Derek Wayne Johnson

Derek Wayne Johnson (born February 23, 1983) is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. Born and raised in Carthage, Texas, Johnson began making short films at an early age winning several awards while still in high school. Johnson directed his first feature film in his senior year of film school. After college he broke into the movie business by directing independent films in Texas and Louisiana, eventually making his way to Hollywood. In 2014 Johnson began production on a documentary about Academy Award-winning director John G. Avildsen whose credits include Rocky (1976), The Karate Kid (1984) and many other classic hits. The documentary, entitled John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs (2017), will examine the life, career and films of the legendary director and features interviews with Sylvester Stallone, Ralph Macchio, Martin Scorsese, Jerry Weintraub, Burt Reynolds and many more. The documentary is a companion to the new book The Films of John G. Avildsen: Rocky, The Karate Kid, and Other Underdogs written by Larry Powell and Tom Garrett. In 2016 Johnson was handpicked by Sylvester Stallone to direct a documentary marking the fortieth anniversary of Rocky (1976) entitled 40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic (2017). The documentary will feature Sylvester Stallone narrating behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film. In 2017 Johnson began production on a documentary entitled STALLONE: Frank, That Is (2018) about the fascinating life and career of Grammy and Golden Globe nominated singer, musician and actor Frank Stallone, brother of Sylvester Stallone.