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Michael Gracey

Michael Gracey is an Australian filmmaker and visual effects artist best known for directing The Greatest Showman.

Michael Gracey

Filmmaker, visual effects artist

1997–present

The Greatest Showman

Early life and career[edit]

Gracey grew up in Melbourne – in Carlton then Kew – then started working in visual effects and music videos before making his reputation in advertising, gaining a name for with his Christmas commercials in the UK and US.[1]

Career[edit]

Gracey made his feature directorial debut in 2017 with The Greatest Showman starring Hugh Jackman as P. T. Barnum.[2][3]


Gracey was also slated to direct an adaptation of manga series Naruto,[4] but was replaced by Destin Daniel Cretton,[5] and an adaptation of the novel Daughter of Smoke and Bone,[6] which fell in development hell. Gracey worked for 2 years at animation and visual effects studio Animal Logic from 1994 to 1996 as an animator and visual effects compositor.


In 2022, Gracey directed a short film for Tourism Australia, G'Day, starring Rose Byrne and Will Arnett, with cameos from Hamish Blake & Andy Lee.[7] The commercial is the salient feature of the 'Come and Say G’day' campaign.[8]


Gracey is a member of the Australian production company: FINCH.[9]

at IMDb

Michael Gracey

Profile at Partizan production company

Profile at Moth Projects