Honestly, if you've ever found yourself sobbing uncontrollably into a bowl of popcorn on a Tuesday night, there is a very high probability that Dan Fogelman is the man to blame. He’s the architect of the emotional gut-punch. Whether it’s through the intergenerational trauma of the Pearson family or the animated charm of a golden-haired princess, Fogelman has spent the last two decades perfecting the art of the "good cry."
But there is more to his filmography than just leaky faucets and heavy-duty tissues.
From the high-octane world of Pixar to the high-stakes political bunkers of 2025, the evolution of dan fogelman movies and shows is actually a pretty wild ride. Most people know him as the This Is Us guy, but his fingerprints are all over some of the biggest blockbusters of the 2000s.
The Pixar Years and the Secret Sauce of Sincerity
It’s kinda weird to think about, but the guy who made you weep over a slow-cooker fire also wrote the screenplay for Cars. Yeah, the talking cars movie. In 2006, Fogelman was a young writer who landed a two-week contract with Pixar that just... never ended.
He didn't go to film school. He’s been very open about feeling like an imposter early on, but that lack of "formal" training is probably why his stuff feels so human. He doesn't write like an academic; he writes like a guy who loves his mom.
Speaking of moms, his 2012 film The Guilt Trip, starring Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand, was based on a real-life road trip he took with his own mother. It’s that blend of hyper-specific reality and universal emotion that defines his best work. You see it in Bolt (2008) and Tangled (2010), too. While other animated movies were leaning into snarky, Shrek-style pop culture references, Fogelman’s scripts leaned into sincerity.
Tangled isn't just a fairy tale; it’s a story about gaslighting and the terrifying leap of leaving home. It’s heavy stuff disguised as a Disney musical.
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The Big Live-Action Break
Then came 2011’s Crazy, Stupid, Love. This is arguably the movie that proved Fogelman could juggle multiple storylines without dropping the ball. You’ve got Steve Carell’s heartbreak, Ryan Gosling’s abs, and that massive twist at the backyard graduation party that no one saw coming.
It was a masterclass in structure.
He followed that up with his directorial debut, Danny Collins (2015), where Al Pacino plays an aging rock star who discovers a 40-year-old letter from John Lennon. It’s a small, quiet movie, but it hits those familiar Fogelman notes: regret, family, and the hope that it’s never too late to fix your life.
The Era of This Is Us and Network TV Domination
We have to talk about the Pearsons. We just have to.
When This Is Us premiered in 2016, network television was supposed to be dead. HBO and Netflix were winning all the Emmys, and everyone was obsessed with anti-heroes like Walter White. Then Fogelman showed up with a show about a family that actually liked each other. Mostly.
The pilot is still a legendary piece of writing. The way it hides the timeline reveal—showing you that the "past" and "present" are happening simultaneously—set the tone for six seasons of non-linear storytelling.
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It was a massive hit. Like, 15 million viewers a week massive.
Why It Worked (and Why People Hated to Love It)
Some critics called it "emotional pornography" or "trauma porn." They weren't entirely wrong, but they missed the point. Fogelman’s genius isn't just in making you sad; it's in the way he uses small details to build a massive payoff. He’s obsessed with the "white noise" of life—the things parents say to their kids that echo for forty years.
He also wasn't afraid to take big swings. Look at Galavant (2015). A musical comedy series about a knight? On ABC? It was weird, it was niche, and it only lasted two seasons, but it has a massive cult following now. The same goes for Pitch (2016), the show about the first woman in Major League Baseball. Fogelman has this habit of creating shows that feel incredibly personal even when they’re about high-concept premises.
Looking Forward: Paradise and the 2026 Slate
If you thought he was done after the Pearsons said goodbye, you haven't been paying attention to Hulu lately.
In early 2025, Fogelman pivoted hard with Paradise. If This Is Us was a warm hug, Paradise is a cold shower in a dark room. Starring Sterling K. Brown (reuniting with his old boss), it’s a post-apocalyptic political thriller set in a high-tech bunker in Colorado.
The first season was a massive success, earning an Emmy nod for Outstanding Drama. It’s a total departure from his usual "feel-good" vibes, dealing with a murdered President (played by James Marsden) and a conspiracy that goes deeper than the bunker itself.
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What’s Coming in 2026?
We’re currently looking at a very busy year for Fogelman.
- Paradise Season 2: Set to premiere on February 23, 2026. The stakes are reportedly even higher, focusing on what happens when the "perfect" society in the bunker starts to cannibalize itself.
- The Untitled NFL Project: This is the big one. Fogelman is reuniting with Mandy Moore for a generational family drama set in the world of professional football. Moore plays Lauren, the daughter of an NFL team owner (William H. Macy). It’s basically This Is Us meets Succession, and honestly? I’m here for it.
- Only Murders in the Building: While he didn't create it, Fogelman remains an executive producer. As the show enters its later seasons in 2026, his influence on the "found family" dynamics and the emotional beats remains obvious.
How to Watch Dan Fogelman’s Work Like a Pro
If you’re trying to navigate the messy web of dan fogelman movies and shows, you can basically categorize them into three "moods."
If you want to feel inspired and maybe a little nostalgic, stick to the early Disney/Pixar years. Cars and Tangled are the foundations.
If you want to analyze human relationships and probably call your dad afterward, you go for the "Middle Era." Crazy, Stupid, Love and the first three seasons of This Is Us are the peak of this style.
If you want something darker and more modern, the "Hulu Era" is where it’s at. Paradise is the leading edge of this shift.
The biggest takeaway from Fogelman’s career isn't just the awards or the box office numbers. It’s the fact that he consistently bets on the audience's intelligence. He assumes you can handle multiple timelines. He assumes you can care about a talking dog and a grieving father at the same time.
To dive deeper into his world, start by revisiting the This Is Us pilot, then jump straight into the first season of Paradise to see how much his perspective has shifted over the last decade. Pay close attention to how he uses music—Siddhartha Khosla has been his secret weapon for years, and their collaboration is what usually pushes those emotional scenes over the edge. Stay tuned for the Paradise Season 2 premiere in February to see if he can pull off the transition from family man to thriller mastermind.