Roland Emmerich is a German film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is widely known for his science fiction and disaster films and has been called a "master of disaster" within the industry. His films, most of which are English-language Hollywood productions, have made more than $3 billion worldwide, including just over $1 billion in the United States, making him the country's 15th-highest-grossing director of all time. He began his work in the film industry by directing the film
The Noah's Ark Principle (1984) as part of his university thesis and also co-founded Centropolis Entertainment in 1985 with his sister. He is also known for directing films such as
Universal Soldier (1992),
Stargate (1994),
Independence Day (1996) and its sequel
Independence Day: Resurgence (2016),
Godzilla (1998),
The Patriot (2000),
The Day After Tomorrow (2004),
10,000 BC (2008),
2012 (2009),
White House Down (2013),
Midway (2019), and
Moonfall (2022). He is a collector of art and an LGBT activist, and is openly gay.