Joel Schumacher was one of a handful of "It" directors in the late 80s. Originally focused on a career in fashion design, he fell in love with filmmaking and moved to Los Angeles to work as a costume designer. However, it was his directing work, while studying in the MFA program at UCLA, that began to gain attention. Throughout much of the 80s, he was a virtual solo hit machine, somehow managing to satisfy both audiences and critics with each movie. The 1985 film, "St. Elmo's Fire", which he both wrote and directed, is considered, by many critics, to be the quintessential 80s film. The project starred a slew of young actors who went on to bigger careers, including Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Andrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson, Andie MacDowell, and Mare Winningham, among many others. He followed that success with such films as, "The Lost Boys", "Flatliners", "Dying Young", "The Client", "Batman Forever", "A Time to Kill", "Tigerland", "Phone Booth", and "The Phantom of the Opera". Most recently, he has been directing smaller, more independent projects, such as "The Number 23″ and "Trespass". Now in his mid-70s, he seems to be actively slowing down. His recent decision to sell his massive home in California, is further indication that he is stepping away from the spotlight.
Joel Schumacher's house sits on 5 acres of land in Carpinteria, California. It was designed by famed architect Don Nulty, and much of the home was built using repurposed wood from 200-year old barns. The main house features three bedrooms, a massive living room with an open beam ceiling and an office on the second story, a large eat-in kitchen with a fireplace, a dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows, and a library. Joel Schumacher's house also features a guest suite inside the main house, and a second separate guest house with two more bedrooms. Outside of the custom-built mansion, there is a large swimming pool, a patio, and extensive grounds for exploring. Joel Schumacher's house is on the market for $7.25 million. The home is gorgeous and has been featured in multiple publications, such as Architectural Digest. Odds are, he won't have to wait long before some up-and-coming director snaps it up.
Read more: Joel Schumacher's House: The Most Successful Director of the 80s Starts Downsizing