John Ridley Filmography

Born:: January 1, 1965 in Milwaukee, WI
Occupation:: Co-producer, Director, Executive Producer, Screen Story, Screenwriter, Book Author
Biography:: A prodigious writer, infrequent movie director, and commentator for National Public Radio, John Ridley has made his mark penning novels, TV shows, screenplays, and Internet series ranging from the neo-noir scheming of Cold Around the Heart (1997) to the broad, satiric comedy of Undercover...Read More

Sort By:
Title
Release Date

L.A. Riots

Crew: Screenwriter

Synopsis: After exploring the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the HBO documentary When the Levees Broke, veteran director Spike Lee fixes his lens on yet another historic tragedy with this heated period drama set in 1992 and detailing the racially charged chaos that engulfed Los Angeles after four LAPD Read More

1/1/09
Bobby

Crew: Co-producer

Actors: Harry Belafonte, Joy Bryant, Nick Cannon, Sharon Stone, Emilio Estevez, Laurence Fishburne

Synopsis: Twenty-two people become unwitting participants in a tragic and defining moment of the 1960's in this period drama from actor and director Emilio Estevez. It's early June in 1968, and the California presidential primary elections are occupying the minds of many in the Golden State, with Robert F. Read More

11/17/06
Barbershop [TV Series]

Crew: Director, Executive Producer, Screenwriter, Show Creator

Actors: Omar Gooding, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Anna Brown, Wes Chatham, Leslie Elliard, Barry "Shabaka" Henley, Toni Trucks, Dan White

2005
Justice League: Starcrossed, Part 2

Crew: Screenwriter

Actors: Victor Rivers, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.

Synopsis: In the second episode of Justice League's three-part season-two finale, the Leaguers fall into a trap when attempting to help Hawkgirl's people, the Thangarians, in their war against the Gordanians. Managing to wriggle out of this predicament, the League members reconvene at Stately Wayne Manor Read More

2004
Platinum [TV Series]

Crew: Executive Producer

Synopsis: Created by John Ridley and Sofia Coppola (whose father Francis Ford Coppola was among the producers), the weekly UPN series Platinum could be described as Dynasty for the hip-hop generation. At the center of the intrigue was a black-oriented record company called Sweetback, owned and operated by Read More

2003
Undercover Brother

Crew: Executive Producer, Screenwriter, Short Story Author

Actors: Eddie Griffin, Chris Kattan, Aunjanue Ellis, Dave Chappelle

Synopsis: Undercover Brother began life as an animated series on the Internet. The satirical cartoon was created by novelist and screenwriter John Ridley (Three Kings) for the website urbanentertainment.com. Ridley wrote the screenplay with Michael McCullers, co-writer of the Austin Powers sequels, and it Read More

5/31/02
Undercover Brother: The Animated Series

Crew: Conception, Short Story Author

2000
Three Kings

Crew: Co-producer, Screen Story

Actors: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze, Nora Dunn

Synopsis: Three stars team up for this unusual look at America's role in the war against Iraq. In 1991, as the Gulf War winds to a close, three American servicemen find themselves happy to have achieved victory but wondering about the ultimate importance of what they've done (especially since Saddam Hussein Read More

10/1/99
Third Watch [TV Series]

Crew: Supervisor/Manager

1999
U-Turn

Crew: Book Author, Executive Producer, Screenwriter

Actors: Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Lopez, Powers Boothe, Claire Danes, Joaquin Phoenix, Jon Voight

Synopsis: Oliver Stone directed this John Ridley screenplay adapted from Ridley's novel Stray Dogs. A drifter (Sean Penn) eludes Las Vegas collection agents and arrives in a small town where he decides to linger after his car has a breakdown. Here he gets involved with the locals, including an unhappily Read More

1997
Cold Around the Heart

Crew: Director, Screenwriter

Actors: David Caruso, Kelly Lynch, Stacey Dash, Chris Noth, John Spencer

Synopsis: This crime film, in the tradition of Bonnie and Clyde, is the directorial debut of writer John Ridley, scripter of Oliver Stone's U Turn. The neo-noir tale begins as Jude (Kelly Lynch) and Ned (David Caruso) attempt a getaway with $250,000 worth of stolen diamonds, leaving three dead back at the Read More

1997
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Will's Up a Dirty Road

Synopsis: To prove his worth to Lisa (Nia Long), Will decides to become a celebrity journalist. Though his proposed book "The Stars at Night" goes nowhere, he manages to get an autographed photo of TV talk host Jay Leno sold to a tabloid newspaper. Unfortunately, the photo is doctored to make Leno look like Read More

1994
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Sooooooooul Train

Crew: Screenwriter

Synopsis: Inasmuch as Philip (James Avery) proposed to Vivian (Daphne Maxwell Reid) while both were dancing on TV's Soul Train, the couple decides to stage a sentimental reunion on the same show. Alas, though Vivian gets right back into the groove, poor Philip simply can't keep up with the pace. Elsewhere Read More

1994