BenDavid Grabinski
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BenDavid Thomas Grabinski (born February 12, 1983) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer and television showrunner. His directorial debut was the 2021 comedy thriller film Happily starring Joel McHale and Kerry Bishé. He wrote and directed the 2026 buddy comedy film Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice starring Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, and Eiza González which headlined the 2026 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival on March 14, 2026 and is distributed by Hulu.
Early life
Grabinski was born on February 12, 1983, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Growing up, his only interest was in becoming a film director. He graduated from Grinnell High School in Grinnell, Iowa and studied journalism at Iowa State University.
Career
He moved to Los Angeles in 2005; that same year he optioned his first script. His script The How-To Guide for Saving the World appeared on the 2008 Black List, a list of highly regarded but unproduced screenplays as voted on by industry members, and optioned to MGM with Barry Sonnenfeld directing.
In 2011, Grabinski wrote and directed a short film titled Cost of Living starring Brandon Routh. Routh was cast as a result of losing a bet.
He worked for Warner Bros. on the script for the Adventure Time movie and his spec script Bravado sold to Paramount in 2016. He is a member of both the Writers Guild of America West and the Directors Guild of America and is represented by WME.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Cost of Living | Yes | Yes | No | Short |
| 2016 | Skiptrace | No | Yes | No | |
| 2021 | Happily | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2026 | Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice | Yes | Yes | Executive | |
| Coyote vs. Acme | No | Uncredited | No | Additional literary material | |
| TBA | Hex | No | Yes | Executive |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Enormous | Yes | No | No | |
| 2019 | Are You Afraid of the Dark? | No | Yes | Showrunner | Developed by |
| 2023 | Scott Pilgrim Takes Off | No | Yes | Yes | Created for television by |
External links
- at IMDb
- at Letterboxd