Ruben Fleischer
American film director
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ruben Samuel Fleischer (/ˈflaɪʃər/; born October 31, 1974) is an American film director, film producer, television producer, music video director, and commercial director. He is best known as the director of Zombieland (2009), his first feature film, and its sequel Zombieland: Double Tap (2019). He has also directed the films 30 Minutes or Less, Gangster Squad, Uncharted, and 2018's Venom featuring the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Prior to features, he directed television commercials for such brands as Cisco, Eurostar, ESPN, and Burger King, and music videos for artists such as M.I.A., Electric Six, DJ Format and Gold Chains.
October 31, 1974
Ruben Fleischer | |
|---|---|
Fleischer at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | Ruben Samuel Fleischer[1] October 31, 1974 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Education | Wesleyan University |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Spouse |
Holly Shakoor (m. 2012) |
Early life
Fleischer was born and raised in Washington, D.C, the son of Karen Lee (née Samuel) and David Elliot Fleischer, who is a physician at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona and a professor of medicine.[1][unreliable source][3] His brother, Lucas, works in new media.[4] His father was born to a Jewish family, while his mother converted to Judaism. Fleischer was raised in Reform Judaism.[5]
After graduating with a major in history from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, Fleischer moved to San Francisco, where he worked as a freelance HTML programmer, unsure what he wanted to do with his life.[6][7][8]
Career
Taking the advice of close friend Mike White (also a Wesleyan graduate), Fleischer worked as a PA in the writers' office of Dawson's Creek.[3] After working as assistant to director Miguel Arteta, he eventually turned to directing and worked his way through the industry, tackling music videos, and television commercials before landing his first feature film, Zombieland, in 2009. His second feature, 30 Minutes or Less, opened in theaters on August 12, 2011.[9]
Fleischer directed Gangster Squad, a 2013 action thriller film, based on the special tactical group created by the LAPD to combat the Los Angeles crime family.[10] He next directed Venom, a film about Marvel Comics character Eddie Brock, starring Tom Hardy; it was released on October 5, 2018.[11]
In 2019, he directed Zombieland: Double Tap, reuniting the four original leads.[12] In February 2020, he was hired to direct Uncharted, based on the video game series of the same name.[13] In September 2022, he was hired to direct Now You See Me: Now You Don't.[14] In March 2026, it was announced he would direct the action comedy Protecting Jared for Netflix, starring Jason Momoa and Andy Samberg.[15]
Filmography
Short film
| Year | Title | Director | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Girls Guitar Club | Yes | Yes |
| 2005 | Gumball 3000: 6 Days in May | Yes | Yes |
Feature film
| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Zombieland | Yes | No |
| 2011 | 30 Minutes or Less | Yes | No |
| 2013 | Gangster Squad | Yes | Yes |
| 2018 | Venom | Yes | No |
| The Mule | No | Yes | |
| 2019 | Zombieland: Double Tap | Yes | Yes |
| 2021 | Venom: Let There Be Carnage | No | Yes |
| 2022 | Uncharted | Yes | Yes |
| 2025 | Now You See Me: Now You Don't | Yes | No |
| TBA | Protecting Jared | Yes | No |
Producer
- Two Night Stand (2014)
- Unicorn Store (2017)
- Bad Trip (2021)
- Little Brother (2026)
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Executive producer |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–2006 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Yes | No | 3 episodes |
| 2006–2007 | Rob & Big | No | Yes | Also creator |
| 2008 | Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis | Yes | No | 2 episodes |
| 2009–2015 | Fantasy Factory | No | Yes | Also creator |
| 2010 | Funny or Die Presents | Yes | No | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | Marry Me | Yes | No | Episode "F Me" |
| 2015–2021 | Superstore | Yes | Yes | Directed 7 episodes |
| 2016 | American Housewife | Yes | Yes | Directed episode "Pilot" |
| 2017 | Santa Clarita Diet | Yes | Yes | Directed 2 episodes |
| 2017–2021 | The Bold Type | No | Yes | |
| 2019–2020 | Stumptown | Yes | Yes | Directed 1 episode |
| 2023 | The Good Doctor | Yes | No | 1 episode |
| White House Plumbers | No | Yes | ||
| Jury Duty | No | Yes | ||
| 2024 | St. Denis Medical | Yes | Yes | Directed 2 episodes |
| 2025 | Motorheads | No | Yes |
Music video
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| "Galang" | M.I.A. |
| "Fix Up, Look Sharp" | Dizzee Rascal |
| "Stand Up Tall" | |
| "Pro Nails" | Kid Sister |
| "I Came From SF" | Gold Chains |
| "Cali Nights" | |
| "The Game" | |
| "Nada" | |
| "Dance Commander" | Electric Six |
| "Vicious Battle Raps" | DJ Format |
| "We Know Something You Don't" | |
| "The Hit Song" | |
| "Mocito" | Pigeon Funk |
| "Pies" | Wiley |
| "Dirty Girl" | Bobby Light |
| "Wash in the Rain" | The Bees |
| "Here She Comes Again" | The Stands |
| "I Believe in You" | Amp Fiddler |
| "Stadtkind" | Ellen Allien |
| "Time Bomb" | The Dismemberment Plan |
| "Just a Simple Plan" | Piebald |
| "French Jacuzzi Dub" | Explosion Robinson |
| "Come On to Me" | Major Lazer featuring Sean Paul |
Commercials
| Title | Brand |
|---|---|
| "Ladies Man" | Boost Mobile |
| "Geek" | |
| "Shopaholic" | |
| "Good Inside" | McDonald's |
| "After Party" | |
| "Revision 43A" | Cisco |
| "Jack 245" | |
| "Call Jimmy" | |
| "Manager" | |
| "Up Late with The King" | Burger King |
| "Handoff" | |
| "Bounce" | |
| "Circles" | Eurostar |
| "Quiet" | ESPN |
| "Mascots" | |
| "The Drop" | Courir |
| "Nose" | Cinnamon Toast Crunch |
| "Infomercial" | Borat soundtrack |
| "Believe It or Not" | G4 |
| "Asai Kenichi" | Levi's |
| "Hiroshi Fujiwara" | |
| "Chara" | |
| "Cops" | Ribena |
| "Down Home" | KFC |
| "Har Mar Superstar" | Vladivar |
| "A Way In" | Vogue |
Reception
| Year | Title | Rotten Tomatoes Rating (%) | Budget ($) | Box office ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Zombieland | 89% | 23.6 million[16] | 102.4 million[17] |
| 2011 | 30 Minutes or Less | 45% | 28 million[18] | 40.7 million[19] |
| 2013 | Gangster Squad | 30% | 60–75 million[20] | 105.2 million[21] |
| 2018 | Venom | 31% | 100–116 million | 856.1 million[22] |
| 2019 | Zombieland: Double Tap | 68% | 42–48 million[23][24] | 125.2 million[25] |
| 2022 | Uncharted | 41% | 120 million | 407.1 million[26] |
| 2025 | Now You See Me: Now You Don't | 61% | 90 million | 219 million |
Collaborations
Like many directors, Fleischer has worked with certain actors on two or more of his films:
| Actor | Zombieland (2009) | 30 Minutes or Less (2011) | Gangster Squad (2013) | Venom (2018) | Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) | Uncharted (2022) | Now You See Me: Now You Don't (2025) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abigail Breslin |  | | 2 | |||||
| Jesse Eisenberg | | | | | 4 | |||
| Woody Harrelson | | | | | 4 | |||
| Bill Murray | | | 2 | |||||
| Michael Peña | | | 2 | |||||
| Emma Stone | | | | 3 | ||||