Aditya Shankar (born January 8, 1985) is an Indian-American film producer, screenwriter, film director, television program creator, television showrunner, and occasional actor.
He remains the youngest producer to have a number one film at the North American box office with the 2012 film The Grey.[2] In 2014, Shankar ranked number 20 on GQ magazine's list of "Most Influential Global Indian Men".[3] He co-founded the production company 1984 Private Defense Contractors.[4]
In April 2018, Shankar started a script contest which he hoped would encourage people to rewrite The Simpsons character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon "that takes the character of Apu and in a clever way subverts him, pivots him, intelligently writes him out, or evolves him".[14] He stated that, in the event that the show's producers will not take on the winning script, he would produce and distribute the episode as part of his "Bootleg Universe" fan films.[15]
On October 26, 2018, Shankar leaked during an interview with IndieWire that Apu was going to be written out of the show, stating that he got the information from two people who work for The Simpsons and a third source who works directly with creator Matt Groening.[15] A representative for the show at Fox responded, saying, "Apu appeared in the 10/14/18 episode "My Way or the Highway to Heaven"."[15] In the episode, Apu makes an appearance as one of dozens of characters gathered around God in Heaven. On October 28, Simpsons executive producer and show runner Al Jean responded on Twitter by saying: "Adi Shankar is not a producer on the Simpsons. I wish him the best but he does not speak for our show."[16]
The character was absent from the show for two years, and on Jan 17, 2020, Hank Azaria announced he was stepping down from the role of Apu permanently. Shankar has stated that he was against the cancellation of the character: "Silencing Apu is a step sideways. It doesn't undo the damage, address the damage or benefit the show's 'creativity.' It just removes another brown face from TV."[17]
Thomas Jane reprises his role as Marvel anti-hero Frank Castle aka the Punisher from the 2004 film.
2013
Venom: Truth in Journalism
17 min 8 seconds
Crime/Comedy
In a black and white homage to cult Belgian black comedy Man Bites Dog and set in the late 1980s, Ryan Kwanten stars as Spider-Man's nemesis Eddie Brock / Venom as he is followed around by a documentary film crew. In a post-credits sequence, Shankar portrays rival documentary video director Sunil Bakshi, who is similarly following around the assassinBen / Bullseye and filming him execute people.
2014
Judge Dredd: Superfiend
26 min 32 seconds
Action/Comedy
An animated re-interpretation of Judge Dredd in the form of a violent Saturday morning cartoon. Does not take place in the continuity of the Shankar produced 2012 Judge Dredd film Dredd.
An animated short film in the style of a film animatic, where after 30 years in the agency, James Bond is no longer required for his services leading to his retirement as he tries adjust himself to a new life in the present.
