Adam B. Stein (born 1977) is an American filmmaker and film editor.
Stein graduated from Harvard University and the directing program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Prior to directing, Stein edited several independent features that played at film festivals such as Sundance, Tribeca, and SXSW.
Career On the Lot Adam Stein was a contestant on On the Lot, the reality show produced by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett.
The films that Adam Stein created for On the Lot consistently received the highest reviews from the show's judges. Actress/writer Carrie Fisher said of his film Army Guy: "that was one of the most innovative, freaky, fantastic films I have seen." Director Gary Ross called Stein's filmmaking "charming, unbelievably ambitious, and really really technically proficient."
At least one celebrity judge chose Stein as their favorite filmmaker each time he made a film. New York Magazine called the director a "wunderkind".New York Magazine, June 2007, naming Adam Stein's film "Best Picture." When Film Threat reviewed his film Dough: The Musical, the magazine said that it "covered a lot of visual ground and was extremely accomplished in lyrics, dancing, singing and acting."Film Threat review.
Writing and directing In 2022, it was revealed that Stein and filmmaking partner Zach Lipovsky would direct the next installment in New Line Cinema's Final Destination franchise. They got the job after a competitive search involving 200 potential directors and a pitching process that culminated in Stein faking his own death in the style of a Final Destination kill.Hollywood Reporter story about the director-hiring process on Final Destination. Production on Final Destination Bloodlines took place in Vancouver in the Spring of 2024. Alt URL
In 2018, Stein co-directed a live-action adaptation of the hit animated TV series Kim Possible. The movie aired February 15, 2019 on Disney Channel.Announcement of Kim Possible movie in Hollywood Reporter.
The independent feature film Freaks that Stein wrote and directed with partner Zach Lipovsky premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and has won awards at several film festivals around the world. The Vancouver Film Festival, which awarded Stein and Lipovsky "Best Emerging Director," said that their film "ratchets up the go-for-broke audacity as it laces the family drama of Room with genre confections indebted to vintage Spielberg." Freaks was released in theaters on September 13, 2019.News of sale of "Freaks" at Toronto Film Festival.Interview with Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky in The Hollywood Reporter upon the release of Freaks.
In 2016, Adam Stein directed episodes for the first and second seasons of the Disney XD series Mech-X4. He was also the director of the Disney Channel pilot "Forever Boys."Article from Variety about "Forever Boys" pilot., August 24, 2016. Before that, he directed comedy pieces for Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC.
Stein has written and directed dozens of short films and music videos, which have been released around the world. He directed the music video "Suburban Symphony" for the Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone album. This music video was first screened at an orchestral performance conducted by Andrea Morricone, with Yo-Yo Ma playing live.Variety review of the Yo-Yo Ma performance and Stein's music video, November 5, 2004. The music video was then sold as part of the album's bonus DVD.Film Score Magazine's review of the Yo-Yo Ma DVD
His USC film Hot Java played at many festivals around the country and won the top prize at the Gen Art Film Festival. His film script Tangles won an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant for screenwriting.Sloan Foundation profile.
With film school collaborator Sam Friedlander and actor Mark Feuerstein, he made "Lazy Monday", an online parody described as a "west coast rap battle" response to Saturday Night Lives "Lazy Sunday". This video was widely played and widely copied, being featured on VH1, Bravo, and many other media outlets. After the release of this video, CNN's Paula Zahn interviewed Stein and Feuerstein about making content for the web.Transcript of CNN interview.
In November 2025, it was announced that Stein would co-write Gremlins 3 with Chris Columbus (who will direct) and Zach Lipovsky with Steven Spielberg serving as an executive producer. The film is set for release on November 19, 2027.
In February 2026, it was announced that Stein and Lipovsky would direct an animated movie based on the Marvel Comics character Venom for Sony Pictures. In April that same year, it was announced Stein and Lipovsky had signed a first-look deal with Sony Pictures, and would direct an original sci-fi film entitled The Earthling and a film based on Metal Gear Solid in addition to the animated Venom film.
Freaks Part II, a sequel to Freaks, is slated to premiere in August 2026 as the closing film of the 30th Fantasia International Film Festival.Meagan Navarro, "‘Freaks Part II’ First Look Teases Gory Sequel from ‘Final Destination Bloodlines’ Directors". Bloody Disgusting, July 2, 2026.
Editing Stein has worked as an editor on several feature films, including: Blue State, starring Anna Paquin and Breckin Meyer Fifty Pills, starring Kristen Bell and Lou Taylor Pucci Flakes, starring Zooey Deschanel The documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?, which premiered at Sundance in 2006.
Filmography Co-directed with Zach Lipovsky Feature film Year Title Director Writer Producer 2018 Freaks 2025 Final Destination Bloodlines 2026 Freaks Part II
Short film Year Title Notes 2012 Itsy Bitsy Spiders 2016 Trunk Also writer, editor, executive producer and visual effects artist
TV series Year Title Director ExecutiveProducer Writer Notes 2014 Ingress Obsessed All 13 episodes2022 Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock Episodes "Into the Trash" and "All of Us" Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion Episode "The Violet Behind the Ultra"
TV movie Kim Possible (2019) (Also co-producer)
References
External links
Stein's page at the Directors Guild of America