Matt Lopez

Matt Lopez, man, this guy’s fingerprints are all over some wild, family-friendly Hollywood rides. You know his name if you’ve ever crashed on your couch flipping channels and landed on “Race to Witch Mountain.” That 2009 movie? Total nostalgia bomb for anyone who grew up on those sci-fi kid flicks where the fate of the world somehow sits on the shoulders of two mysterious kids and a reluctant taxi driver. Lopez whipped up a script so packed with action and snappy dialogue, even The Rock looked like he was having a blast dodging government agents and aliens. Then there’s “Bedtime Stories” from 2008. Lopez had Adam Sandler literally living out bedtime tales—like, the stuff you’d dream up as a sugar-rushed eight-year-old, suddenly coming to life. Rainin’ gumballs? Check. Medieval jousts in a fancy hotel? Sure, why not. The movie’s goofy charm and wild imagination is pure Lopez, honestly. And let’s not sleep on “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (2010), where he took Mickey Mouse’s classic broomstick chaos and spun it into a full-blown fantasy adventure starring Nic Cage in a trench coat channeling wizard vibes. If you’re sensing a theme, yeah—Lopez’s scripts are all about whisking you off to absurd, magical places, then grounding it with wisecracks and actual heart. His movies don’t just stick to one lane. He mashes up genres, throws in a dash of weird, and never forgets to let his characters be, well, people. Not just plot devices. The guy knows how to keep things moving, make you laugh, and maybe even hit you with a little nostalgia when you least expect it.