Film Career: Triumphs and Trials

Shapiro’s breakthrough came with Robin Hood: Men in Tights, a spec script he sold to 20th Century Fox and Brooksfilms. This irreverent comedy, rated 4.8 stars on Amazon, became a cult classic. Shapiro was instrumental in its production, from casting Cary Elwes as Robin Hood and a then-unknown Dave Chappelle as Achoo to contributing to set design and wardrobe. Mel Brooks praised him, saying, “JD Shapiro is one of the most amazing comedy minds I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.” Margot Robbie also named it her childhood favorite, watching it “fifty times.”

Shapiro’s versatility shone in We Married Margo, where he wrote, directed, and acted, earning a 6.7 IMDb rating and the Audience Award for Best Movie at the HBO Comedy Festival. His work on Battlefield Earth, however, was less successful. Hired by MGM to adapt L. Ron Hubbard’s novel, Shapiro wrote a script that attracted John Travolta as the protagonist. Creative differences led to his dismissal during pre-production, and the final film, based on another writer’s script, flopped, sweeping the Golden Raspberry Awards. Shapiro’s gracious acceptance of the Razzie for Worst Screenplay of the Decade a decade later highlighted his ability to embrace setbacks with humor.

From 2002 to 2015, Shapiro partnered with Stan Lee, co-creating projects like The NFL Defenders, a superhero team tied to NFL franchises, and U-Man, an alternative superhero whose public coming-out stirred debate. Lee called Shapiro “the Iron Man of comedy.” More recently, Shapiro co-directed and wrote Eva’s Comet with Alfonso Antolín, a short film about two contrasting women whose intertwined lives bridge political divides. The film won multiple awards, showcasing Shapiro’s knack for witty, empathetic storytelling.