Shawn Levy is a Canadian born filmmaker, who has also tried his hand at acting, who has become a regular in Hollywood with the likes of Night at the Museum and Cheaper By The Dozen under his belt.
He was born in Quebec but moved to New York to attend Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Centre before graduating from Yale University.
He made his directorial debut back in 2002 comedy Big Fat Liar starring Frankie Muniz and Paul Giamatti.
But it was Just Married in 2003 that proved to be the filmmaker's breakthrough. Starring Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy Just Married follows Tom, a sports announcer, who comes from blue collar roots. Sarah is a writer whose family is as wealthy as it is snobbish.
Much to her family's, and ex-boyfriend's, horror, Sarah and Tom fall in love and get married.
Following their wedding, Tom and Sarah set off for what they expect to be the perfect honeymoon; however, thanks to her conspiring family and vindictive ex, the happy couple experiences the honeymoon from hell.
Despite it's poor reviews it did well at the box office, holding the top spot in America for a month.
He followed this up with two movies with funnyman Steve Martin; Cheaper by the Dozen and The Pink Panther, which saw Martin take over the role of Clouseau from Peter Sellers. Both went on to do ok at the box office.
The biggest hit for the filmmaker came in 2006 when he took on Night at the Museum, which starred Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais and Steve Coogan.
Good-hearted dreamer Larry Daley, despite being perpetually down on his luck, thinks he's destined for something big. But even he could never have imagined how big, when he accepts what appears to be a menial job as a graveyard-shift security guard at a museum of natural history.
During Larry's watch, extraordinary things begin to occur: Mayans, Roman Gladiators, and cowboys emerge from their diorama to wage epic battles; in his quest for fire, a Neanderthal burns down his own display; Attila the Hun pillages his neighbouring exhibits, and a T-Rex reminds everyone why he's history's fiercest predator.
Amidst the chaos, the only person Larry can turn to for advice is a wax figure of President Teddy Roosevelt, who helps our hero harness the bedlam, stop a nefarious plot, and save the museum.
The movie was a massive box office hit and went on to gross over $574 at the global box office and a sequel is about to hit screens this week.
Stiller, Wilson, Gervais and co all return to their role, including new performances from Hank Azaria and Amy Adams,
When the Museum of Natural History is closed for a refit, its exhibits are wrapped up and shipped off to the legendary Smithsonian Institute in Washington - home of Al Capone's mug shot, Fonzie's jacket from Happy Days and a few million other priceless items.
In hot pursuit is Larry Daley (Stiller), who's been sent to keep an eye on his magical museum archive. It's business as usual for the hapless Larry as he tries (and fails) to keep his unruly exhibits under control.
While there was interest from Ben Stiller to extend the franchise further with a third movie up next for Levy is Date Night, which will be released in 2010.
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is out now.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
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