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{{short description|American film director and producer}}
'''Fran Rubel Kuzui''' is an [[United States|American]] [[film director|movie director]] and [[film producer|producer]]. She received her [[Masters degree]] from [[New York University]] and was a [[script supervisor]] for a decade, prior to her first film, 1988's ''[[Tokyo Pop]]'', which she co-wrote and directed. The movie was shown at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival and received critical acclaim for its depiction of an American woman trying to make sense of the [[Japanese people|Japanese]] [[youth culture]].<ref>{{cite news
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE0DA1631F936A25757C0A96E948260
{{Infobox person
|publisher=New York Times
| name = Fran Rubel Kuzui
|title=In 'Tokyo Pop,' Youth Cultures Clash
| image = Fran Rubel Kuzui from "Tokyo Pop 4K Digitally Remastered Version" at Red Carpet of the Tokyo International Film Festival 2023 (53348403419) (cropped).jpg
|first=Walter
| caption = Kuzui in 2023
|laster=Goodman
| alt = cropped headshot of Fran Rubel Kuzui at Tokyo International Film Festival 2023
|date=1988-04-15
| birth_name =
|accessdate=2007-02-26
| birth_date =
|quote=You don't have to be a fan of rock music to get a kick out of ''Tokyo Pop,'' a wedding of American and Japanese youth cultures as seen through a fun-house mirror.}}</ref>
| birth_place = United States
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = [[New York University]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Film director|film producer|script supervisor}}
| spouse = [[Kaz Kuzui]]
| years_active = 1988&ndash;present
}}
'''Fran Rubel Kuzui''' is an American film director and producer. She directed the films ''[[Tokyo Pop]]'' (1988) and ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' (1992).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/female-filmmakers-in-focus-fran-rubel-kuzui-on-tokyo-pop |title=Female Filmmakers in Focus: Fran Rubel Kuzui on Tokyo Pop |website=[[RogerEbert.com]] |first=Marya E. |last=Gates |date=August 1, 2023 |access-date=October 30, 2024}}</ref> She also produced the films ''[[Orgazmo]]'' (1997) and ''[[Telling Lies in America]]'' (1997).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/fran_rubel_kuzui |title=Fran Rubel Kuzui |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=October 30, 2024}}</ref>
 
==Biography==
However, she is best known as the director of the light-hearted 1992 ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' film&mdash;whose original screenplay was the basis for the [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)|television series of the same name]].<ref>{{cite web
Kuzui received her [[master's degree]] from [[New York University]] and was a [[script supervisor]] for a decade, prior to her first film, 1988's ''[[Tokyo Pop]]'', which she co-wrote and directed. The movie was shown at the 1988 [[Cannes Film Festival]] and received critical acclaim{{cn|date=July 2019}} for its depiction of an American woman trying to make sense of the [[Japanese people|Japanese]] [[youth culture]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE0DA1631F936A25757C0A96E948260 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |title=In 'Tokyo Pop,' Youth Cultures Clash |first=Walter |last=Goodman |date=1988-04-15 |access-date=2007-02-26 |quote=You don't have to be a fan of rock music to get a kick out of ''Tokyo Pop,'' a wedding of American and Japanese youth cultures as seen through a fun-house mirror.}}</ref>
|url=http://www.fast-rewind.com/tokyopop.htm
|publisher=Fast-Rewind.com
|title=Tokyo Pop (1988)
|first=Bridgette
|last=Marie
|accessdate=2007-02-26}}</ref> She discovered the [[screenplay]] of then unknown television writer [[Joss Whedon]] and then put together the financing to produce the picture.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.wideanglecloseup.com/kuzui.html
|title=Interview with Fran Rubel Kuzui
|publisher=Wide Angle Closeup
|first=David
|last=Morgan
|accessdate=2007-02-26}}</ref> The film received mixed reviews,<ref>[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/buffy_the_vampire_slayer/ RottenTomatoes.com listing of reviews]</ref> which noted the uneven direction and comic timing.
 
She is best known as the director of the 1992 film ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' (which was the basis for the [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)|television series]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fast-rewind.com/tokyopop.htm |publisher=Fast-Rewind.com |title=Tokyo Pop (1988) |first=Bridgette |last=Marie |access-date=2007-02-26}}</ref> She discovered the screenplay of writer [[Joss Whedon]], expanded the Buffy character with him, and together with producer Kaz Kuzui put together the financing to produce the picture.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wideanglecloseup.com/kuzui.html |title=Interview with Fran Rubel Kuzui |publisher=Wide Angle Closeup |first=David |last=Morgan |access-date=2007-02-26}}</ref> Kuzui served as an executive producer on the TV series and its spin-off ''[[Angel (1999 TV series)|Angel]]'', having packaged ''Buffy'' along with Kaz Kuzui, Sandollar TV's [[Gail Berman]] and [[Sandy Gallin]].
She, along with her husband [[Kaz Kuzui]] founded Kuzui Enterprises, a pioneer in Independent Film distribution in Japan and which [[film distributor|distributes]] US films in Japan, and imports Japanese films for the US market. In addition to holding a portion of rights to the Buffy character, Kuzui Enterprises were also given [[executive producer]] credits for the [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)|TV series]] and its spin-off ''[[Angel (TV series)|Angel]]''. In 2003, the Kuzuis were among the executive producers for the Thai-Japanese film ''[[Last Life in the Universe]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://imdb.com/title/tt0345549/fullcredits|publisher=IMDB.com|title=Last Life in the Universe full credits|accessdate=2007-04-09}}</ref> In 1997, Fran began working with Trey Parker and Matt Stone and produced their film "Orgazmo". Kuzui Enterprises was among the financiers for ''[[Orgazmo]]'' and ''[[Telling Lies in America]]''.
Kuzui is a graduate of [[New York University]].
 
Since 2000, Kuzui has lived in Tokyo.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wappler |first=Margaret |date=2024-03-01 |title=Luke Perry and the Untold History of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/luke-perry-buffy-the-vampire-slayer |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=Vanity Fair |language=en-US}}</ref> Along with husband [[Kaz Kuzui]], she founded Kuzui Enterprises, a leader in independent [[film distributor|film distribution]] in Japan that distributes U.S. films there and imports Japanese films for the U.S. market. In 2003, the Kuzuis were among the executive producers for the Thai-Japanese film ''[[Last Life in the Universe]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://imdb.com/title/tt0345549/fullcredits|publisher=IMDB.com|title=Last Life in the Universe full credits|access-date=2007-04-09}}</ref> In 1997, Kuzui began working with [[Trey Parker]] and [[Matt Stone]] and produced their film ''[[Orgazmo]]''. The Kuzuis also localized and distributed the duo's TV series ''[[South Park]]'' in Japan. Kuzui Enterprises was among the financiers for ''Orgazmo'' and ''[[Telling Lies in America]]''.{{cn|date=July 2019}}
==External links==
 
*{{imdb name|id=0476900|name=Fran Rubel Kuzui}}
The Kuzuis worked with artist [[Keith Haring]] to establish [[Pop Shop]] Tokyo, an art project recognized by museums around the world.{{cn|date=May 2014}}
 
In 2018, it was reported that the Kuzuis are involved with the development of a [[reboot (fiction)|reboot]] of ''Buffy''.<ref name = "Deadline Hollywood 20 July 2018">{{cite news|title = 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Series Reboot With Black Lead In Works From Monica Owusu-Breen & Joss Whedon|first = Nellie|last = Andreeva|date = July 20, 2018|access-date = July 22, 2018|work = [[Deadline Hollywood]]|url = https://deadline.com/2018/07/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-series-reboot-in-works-black-lead-monica-owusu-breen-joss-whedon-1202430592/}}</ref><ref name = "Variety 20 July, 2018">{{cite news|title = 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' TV Reboot in Development From Joss Whedon, Monica Owusu-Breen|first = Joe|last = Otterson|date = July 20, 2018|access-date = July 22, 2018|work = [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|url = https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-tv-reboot-1202880128/}}</ref>
 
Kuzui is a contributing writer at the Nikkei Asian Review and Tokyo bureau chief for Culinary Backstreets.
 
==Filmography==
'''Feature films'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Director
! Writer
! Producer
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Tokyo Pop]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|-
| 1997
| ''[[Orgazmo]]''
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|-
| 1997
| ''[[Telling Lies in America]]''
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|-
|}
 
==References==
{{reflistReflist}}
 
==External links==
{{Authority control|VIAF=74043859}}
* {{IMDb name|0476900}}
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
 
| NAME = Kuzui, Fran Rubel
{{Authority control}}
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American film director
| DATE OF BIRTH =
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuzui, Fran Rubel}}
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[[Category:New York University alumni]]
 
{{US-film-director-stub}}
 
{{US-film-director-stub}}
[[es:Fran Rubel Kuzui]]
[[Category:Film directors from New York City]]
[[fr:Fran Rubel Kuzui]]
[[Category:Film producers from New York City]]
[[it:Fran Rubel Kuzui]]
[[Category:American women film directors]]
[[simple:Fran Rubel Kuzui]]
[[Category:American women film producers]]
[[fi:Fran Rubel Kuzui]]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran_Rubel_Kuzui"