Anne Fletcher
Anne Fletcher is an accomplished director, choreographer, and actor, recognized for her significant contributions to film and television, particularly in the dance and romantic comedy genres. Born on May 1, 1966, in Detroit, Michigan, Fletcher displayed an early passion for dance, teaching classes by her teenage years. She pursued her dance career in Los Angeles, working with renowned choreographers and appearing in numerous television shows and music videos.
Fletcher gained prominence as a choreographer throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, contributing to acclaimed films like *Boogie Nights* and *The Wedding Planner*. Her directorial debut came with the successful dance film *Step Up* in 2006, which not only performed well at the box office but also sparked a series of sequels. Transitioning to romantic comedies, Fletcher directed hits like *27 Dresses* and *The Proposal*, the latter featuring a memorable nude scene that showcased her unique staging abilities.
Her filmography extends into the 2020s, including directing episodes of popular TV series and the Disney+ sequel *Hocus Pocus 2*. With a career spanning several decades, Fletcher's work has left a lasting impact on both the dance film genre and romantic comedies, showcasing her versatility and creativity as a filmmaker.
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Subject Terms
Anne Fletcher
Director, choreographer
- Born: May 1, 1966
- Place of Birth: Detroit, Michigan
Contribution: Anne Fletcher is a director, choreographer, and actor best known for her films Step Up (2006), 27 Dresses (2008), The Proposal (2009), and Hocus Pocus 2 (2023), as well as the dozens of films she has choreographed.
Background
Anne Fletcher was born on May 1, 1966, in Detroit, Michigan. At a young age she showed a passion for dance and by the time she was thirteen, she was teaching dance classes. She began her professional career at fifteen when she appeared on the television show Salute to the Superstars.
After graduating from high school in 1984, Fletcher moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue her dance career. She trained under well-known choreographers and dancers Joe Tremaine and Jeff Andrews and also appeared as a dancer on several television shows, including the miniseries War and Remembrance (1988).
Fletcher also appeared in several music videos, including the video for “City of Crime,” which was on the soundtrack for Dragnet (1987) starring Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd. Following this, Fletcher appeared as a dancer in several films, making her debut in The Mask (1994), followed by The Flintstones (1994). She was also assistant choreographer on these films alongside Adam Shankman.
Career
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Fletcher quickly became one of the most sought-after choreographers in film and television. She choreographed a variety of projects, including the Academy Award–nominated film Boogie Nights (1997); the animated film Antz (1998); Dudley Do-Right (1999), in which she also appeared as a dancer; and The Wedding Planner (2001). On television, she helped choreograph several series, including Grosse Pointe (2000), one episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2001), and Six Feet Under (2001–05).
Fletcher continued to be in demand throughout the 2000s, and in 2006 she made her directorial debut with the dance/romance film Step Up. The film follows the romance between a disadvantaged dancer named Tyler Gage (Channing Tatum) and modern dancer Nora Clark (Jenna Dewan-Tatum). Fletcher has stated that in working as a choreographer for over ten years, she was able to observe directors and learn from watching how they incorporated her dance sequences into their films. This, Fletcher believes, allowed her to decide the ways she would approach the characters in Step Up.
The film, which had an estimated budget of $12 million, brought in more than $65 million at the box office. The success of the film spurred several sequels, including Step Up 2: The Streets (2008), on which Fletcher was executive producer, and Step Up 3D, which Fletcher also executive produced.
For her second directorial effort, Fletcher wanted to progress away from the dance genre. She used connections she made during her years of choreography work to get the job directing the romantic comedy 27 Dresses (2008). Fletcher, who had done some improvisational comedy in the past, believed her sense of comedic timing would help her successfully transition to the genre. The film, about a perennial bridesmaid who longs to get married, was a box office hit and earned more than $160 million.
The following year, Fletcher directed the romantic comedy The Proposal (2009), starring Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. The film has an infamous nude scene, in which the two actors run into each other in the buff. Fletcher convinced them to really film it nude and then used her staging and choreography skills to ensure no graphic images are actually caught by the camera. While the film received mixed reviews, it was a box office success, taking in over $300 million.
Her next film, The Guilt Trip (2012), starring Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen, did not fare as well in theaters. It had a budget of $40 million and took in $41 million worldwide at the box office. Her next films were Hot Pursuit (2015) starring Reese Witherspoon and Sofía Vergara, followed by Dumplin' (2018), starring Danielle Macdonald and Jennifer Aniston.
In the 2020s, Fletcher directed episodes of the popular TV series This Is Us and Love, Victor. In 2022, she helmed the Disney+ film Hocus Pocus 2, a sequel to the beloved 1993 original.
Impact
After being one of the most sought-after choreographers in the movie business, Fletcher took her years of experience and became a successful director. She helped revitalize the dance film genre with her directorial debut Step Up, despite having only directed one film. Fletcher continued to be a sought-after filmmaker after her transition to the romantic comedy genre.
Bibliography
"Anne Fletcher." IMDb, 2024, www.imdb.com/name/nm0281945/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.
Fish, Marnie. “From Dancer to Director.” DanceSpirit, 1 June 2010, dancespirit.com/from‗dancer‗to‗director‗anne‗fletcher/#gsc.tab=0. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.
Rochlin, Margy. “All the Right Moves.” Director’s Guild of America, Fall 2010, www.dga.org/Craft/DGAQ/All-Articles/1003-Fall-2010/Profile--Anne-Fletcher. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.
Ryan, Mike. “Anne Fletcher, ‘The Guilt Trip’ Director, on the Success of ‘The Proposal’ and Why Channing Tatum Is Her Baby.” Huffington Post, 20 Dec. 2012, www.huffpost.com/entry/anne-fletcher-the-guilt-trip‗n‗2339302. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.