and starring Nicolas Cage (who was also a producer) in one of his most distinguished performances, leading a cast including Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin, and Gretchen Corbett, and earning Sarnoski several award nominations and wins, including best first screenplay from Independent Spirit Awards and best director debut from the National Board of Review.
Sarnoski made a huge leap to big-budget studio moviemaking with his second feature as director-writer (with a story co-written with John Krasinski) of Paramount Pictures’ series prequel, A Quiet Place: Day One (2024), starring Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Wolff, and Djimon Hounsou.
Sarnoski was director-writer of a dramatic retelling of the Robin Hood tale, The Death of Robin Hood (2026), co-starring Hugh Jackman (who was also a lead producer), and Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Murray Bartlett, and Noah Jupe, with the project backed by Lyrical Media and produced through Ryder Picture Company and released wide by A24.
Michael Sarnoski was born and raised in Milwaukee by his parents. Sarnoski attended and graduated from the University School of Milwaukee in 2006, and then graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in 2010, where he studied art and cinema.
Nominee, Best First-Time Director, Directors Guild of America Awards (2022); Nominee, Best Feature, Gotham Independent Film Awards (2022); Winner, Best First Screenplay, Independent Spirits Awards (2022); Nominee, Someone to Watch Award, Independent Spirit Awards (2022); Winner, Best Directorial Debut, National Board of Review Awards (2021).
Independent Spirit Award
Film Independent Spirit Awards
Someone to Watch Award
Film Independent Spirit Awards
Previous (3)
Post-collegiate Training: Michael Sarnoski didn’t jump into feature moviemaking after graduating from Yale, but instead made or worked on a roster of short films and television work from 2010 to 2015 in which he was director, writer, editor, cinematographer, makeup artist, boom operator, actor, or executive producer, or some combination of the above depending on the project.
People Also Searched For
