Rick Rosenthal
(born June 15, 1949) is an American film instructor and director, known for directing Halloween II, Bad Boys, and Halloween: Resurrection.
Rick Rosenthal

Jesse Kornblum · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Rick Rosenthal
- Birth Name
- Richard L.
- Born
- 15 June 1949
- Birthplace
- New York City, U.S.
- Occupation
- * Film director
- Education
- AFI Conservatory
- Full name
- Richard L. Rosenthal and Jr.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Languages
- English.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
(born June 15, 1949) is an American film instructor and director, known for directing Halloween II, Bad Boys, and Halloween: Resurrection.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
Rick Rosenthal (born 1949) is an actor, director and film producer, among other activities, of American nationality. The actor was born in New York City. Rick Rosenthal was educated at AFI Conservatory, Choate Rosemary Hall and Harvard University. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q1384404 · wikipedia · Rick Rosenthal
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Rick Rosenthal • Birth Name — Richard L. Rosenthal Jr. • Born — 15 June 1949 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Occupation — * Film director • film instructor • film historian • television director • producer • Education — AFI Conservatory • Years Active — 1975–present • Children — 3
Early life
Early life
Rosenthal was born in New York City, the son of Hinda (née Gould) and entrepreneur Richard L. Rosenthal Sr.
Career
Career
Rosenthal started his career by directing Halloween II and returned to the series 21 years later, helming Halloween: Resurrection. In between he has directed films such as American Dreamer (1984), Russkies (1987), Distant Thunder (1988) and Just a Little Harmless Sex (1998). He also directed dozens of episodic television shows, and was co-executive producer of the landmark Warner Bros. TV series Life Goes On for ABC from 1989-1991, where he guest starred in two episodes as "Uncle Richard". Rosenthal, along with his wife Nancy Stephens, executive produced the film Invisible Beauty about model and activist Bethann Hardison, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
Personal life
Personal life
Rosenthal met his wife, actress Nancy Stephens, while filming Halloween II.
Television
Television
• Secrets of Midland Heights (1 episode, 1981) • Darkroom (3 episodes, 1981-1982) • Life Goes On (10 episodes, 1989-1991) • Nasty Boys (1989, pilot) • Yesterday Today (1992, unsold pilot) • The Witches of Eastwick (1992, unsold pilot) • Devlin (1992, television film; released theatrically in the Philippines as New York Mob War) • The Birds II: Land's End (1994, television film), credited as Alan Smithee • Early Edition (2 episodes, 1996–1997) • Dellaventura (1 episode, 1997) • The Practice (1 episode, 1997) • Wasteland (1 episode, 1999) • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2 episodes, 1999–2000) • Strong Medicine (1 episode, 2000) • Providence (6 episodes, 2000–2001) • The District (6 episodes, 2001–2003) • Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2 episodes, 2002) • Crossing Jordan (1 episode, 2002) • She Spies (1 episode, 2003) • Smallville (7 episodes, 2003–2008) • Tru Calling (2 episodes, 2004–2005) • Point Pleasant (1 episode, 2005) • Reunion (3 episodes, 2005–2006) • Veronica Mars (1 episode, 2006) • Flash Gordon (1 episode, 2007) • The Dresden Files (1 episode, 2007) • 90210 (1 episode, 2009) • Being Erica (3 episodes, 2009–2010) • Greek (1 episode, 2009) • Mental (1 episode, 2009) • Life on Mars (1 episode, 2009) • Haven (1 episode, 2010) • Drop Dead Diva (1 episode, 2010) • Gigantic (2 episodes, 2010) • Shattered (2 episodes, 2010) • Beauty & the Beast (1 episode, 2013)
Identity
Identity
Rick Rosenthal is recorded with the occupation film producer. Recorded as director, screenwriter, actor and film producer. Recorded at birth as Richard L.

Rick Rosenthal Anna Fitch Nancy Stephens Banker White at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 2026
Jesse Kornblum

Rick Rosenthal Anna Fitch Nancy Stephens Banker White at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 2026
Jesse Kornblum
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1949
Rick Rosenthal was born on 15 June 1949.
Film
• Halloween II (1981) • Bad Boys (1983) • American Dreamer (1984) • Russkies (1987) • Distant Thunder (1988) • Just a Little Harmless Sex (1998) • Halloween: Resurrection (2002) • Nearing Grace (2005) • Drones (2013)
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Rick Rosenthal”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q1384404: Rick Rosenthal
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Rick Rosenthal Biography. filmreference.com.
- 2.Invisible Beauty. festival.sundance.org.
- 3.Matthew Carey. Magnolia Pictures Acquires 'Invisible Beauty'; Doc About Pioneering African American Model Bethann Hardison Features Zendaya, Naomi Campbell. Deadline. July 18, 2023.
- 4.British Film Institute. Devlin (1992). BFI.
- 5.Kamahalan Publishing Corp. Opens April 02!. Manila Standard. 18. March 27, 1994.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
People, houses and institutions
Knowledge graph
People, houses and institutions
Teachers, collaborators, publishers and institutions recorded against this person, each on a stated basis.
Studied at
2- AFI ConservatoryOrganisation
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
- Choate Rosemary HallOrganisation
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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