imported>RosalieHowes26 at 07:52, 4 May 2026

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{{short description|Indian producer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Adi Shankar
| image = Adi Shankar cropped.jpg
| caption = Shankar at the 2013 [[San Diego Comic-Con]]
| birth_name = Aditya Shankar
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1985|01|08}}
| birth_place = [[Calcutta]], [[West Bengal]], [[India]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iconvsicon.com/2014/03/11/shattering-the-mold-producer-adi-shankar-offers-a-glimpse-inside-his-world/ |title=SHATTERING THE MOLD: Producer Adi Shankar Offers A Glimpse Inside His World! |last= |first= |date=11 March 2014 |website=Icon vs. Icon |publisher= |access-date=27 May 2017 |quote=}}</ref> (now [[Kolkata]], West Bengal)
| occupation = Filmmaker
| yearsactive = 2010–present
| website = https://adishankar.com
}}
'''Aditya Shankar''' (born 8 January 1985) is an Indian and American film producer, screenwriter, film director, television program creator, television showrunner, and occasional actor.

In the 2010s he was best known for producing the ''[[Judge Dredd]]'' film ''[[Dredd]]'', assisting in developing the animated series ''[[Castlevania (TV series)|Castlevania]]'', and for creating his "[[Adi Shankar's Bootleg Universe|Bootleg Universe]]" series of [[fan film]]s. In the 2020s, he became known for producing the [[Netflix]] series ''[[The Guardians of Justice]]'', ''[[Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix]]'', and ''[[Devil May Cry (TV series)|Devil May Cry]]''.

He remains the youngest producer to have a number one film at the North American box office with the 2012 film ''[[The Grey (film)|The Grey]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Castlevania Season 2 Executive Producer Adi Shankar|date= 25 October 2018|last1=Bertschy|first1=Zac|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2018-10-25/castlevania-season-2-executive-producer-adi-shankar/.138622|website=Anime News Network}}</ref> In 2014, Shankar ranked number 20 on ''[[GQ]]'' magazine's list of "Most Influential Global Indian Men".<ref>{{cite web|title=Producer and Go-Getter Adi Shankar Talks Diversity and the Need for Integrity in the Film Industry|date=7 February 2015|last1=Thomas|first1=Steff|url=http://www.galomagazine.com/movies-tv/producer-and-go-getter-adi-shankar-talks-diversity-and-the-need-for-integrity-in-the-film-industry/|website=Galo Magazine}}</ref> In 2010 he co-founded the production company 1984 Private Defense Contractors.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/1984-private-defense-contractors-boards-the-voices-exclusive-1200343509/|title=1984 Private Defense Contractors Boards 'The Voices' (EXCLUSIVE)|last=McNary|first=Dave|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=10 April 2013|accessdate=29 June 2016}}</ref>

== Early life and education==
Aditya Shankar was born in [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]], [[India]], to a banking executive and an educator.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.asiaone.com/print/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20120309-332470.html |title=Indian shade in The Grey |last=Vallikappen |first=Ankita Pandey |date=9 March 2012 |website=[[AsiaOne]] |publisher= |access-date=6 July 2017 |quote=}}</ref> His family spent his formative years relocating among [[Chennai]], [[Mumbai]], [[Hong Kong]], and [[Singapore]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/02/entertainment/feat-power-rangers-shankar-kahn/index.html |title=Who are these 'Power/Rangers' guys? |last=Leopold |first=Todd |date=2 March 2015 |website= |publisher=[[CNN]] |access-date=2 July 2017 |quote=}}</ref> He immigrated to [[Rhode Island]], USA by himself at the age of 16. Shankar studied communications, business, and theater at [[Northwestern University]] and graduated in June 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dailynorthwestern.com/2007/01/24/archive-manual/adi-on-advertising/ |title=Adi On Advertising |last=Liu |first=Leona |date=23 January 2007 |work=[[The Daily Northwestern]] |publisher= |access-date=8 February 2014 |quote=}}</ref>

==Career==
His ''Bootleg'' satires include ''[[The Punisher: Dirty Laundry]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://collider.com/adi-shankar-venom-truth-in-journalism-interview/ |title=Producer Adi Shankar Talks TRUTH IN JOURNALISM Short, the Success of DIRTY LAUNDRY, Casting Ryan Kwanten, Shared Universes, and More |last=Weintraub |first=Steve |date=31 July 2013 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |publisher= |access-date=8 February 2014 |quote=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-rt-adi-shankar-brad-pitt-20130808,0,2456994.story |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130828224829/http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-rt-adi-shankar-brad-pitt-20130808,0,2456994.story |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 August 2013 |title=Topic Galleries |publisher=Chicagotribune.com |date= |accessdate=8 February 2014}}</ref> ''Venom: Truth in Journalism'', and ''[[Power/Rangers]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3335071/dredd-producer-teaches-painful-truth-filmmaking/ |title='Dredd' Producer Teaches You the Painful Truth About Filmmaking |last=Miska |first=Brad |date=6 March 2015 |website=[[Bloody Disgusting]] |publisher=The Collective |access-date=8 February 2014 |quote=}}</ref>

In 2015, Shankar signed a three-picture deal with Disney's Maker Studios.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thewrap.com/maker-studios-signs-adi-shankar-to-3-picture-directing-deal-exclusive/|title=Adi Shankar Signs 3 Picture Deal With Maker Studios|date=10 April 2013|website=The Wrap|last=Sneider|first=Jeff|accessdate=5 October 2015}}</ref>

=== Influences ===
For his controversial "Bootleg Universe" Shankar cites British street artist [[Banksy]] as a major influence.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://thevideoink.com/dredd-ep-adi-shankar-on-his-new-bootleg-judge-dredd-miniseries-986a2e9f4c30|title='Dredd' EP Adi Shankar on His New Bootleg 'Judge Dredd' Miniseries|date=27 October 2014|work=VideoInk|access-date=2 July 2017}}{{Dead link|date=October 2018}}</ref> In addition, Shankar frequently cites rapper [[Eminem]], writer [[Warren Ellis]], artist [[Takashi Murakami]], wrestler [[Diamond Dallas Page]] and ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'' character [[Sephiroth (Final Fantasy)|Sephiroth]] as artistic and stylistic influences.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mic.com/articles/181636/castlevania-netflix-producer-adi-shankar-talks-video-games-and-the-epic-movie-mashup-he-never-made |title='Castlevania' Netflix producer Adi Shankar talks video games and the epic movie-mashup he never made |last=Vincent |first=Brittany |date=7 July 2017 |publisher=[[Mic (media company)|Mic]] |access-date=20 July 2017 |quote=}}</ref>

=== "The Apu problem" ===
{{Distinguish|The Problem with Apu}}
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".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://writers.coverfly.com/competitions/view/80|title=Apu Screenwriting Contest: Crowdsourcing the Cure for The Simpsons (2018)|website=writers.coverfly.com|language=en|access-date=2018-10-30}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":0" />

On 26 October 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.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/10/simpsons-drop-apu-character-adi-shankar-1202015372/ |title='The Simpsons' Is Eliminating Apu, But Producer Adi Shankar Found the Perfect Script to Solve the Apu Problem |last=O'Falt |first=Chris |date=26 October 2018 |website=[[IndieWire]] |publisher= |access-date=29 October 2018 |quote=}}</ref> A representative for the show at Fox responded, saying, "Apu appeared in the 10/14/18 episode "[[My Way or the Highway to Heaven]]"."<ref name=":0" /> In the episode, Apu makes an appearance as one of dozens of characters gathered around God in Heaven. On 28 October, ''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."<ref>{{cite tweet |last=Jean |first=Al |author-link=Al Jean |user=AlJean |number=1056684110867918848 |date=28 October 2018 |title=Adi Shankar is not a producer on the Simpsons. I wish him the very best but he does not speak for our show. |access-date=29 October 2018}}</ref>

The character was absent from the show for two years, and on 17 Jan 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."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Drury |first=Sharareh |date=2020-02-26 |title=As 'The Simpsons' Silences Apu, South Asian Creatives Hope for Character's Authentic Revival |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/as-simpsons-silences-apu-south-asian-creatives-hope-characters-authentic-revival-1272222/ |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Role
! class="unsortable" | Studio/Distributor
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 2010
! scope="row" | ''[[Main Street (2010 film)|Main Street]]''
| rowspan="8" | Executive Producer
|[[Magnolia Pictures]]
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2011
! scope="row" | ''[[Machine Gun Preacher]]''
|[[Relativity Media]]
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[The Grey (film)|The Grey]]''
|[[Open Road Films|Open Road]]
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2012
! scope="row" | ''[[Dredd]]''
|[[Lionsgate Films|Lionsgate]]
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Killing Them Softly]]''
|[[The Weinstein Company]]
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Gangs of Wasseypur]]''
|[[Cinelicious Pics]]
|Shankar also Presented the international release.
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2013
! scope="row" | ''[[Broken City]]''
|[[20th Century Studios]]
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Lone Survivor]]''
|[[Universal Pictures]]
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2014
! scope="row" | ''[[The Voices]]''
| Producer
| Lionsgate
| Also played John
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[A Walk Among the Tombstones (film)|A Walk Among the Tombstones]]''
| Executive Producer
|Universal Pictures
|
|-
| 2017
! scope="row" | ''[[Bodied]]''
| Producer
|[[Neon (company)|Neon]]
| Also played Campus Security Guard
|-
| 2024
! scope="row" | ''[[Ick (film)|Ick]]''
| Producer
|Fathom Entertainment
|
|}

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Role
! class="unsortable" | Distributor
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 2017–2021
! scope="row" | ''[[Castlevania (TV series)|Castlevania]]''
| Showrunner Executive producer
| rowspan="6" | [[Netflix]]
| Ended After 4 Seasons
|-
| 2022
! scope="row" | ''[[The Guardians of Justice]]''
| Creator Co-director Executive producer Showrunner Co-Writer
| Limited Series
|-
| 2023–2025
! scope="row" |''[[Castlevania: Nocturne]]''
| Executive Producer
| Ended After 2 Seasons
|-
| 2023
! scope="row" | ''[[Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/far-cry-anime-series-netflix-captain-laserhawk-a-blood-dragon-remix-1234994383/|title='Far Cry' Anime Series Set at Netflix, Streamer Picks Up Adi Shankar's 'Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix' (EXCLUSIVE)|first1=Joe|last1=Otterson|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=11 June 2021}}</ref>
| Creator Showrunner Executive producer Voice actor Story Writer
| Limited Series
|-
| 2025–present
! scope="row" | ''[[Devil May Cry (TV series)|Devil May Cry]]''<ref>{{cite web | url = https://screenrant.com/devil-may-cry-anime-series-netflix/ | title = Devil May Cry Anime Series Coming to Netflix | first = John | last = Atkinson | date = 17 November 2018 | access-date = 17 October 2021 | work = Screen Rant }}</ref>
|Creator Showrunner Executive producer Story Writer
|-
| {{TableTBA}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Assassin's Creed#Television|Assassin's Creed]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://kotaku.com/assassins-creed-is-getting-an-anime-series-1796634653 |title=Assassin's Creed Is Getting An 'Anime Series' |first=Luke |last=Plunkett |date=7 May 2017 |access-date=29 September 2018 |work=[[Kotaku]] |publisher=[[Gizmodo Media Group]] |archive-date=5 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105190858/https://kotaku.com/assassins-creed-is-getting-an-anime-series-1796634653 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| Executive producer
|-
| {{TableTBA}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Hyper Light Drifter#Animated limited television series|Hyper Light Drifter]]''<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/tv/2019/3/28/18285664/hyper-light-drifter-tv-series-alx-preston-adi-shankar | title = Hyper Light Drifter TV series in the works from creator Alx Preston and Castlevania's Adi Shankar | first = Matt | last= Patches | date = 28 March 2019 | access-date = 28 March 2019 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] }}</ref>
|Executive producer
| rowspan="3" | TBA
|-
| {{TableTBA}}
! scope="row" | ''[[PUBG: Battlegrounds#Other games and media|PUBG]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/pubg-animated-series-adi-shankar/|title=A 'PUBG' Animated Series Is Coming From 'Castlevania's Adi Shankar|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |date=23 July 2021 }}</ref>
| Creator Showrunner Executive producer
|-
| {{TableTBA}}
! scope="row" | ''[[Duke Nukem#Other media|Duke Nukem]]''<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.vice.com/en/article/devil-may-cry-netflix-creator-adi-shankar-promises-to-make-faithful-duke-nukem-adaptation-that-fans-will-like/ | title = Devil May Cry Netflix Creator Adi Shankar Promises to Make Faithful Duke Nukem Adaptation Fans Will Like | first = Brent | last = Koepp | date = 23 June 2025 | access-date = 23 June 2025 | work = Vice }}</ref>
|Creator Showrunner Executive producer
|}

=== [[Adi Shankar's Bootleg Universe|"Bootleg Universe"]] One-Shot Films ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Length !! Genre!! Role !! Notes
|-
| 2012 || ''[[The Punisher: Dirty Laundry]]'' || 9 min 50 seconds || Action/Crime || Producer ||[[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 || Producer || In a black and white homage to cult Belgian black comedy ''[[Man Bites Dog (film)|Man Bites Dog]]'' and set in the late 1980s, [[Ryan Kwanten]] stars as Spider-Man's nemesis [[Eddie Brock]] / [[Venom (character)|Venom]] as he is followed around by a documentary film crew. In a [[Post-credits scene|post-credits sequence]], Shankar portrays rival documentary video director Sunil Bakshi, who is similarly following around the [[Assassination|assassin]] [[Bullseye (Marvel Comics)|Ben / Bullseye]] and filming him execute people.
|-
| 2014 || ''Judge Dredd: Superfiend'' || 26 min 32 seconds || Action/Comedy || Producer || 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]]''.
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2015 || ''[[Power/Rangers]]'' || 11 min 45 seconds || Action/Sci-Fi || Producer || A dark reimagining of the ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'' that explores a timeline where the Rangers lost, starring [[James Van Der Beek]] and [[Katee Sackhoff]], with Carla Perez reprising her role as [[Rita Repulsa]] from various ''Power Rangers'' series from 1994 to 1998.
|-
| ''James Bond: In Service of Nothing'' || 10 min 55 seconds || Spy/Action || Producer<ref>* {{cite web |last1=Adi |first1=Shankar |author1-link=Adi Shankar |title=IN SERVICE OF NOTHING [BOOTLEG UNIVERSE] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wOhtAtastk |website=youtube.com |publisher=Adi Shankar |language=en |format=video |date=5 March 2015}}</ref> || 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.
|-
| 2018 || ''Mr. Rogers: A War Hero'' || 14 min 06 seconds || Biopic || Producer<ref>*{{cite web |last1=Adi |first1=Shankar |author1-link=Adi Shankar |title=MR. ROGERS: A WAR HERO [BOOTLEG UNIVERSE] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab0D0gKlsdA |website=youtube.com | publisher=Adi Shankar |language=en |format=video |date=20 March 2018}}</ref> || A "What if?" scenario based on the longstanding rumor where [[Fred Rogers]] served in the [[Vietnam War]] and based several characters on [[Mister Rogers' Neighborhood]] from his wartime comrades
|-
| 2019 || ''The End of Pokemon'' || 5 min 25 seconds || Action/Thriller || Producer<ref>{{cite web|title=The End of Pokemon (A Bootleg Universe Fan Trailer) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNayLYeX_No |website=youtube.com | publisher=Octopie |language=en |format=video |access-date=30 October 2025}}</ref> || An animated fake trailer for a dark epilogue to the Pokémon anime series.
|-
| Cancelled || ''Superman Vs. the Ku Klux Klan''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Boucher |first1=Geoff |title='Castlevania' Producer Says 'Superman Vs. The Ku Klux Klan' Has Genre Message |url=https://deadline.com/2018/12/castlevania-producer-adi-shankar-superman-vs-the-ku-klux-klan-has-genre-message-1202513734/ |website=Deadline |access-date=30 October 2025}}</ref> || || || Producer || Based on the book ''Superman Versus the Ku Klux Klan'' by [[Rick Bowers]].
|}

== Music credits ==
* 2025 – ''Devil May Cry'' (soundtrack) – Executive Producer, Soundtrack & Music. The album features the original song "[[Afterlife (Evanescence song)|Afterlife]]" by [[Evanescence]], developed under Shankar's creative direction for the Netflix adaptation of ''Devil May Cry''.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|3021774}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/user/AdiShankarBrand The Bootleg Universe] on [[YouTube]]
* [https://adishankar.com Official website]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shankar, Adi}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1985 births]]
[[Category:American people of Bengali descent]]
[[Category:21st-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:Northwestern University alumni]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male voice actors]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Mass media people from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Male actors from Kolkata]]

Adi Shankar producer - Revision history

imported>RosalieHowes26 at 07:52, 4 May 2026