Randal Kleiser has been an internationally known film director since the release of his first feature, Grease (1978), the most successful movie musical ever made. Other features include Le lagon bleu (1980) with Brooke Shields, Amours de vacances (1982) starring Peter Gallagher and Daryl Hannah, Grandview, U.S.A. (1984) with Jamie Lee Curtis, Flight of the Navigator (1986), featuring the first use of digital morphing in a motion picture; Chérie, j'ai agrandi le bébé (1992) and Croc-Blanc (1991). In London he directed the critically acclaimed comedy Getting It Right (1989) starring Lynn Redgrave, Helena Bonham Carter, Jane Horrocks and Sir John Gielgud. In 1996 he wrote and directed It's My Party (1996) starring Eric Roberts, Gregory Harrison, Lee Grant, Bruce Davison and Marlee Matlin.
As a writer-producer, he was responsible for the surfing classic North Shore (1987) for Universal Pictures. He also directed the thriller La dernière preuve (1998) with Melanie Griffith and Tom Berenger. Working in 70mm 3-D, he directed Chérie, j'ai rétréci le public (1994), which drew record crowds at the Disney Theme Parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Tokyo and Paris. His television movies include L'enfant bulle (1976) with John Travolta; the Emmy Award-winning The Gathering (1977) and Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway (1976).
As a freshman at USC, he appeared in George Lucas' first student film, Freiheit (1966). Kleiser's award-winning Master's thesis film, Peege (1973), launched his professional career. He has taught a graduate production workshop at USC and Master Directing Classes for European students at film festivals in Deauville and Sarlat, and Malaga. Kleiser serves as a judge on the Student Awards for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and as chairman of the Academic Subcommittee for the Directors Guild of America, he inaugurated a videoconferencing program to connect film classes with working directors. Working with the Graphics Lab at USC's Institute for Creative Technologies, Kleiser has co-invented a digital Cinerama-like process called Vistarama HD and developed "Silver Metal Lover" for Dimension Pictures. In 2005 he directed Amanda Bynes for L'amour à la dérive (2005), shot in the Caribbean. Two years later Kleiser came up with an original musical movie shot on virtual sets, Red Riding Hood (2006), starring Joey Fatone and Lainie Kazan.
Kleiser has spent several years working with George Lucas to create The Nina Foch Project, an instructional video for aspiring actors, writers and filmmakers. Kleiser was heavily influenced by Nina Foch's teachings during his time at USC and maintained a relationship with Foch as his mentor throughout his career. In 2014, he directed his first play: "The Penis Chronicles" written by Tom Yewell.
