Kitao Sakurai is an Emmy-nominated writer, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known as the principal director and creative force behind all six seasons of The Eric Andre Show. Kitao also co-wrote and directed the hidden-camera comedy Bad Trip, which became Netflix’s #1 most-watched comedy upon release. His television work includes directing two episodes of the Emmy-nominated Beef Season 2, four episodes of Twisted Metal (including the pilot) for Sony/Peacock, episodes of Dave Season 2, and the Season 3 finale of Dave with Brad Pitt for FX. He co-created and directed the award-winning short film The Passage. Kitao’s most recent project is Legendary’s live-action Street Fighter movie, set for release in October 2026.
On the commercial side, Kitao creates memorable and comedic ads for global brands like McDonald’s, Hulu, Mailchimp, DoorDash, SAXX, including a long-standing creative relationship with Verizon. He has directed four Super Bowl commercials: McDonald’s “Can I Get Uhhhhhh” and Gopuff’s “The Gopuff Quartertime Show ft. Lil Dicky” in 2022, as well as DoorDash’s “We Get Groceries” and Busch Light’s “The Busch Guide” starring Sarah McLachlan.
