Singleton's assured directorial debut, BOYZ N THE HOOD (1991), received major studio backing, a $7 million budget and a showcase at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival. An urgent, powerful coming-of-age tale, the film found a spark of hope amid its bleak, violence-ridden South Central Los Angeles setting and became one of the top-grossing features ever made by a black filmmaker. Almost unanimously praised by the critics, Singleton was both the first African-American and the youngest (at age 24) filmmaker ever to receive an Oscar nomination for best director (he was also nominated for best original screenplay). In 1992, Singleton directed Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time" video, featuring Jackson, Eddie Murphy, Iman and Magic Johnson.
He followed his enormous success with POETIC JUSTICE (1993), a modern romance set in turbulent South Central LA, starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur. The film received a warm reception at the box office but a cool one from critics. His third feature, HIGHER LEARNING (1995) charting relations on a multi-racial college campus, did over $13 million at the box office its opening week but received mixed critical notices and soon faded from general release.
Other directing credits include ROSEWOOD (1997), SHAFT (2000, also writer & producer), BABY BOY (2001, also writer & producer), 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS (2003, also writer & producer), FOUR BROTHERS (2005), TULIA (scheduled for 2008), LUKE CAGE (announced for 2009), and THE A-TEAM (announced for 2010). Singleton's recent producing credits include TIME OUT (2004, exec. prod.), HUSTLE & FLOW (2005), BLACK SNAKE MOAN (2006), and ILLEGAL TENDER (2007).
Nominated for Achievement in Directing 1991: BOYZ N THE HOOD
Nominated for Achievement in Writing - Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen 1991: BOYZ N THE HOOD
2 nominations