# Raja Gosnell

Raja Raymond Gosnell (born December 9, 1958) is an American film editor and director. He is known for directing comedies and family films. Among his best known works are Never Been Kissed (1999), Big Momma's House (2000), the two Scooby-Doo movies (2002 and 2004), Home Alone 3 (1997), Yours, Mine & Ours (2005), and two Smurfs movies (2011 and 2013).

## Early life

Gosnell is named after his father's friend Raja Mohideen. He was born in Los Angeles, California on December 9, 1958.

## Career

Gosnell's career started in 1980 when he worked with director Robert Altman as an assistant editor on Popeye. His first solo credit as an editor was on the film The Silence. Afterward, Gosnell would serve as editor on a number of films, including Teen Wolf Too, Pretty Woman, and Rookie of the Year.
He is also known for his collaboration with director Chris Columbus, for whom he edited the films Home Alone (1990), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), and Mrs. Doubtfire (1993).
Gosnell made his directorial debut with Home Alone 3 after learning writer and producer John Hughes was looking for a director for the project. Afterwards, he went on to direct more theatrical films, including Never Been Kissed (1999), Big Momma's House (2000), Scooby-Doo (2002), Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008), and The Smurfs (2011) and its sequel, The Smurfs 2 (2013). While many of his films have been met with poor reception from critics, they have generally been very successful at the box office. In 2021, Gosnell co-directed his son, Bradley, in Gun and a Hotel Bible alongside Alicia Joy LeBlanc.

## Filmography

Director
Key :
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1997 | Home Alone 3 | |
| 1999 | Never Been Kissed | |
| 2000 | Big Momma's House | |
| 2002 | Scooby-Doo | |
| 2004 | Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed | |
| 2005 | Yours, Mine & Ours | |
| 2008 | Beverly Hills Chihuahua | |
| 2011 | The Smurfs | |
| 2013 | The Smurfs 2 | |
| 2018 | Show Dogs | |
| 2021 | Gun and a Hotel Bible | Co-directed with Alicia Joy LeBlanc |
| TBA | Santa: The Adventure Begins† | |
Executive producer
* Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017)
* Show Dogs (2018)
Editor
| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1978 | Remember My Name | Assistant editor |
| 1979 | Quintet | Assistant editor (Credited as Raja R. Gosnell) |
| 1979 | A Perfect Couple | Assistant film editor |
| 1980 | Health | Assistant editor (Credited as Raja R. Gosnell) |
| 1980 | Popeye | Assistant editor (Credited as Raja R. Gosnell) |
| 1982 | Making Love | Assistant editor (Credited as Raja R. Gosnell) |
| 1983 | Yellowbeard | Assistant editor (Credited as Raja R. Gosnell) |
| 1984 | The Lonely Guy | |
| 1986 | Monster in the Closet | |
| 1986 | Weekend Warriors | |
| 1986 | The Return of Billy Jack | Unfinished |
| 1987 | Teen Wolf Too | |
| 1987 | Good Morning, Vietnam | Additional editor |
| 1988 | D.O.A. | |
| 1988 | Heartbreak Hotel | |
| 1990 | Pretty Woman | |
| 1990 | Home Alone | |
| 1991 | My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys | Editor (Rodeo sequence) |
| 1991 | Only the Lonely | |
| 1992 | Home Alone 2: Lost in New York | |
| 1993 | Rookie of the Year | |
| 1993 | Mrs. Doubtfire | |
| 1994 | Exit to Eden | Additional film editor |
| 1994 | Miracle on 34th Street | |
| 1995 | Nine Months | |