O Entertainment
Steve Oedekerk | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 27, 1961 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Known for | Ace Ventura series, Thumbs! series, Kung Pow! Enter the Fist, Barnyard, The Nutty Professor remake |
Steven Brent Oedekerk (born November 27, 1961) is an American filmmaker, actor, and stand-up comedian recognized for his work alongside Jim Carrey and director Tom Shadyac, particularly within the Ace Ventura series. His prominent projects include the Thumbs! collection, the 2002 film Kung Pow! Enter the Fist, Santa vs. the Snowman 3D, Barnyard, as well as the remake of The Nutty Professor. Additionally, he produced Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, which earned an Academy Award nomination.
Early life
Oedekerk was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in Huntington Beach, California, raised by his parents Rena Borlandeli and Martin Oedekerk. He attended Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana followed by Golden West College in Huntington Beach. His heritage includes Dutch Frisian, Irish, Hungarian, and Italian roots; his mother emigrated from Magnago, Italy, while his paternal grandfather was an Afrikaner born in South Africa to Dutch ancestors.
Career
Steve Oedekerk has played a pivotal role in television and film production, collaborating with leading networks such as NBC, ABC, UPN, and FOX throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. His professional approach emphasized cultivating robust industry connections, most notably with Jim Carrey, whom he met during the production of In Living Color (1990–1994). This alliance resulted in several successful projects.
His initial independent feature was Smart Alex (1987), but he gained wider recognition with High Strung (1991), starring alongside Carrey. Oedekerk then contributed as a project consultant on the hit film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), which paved the way for his directorial debut with its sequel, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995). The sequel surpassed its predecessor at the box office, solidifying Oedekerk's influence in the market.
He co-authored the screenplay for The Nutty Professor (1996), one of Universal Pictures’ highest-grossing releases that year, and took on writing, directing, and acting duties in Nothing to Lose (1997). Although he reduced his directing activities on major films by the late 1990s, he remained active as a screenwriter for commercially successful titles including Patch Adams (1998), Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001). In the early 2000s, Oedekerk broadened his business scope by directing and starring in Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002) and producing, writing, and voicing characters in Barnyard (2006). A first-look agreement with Universal Pictures was secured in 2003, further strengthening his industry collaborations.
In 2007, he produced the screenplay for Evan Almighty, the sequel to Bruce Almighty, both helmed by Tom Shadyac. Oedekerk was also commissioned to write a script for a planned adaptation of Ripley's Believe It or Not! featuring Jim Carrey; however, this project has yet to move forward.
Universal revealed in 2009 that Oedekerk would develop a film based on the Stretch Armstrong superhero toy; nevertheless, as of 2016, this remains stalled in development while an animated series is being produced. In 2015, he announced intentions to write and direct a sequel to Kung Pow, indicating continued expansion of his creative enterprises.
O Entertainment
O Entertainment was established in 1990 by entrepreneur Steve Oedekerk and was based in Burbank, California. The company focused on producing both animated and live-action content. Among its prominent works were the Thumbmation series, which includes titles such as Thumb Wars, Bat Thumb, and Thumbtanic. Other notable productions included Santa vs. the Snowman 3D, the feature film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, along with its spin-off television series The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, as well as Back at the Barnyard, Planet Sheen, and the movie The Super Mouse. In 1997, Oedekerk also created and starred in the computer-animated variety special titled The O Show. He served as executive producer for the successful Nickelodeon series centered on Jimmy Neutron. The animation branch of the company, Omation Animation Studio, was launched by Oedekerk and incorporated many artists from the now-defunct DNA Productions in 2006. O Entertainment officially closed its doors in February 2013.
Omation Animation Studio
Omation Animation Studio was founded by Steve Oedekerk in 2002 as a subdivision of O Entertainment, operating out of Burbank, California. The studio’s primary focus was on creating animated projects for both television and cinema. Its debut major production was the feature-length film Barnyard, which Oedekerk wrote, directed, produced, and provided voice work for. Following this success, Omation developed the Nickelodeon spin-off series Back at the Barnyard, which premiered in September 2007 and continued for several seasons until 2011 across Nickelodeon and Nicktoons channels. After DNA Productions ceased operations in 2006, many of its animators joined Omation, enhancing its creative team. The studio was also responsible for producing popular Thumbmation shorts like Thumb Wars and Bat Thumb. Despite these achievements, Omation was ultimately shut down in March 2019 after the commercial disappointment and cancellation of Planet Sheen in 2013, with its functions being taken over by Nickelodeon Animation Studio.
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Smart Alex | Yes | Yes | No | Unfinished, unreleased |
| 1991 | High Strung | No | Yes | No | |
| 1995 | Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1996 | The Nutty Professor | No | Yes | No | |
| 1997 | Nothing to Lose | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1998 | Patch Adams | No | Yes | Co | |
| 2000 | Nutty Professor II: The Klumps | No | Template:Partial | No | |
| 2001 | Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | No | Yes | Yes | Received Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature |
| 2002 | Kung Pow! Enter the Fist | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Juwanna Mann | No | No | Template:Partial | ||
| Santa vs. the Snowman 3D | No | Creator | Yes | ||
| 2003 | Bruce Almighty | No | Yes | Template:Partial | |
| 2006 | 'Barnyard' | Yes' | Yes' | Yes' | |
| '2007' | 'Evan Almighty' | No' | Yes' | No' | |
| '2011' | 'Cowboys & Aliens' | No' | 'Template:Partial' | No' |
Additional credits
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| '1994' | 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective' | 'Executive consultant' |
| '2015' | 'Harbinger Down' | 'Acknowledged in producers’ thanks' |
| '2024' | 'Ricky Stanicky' | 'Contributed additional literary material' |
Performing roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| '1987' | 'Smart Alex' | 'Alex' | 'Unfinished, unreleased project' |
| '1988' | 'Casual Sex?' | 'Joey' | |
| '1991' | 'High Strung' | 'Thane Furrows' | |
| '1997' | 'Nothing to Lose' | 'Security Guard Baxter' | 'Brief cameo role' |
| 2002' | 'Kung Pow! Enter the Fist' | 'The Chosen One' | |
| 'Santa vs. the Snowman 3D' | 'Sno' Hellton' | 'Voice performance only' | |
| '2006' | 'Barnyard' | 'Snotty Boy / Pizza Twin #2 / Mr. Beady / Snotty Boy's Father' |
Television
| Year | Title | Creator | Director | Executive Producer |
Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| '1990–1994' | "In Living Color" | "No" | "No" | "No" | "Yes" | "Began in 1992" |
| '1997' | "The O Show" | "Yes" | "Yes" | "Yes" | "Yes" | "Television film" |
| '1999–present' | "Thumbs!" | "Yes" | "Yes" | "Yes" | "Yes" | "" |
| '2002–2006' | "The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius" | "No" | "No" | "Yes" | "Yes" | "Contributed as writer for 'Time is Money'" |
| '2007–2011' | "Back at the Barnyard" | "Yes" | "Yes" | "Yes" | "Yes" | "" |
| '2010–2013' | "Planet Sheen" | "Yes" | "Yes" | "Yes" | "Yes" | "" |
Acting credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| '1983' | "Star Search" | "Contestant" | "" |
| '1987–1988' | "Comedy Club (1987–1988)" | "Himself" | "" |
| '1989' | "Full House" | "Himself" | "Episode titled 'Star Search'" |
| '1997' | "The O Show" | "Himself" | "Television movie" |
| '1999–present' | "Thumbs!" | "Various characters" | "Voice roles only" |
| '2007–2011' | "Back at the Barnyard" | Snotty Boy, Mr. Beady, Additional voices | "Voice work exclusively" |