---
name: "Jonathan Sanger"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/jonathan-sanger"
fi1m_id: "jonathan-sanger"
imdb_id: "nm0762674"
tmdb_id: 15901
wikidata_id: "Q6274324"
roles: ["Producer","Director"]
born: "21 April 1944"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 73
average_as: "producer"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-10-04T22:47:50.870885+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Jonathan Sanger

## Identity

Jonathan Sanger

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/jonathan-sanger
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** jonathan-sanger
- **IMDb ID:** nm0762674
- **TMDB ID:** 15901
- **Wikidata ID:** Q6274324
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Sanger, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6274324, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0762674/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15901

Producer and director. Born 21 April 1944 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Producer, Director
- **Born:** 21 April 1944, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
- **Active:** 1980–2001
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 5: 1 acting, 1 directing, 3 producing
- **Frequently works with:** [David Lynch](https://film.one/person/david-lynch.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 1 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 73, as producer, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 84 (1), 1990s 86 (1), 2000s 64 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 73 to 68 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Thriller 2, Action 1, Adventure 1, Drama 1, History 1, Horror 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $782m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Sanger, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6274324, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0762674/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15901

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Twin Peaks*](https://film.one/tv/twin-peaks.md) (86)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Jonathan Sanger is an American director and producer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1944, he has worked in film and television for over four decades.

As a director, his credits include episodes of *Twin Peaks* (1991), *The Flash* (1990), *seaQuest DSV* (1994) and *L.A. Law* (1986). He has also directed television films such as *Down Came a Blackbird* (1995) and *Code Name: Emerald* (1985).

Sanger is better known as a producer. His credits include *The Elephant Man* (1980), *Frances* (1982), *Vanilla Sky* (2001) and *Without Limits* (1998).

*Sources: imdb.com, shotonwhat.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

### Performed in (1)

- *Vanilla Sky* (2001), Fi1m 58, as Frozen Pediatric Cardiologist — [page](https://film.one/film/vanilla-sky.md)

### Directed (1)

- *Twin Peaks* (1990), Fi1m 86, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/twin-peaks.md)

### Produced (3) — the average rests on these

- *The Others* (2001), Fi1m 80, Production Consultant — [page](https://film.one/film/the-others.md)
- *Mission: Impossible II* (2000), Fi1m 55, Executive In Charge Of Production — [page](https://film.one/film/mission-impossible-ii.md)
- *The Elephant Man* (1980), Fi1m 84, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-elephant-man.md)

## Complete filmography (61)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Cabrini* (2024), Producer
- *Death and Ramen* (2022), Executive Producer
- *Wuhan Driver* (2021), Executive Producer
- *Marshall* (2017), Producer
- *100 Feet* (2008), as Man on Bus with Newspaper (uncredited) · Producer
- *Paraiso Travel* (2008), Executive Producer
- *The Producers* (2005), Producer
- *Suspect Zero* (2004), Executive Producer
- *Vanilla Sky* (2001), as Frozen Pediatric Cardiologist · Executive Producer, Second Unit Director — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/vanilla-sky.md)
- *The Others* (2001), Production Consultant — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/the-others.md)
- *'N Sync: Bigger Than Live* (2001), Executive Producer
- *Mission: Impossible II* (2000), Executive In Charge Of Production — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/mission-impossible-ii.md)
- *Without Limits* (1998), Executive Producer, Second Unit Director
- *Mr. & Mrs. Smith* (1996), series, Director
- *Down Came a Blackbird* (1995), Director
- *The Marshal* (1995), series, Director
- *12:01* (1993), Unit Production Manager
- *Love Matters* (1993), as Therapist
- *Lush Life* (1993), Executive Producer
- *The Secrets of Lake Success* (1993), series, Director
- *seaQuest DSV* (1993), series, Director
- *House of Cards* (1993), Co-Producer
- *Just My Imagination* (1992), Director
- *Obsessed* (1992), Director
- *Contact* (1992), Executive Producer
- *Chance of a Lifetime* (1991), Director
- *To The Moon, Alice* (1991), Executive Producer
- *The Commish* (1991), series, Director
- *Under Cover* (1991), series, Director
- *Session Man* (1991), Executive Producer
- *Broken Badges* (1990), series, Director
- *Children of the Bride* (1990), Director
- *The Flash* (1990), series, Director
- *Twin Peaks* (1990), series, Director — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/twin-peaks.md)
- *12:01 PM* (1990), Executive Producer
- *The Heart of the Deal* (1990), Executive Producer
- *Peacemaker* (1989), Director, Writer
- *Conquering Space* (1989), Executive Producer
- *Hothouse* (1988), series, Director
- *The Jogger* (1988), Producer
- *Astronomy* (1988), Producer
- *Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall* (1987), Producer
- *Wiseguy* (1987), series, Director
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, Director
- *Flight of the Navigator* (1986), as Dr. Carr · Executive Producer
- *The Doctor and the Devils* (1985), Producer
- *Code Name: Emerald* (1985), Director
- *Frances* (1982), Producer
- *American Playhouse* (1982), series, Writer, Director
- *Below the Belt* (1980), Assistant Director
- *The Elephant Man* (1980), Producer — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-elephant-man.md)
- *Fatso* (1980), Associate Producer
- *A Force of One* (1979), Associate Producer
- *The Brink's Job* (1978), Production Manager
- *High Anxiety* (1977), Assistant Director
- *Thieves* (1977), Second Assistant Director
- *Nasty Habits* (1977), Assistant Director
- *Hawmps!* (1976), Second Assistant Director
- *Next Stop, Greenwich Village* (1976), Second Assistant Director
- *The Sound Sleeper* (1973), Camera Operator
- *In The Small Hours*, Consulting Producer

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- 1988: Best Live Action Short Film (won), for *Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall*
- 1981: Best Picture (nominated), for *The Elephant Man*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/jonathan-sanger