Michael John Warren is a six-time Emmy-nominated writer, director, showrunner, and executive producer recognized for his expertise in creating highly stylized yet story-driven documentary series, music documentaries, and innovative concert films.
As the showrunner for Amazon Prime's explosive true-crime series, Free Meek, Warren investigated systemic corruption and racism in the Philadelphia Police Department and the Pennsylvania Judicial System, ultimately leading to the release of Meek Mill and the dismissal of the charges that kept him entangled in the system for twelve years.
Warren made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed Jay-Z's Fade To Black, considered by many to be the greatest hip-hop film of all time. Since then, he has profiled numerous music industry icons, including Drake: Better Than Good Enough (2010),Nicki Minaj: My Time Now (2010),Nicki Minaj: My Time Again (2015),Vh1's Heavy: The Story of Metal (2006),and Hillsong: Let Hope Rise (2016).
It has recently been announced that Warren is writing, directing, and executive producing a documentary series on Nicki Minaj for HBO Max, marking his third collaboration with the musical icon.
Warren's work extends into the sports world as well. He directed the award-winning Kobe Mentu-a Nike documentary series in Mandarin, seen by tens of millions across China, in 2007. He was a major creative force behind the controversial series Friday Night Tykes (2014),which revealed the shocking intensity of youth football in Texas. In 2016, Warren directed the spine-tingling documentary series Fearless for Netflix, which was nominated for three Emmys, including Warren's second nomination for "Outstanding Long Form Editing." In 2018, Warren showran and directed the IDA-nominated basketball documentary series Best Shot (Executive Produced by LeBron James),which premiered on YouTube Premium and found a second life on ESPN.
Warren also directed the Eleven Madison Park episode of the Netflix series 7 Days Out, which focuses on the "#1 restaurant in the world" as it underwent a gut renovation and raced against the clock to reclaim its culinary glory despite harrowing conditions.
Warren made history by filming several iconic shows on Broadway. In 2008, he captured the first-ever complete "live" performance in a Broadway theater with Rent: Filmed Live On Broadway. The remarkable achievement was so successful that DreamWorks soon followed suit, and Warren helmed Shrek The Musical Live On Broadway (2013). In 2015, Warren was invited to film selections from the Tony Award-Winning musical Hamilton just days before it opened on Broadway. This noteworthy work was heavily featured in Great Performances: Hamilton's America on PBS, 60 Minutes, The 2016 Tony Award broadcast on CBS, and many other outlets. His latest Broadway offering, Oh Hello On Broadway, starring Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, premiered on Netflix in June 2017 to rave reviews, with The New York Times calling the show "stupendously entertaining."
Warren has directed all over the world, including Africa, Asia, The Caribbean, Australia, Europe, South America, and North America. He has collaborated with some of the most influential companies in the industry, including Bron Studios, Boardwalk Pictures, Vox Media, IPC, Radical Media, 441 Productions, 25/7 Productions, ABC, CBS, PBS, ESPN, AMC, MTV, Vh1, Esquire Network, USA Network, BET, Heineken, Nike, Wyden and Kennedy, BBDO, Sony, Paramount, DreamWorks, Universal, Warner Bros, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, and Netflix.
