Michael Patrick Dougherty (born October 28, 1974) is an American writer, director, animator, and producer known for his work in a variety of genre films, both big and small. Beginning his career as an animator and illustrator, Dougherty’s animated work was featured on MTV, Nickelodeon, and a line of "twisted" greeting cards published by NobleWorks. He then co-wrote the blockbuster films X-Men 2 and
Superman Returns before making his directorial debut with the horror comedy, Trick ‘r Treat (2009). Dougherty then directed and co-wrote the holiday horror comedy
Krampus (2015). Dougherty co-wrote and directed the blockbuster
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), and co-wrote the story for its sequel,
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). Collectively, Dougherty's work has grossed over two billion dollars at the box office.
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