Tim Story is a talented filmmaker known for his directorial contributions to comedy and superhero genres. While he’s yet to receive an Academy Award nomination or other major award association nominations, Story has graced critics and audiences with amazing films. Story-directed films easily stand out for his ability to infuse a balance of action, humor, and character development, all catered to the appeal of a wider audience.
Tim Story represents a generation of younger black directors in Hollywood. Although he made his directorial debut in 1997, since then, Story has directed several popular and successful films. With over 15 films to his name, these are the top 7 directed films of Tim Story.
Barbershop (2002)
Before Barbershop (2002), Tim Story directed two low-budget drama films, One of Us Tripped (1997) and The Firing Squad (1999). Barbershop was undoubtedly the film that gave Tim Story international recognition. It became the first installment of the successful Barbershop franchise, although Story did not return for any of the two sequels. The film was renowned for the number of famous people in the film. Barbershop (2002) top cast includes Ice Cube, Anthony Anderson, Cedric the Entertainer, Keith David, Michael Ealy, Eve, and Deon Cole. The film holds an 82% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is a commercial success. Barbershop (2002) was made on a $12 million budget and grossed $77 million.
Taxi (2004)
Tim Story followed Barbershop‘s success with the action comedy Taxi (2004). The movie starred Queen Latifah, Jimmy Fallon, and Gisele Bündchen in her feature film debut. Story’s Taxi was a remake of the French of the same name, released in 1998. Taxi (2004) was a Box Office success, but it was panned by critics. It grossed $71.3 million on a $25 million budget.
Fantastic Four Films
Fantastic Four (2005) became Tim Story’s first superhero film. However, he wasn’t the first director the studio had in mind. Fox had initially hired Raja Gosnell (who left to do Scooby Doo) and Peyton Reed. Actor Sean Astin was eager to direct but had no experience directing a feature film, nor was he a Marvel comics fan. Tim Story was an obvious choice for the same reasons. Although Fantastic Four (2005) was the second live-action film, the first was a low-budget B-movie.
Story was given an $87.5–100 million budget and successfully turned into a project, grossing $333.5 million at the Box Office. However, Fantastic Four (2005) was far from being critics’ favorite. With the success, Tim Story was re-hired to direct its sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). With a raised production budget of $120–130 million, Rise of the Silver Surfer failed to surpass the earnings of the first film. It grossed $301.9 million, leading to the cancellation of a proposed third film.
Think Like a Man Films
Tim Story directed the popular 2010s romantic comedy Think Like a Man (2012). The film was adapted from Steve Harvey‘s Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man (2009) book. Like with Barbershop (2002), Story’s Think Like a Man had a star-studded black cast. They included Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence J, Regina Hall, Jerry Ferrara, Gabrielle Union, Romany Malco, Meagan Good, and Steve Harvey, playing himself. It also starred Wendy Williams, Chris Brown, Keri Hilson, La La Anthony, Morris Chestnut, Kelly Rowland, and Tika Sumpter.
Interestingly, with all of its famous cast, the production budget was $12 million. Although critics weren’t a fan of its story, they praised the performances of the top cast. Commercially, it was a success. It displaced The Hunger Games from its four-week run at the top spot in the U.S. Box Office. Think Like a Man grossed $96.1 million. Tim Story was re-hired for the 2014 sequel, Think Like a Man Too, with double the budget. With the top cast reprising their roles, the sequel was a moderate success, grossing $70.2 million.
Ride Along
Before Think Like a Man Too was released in 2014, Tim Story’s first film of the year was Ride Along. The buddy cop action comedy became Tim Story’s highest-grossing film, outside of the superhero genre, grossing over $100 million. Ride Along did excellently well on its $25 million production budget, grossing $154.5 million. Ride Along starred Ice Cube and Kevin Hart as its lead cast. Story returned for the sequel, Ride Along 2, in 2016. Although also a success, it grossed lower ($124.6 million) than its 2014 predecessor.
Tom & Jerry (2021)
Before directing the live-action/animated slapstick comedy Tom & Jerry (2021), Tim Story directed the fifth installment of the Shaft series, Shaft (2019). Story’s Shaft was a direct sequel to John Singleton‘s Shaft (2000). Tom & Jerry combined animated characters with live actors. It quickly became one of Story’s highest-grossing movies, earning $136.5 million on a $50–79 million. Chloë Grace Moretz and Michael Peña led the live cast. Tom & Jerry received mostly negative reviews from critics. It holds a 31% Tomatometer critics’ rating and 82% Audience Score rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Blackening (2022)
Tim Story’s The Blackening was first released at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 16, 2022. It received a theatrical release in the United States on June 16, 2023. The black comedy slasher film had a black ensemble cast. The Blackening was well-received by critics and audiences. Made on a $5 million budget, The Blackening grossed $17 million at the worldwide Box Office. With its satirical take on ethnic stereotypes and horror film tropes, it’s easy to see why the Tim Story slasher comedy was a huge success.
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