Jonathan King wrote and directed Black Sheep in 2005. The film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival, went on to sell to more than 50 countries and is among New Zealand's highest grossing films internationally.

The cast included Oliver Driver and Nathan Meister, who both feature in Under the Mountain, and the project established King's relationship with Weta Workshop, whose effects for the comedy-horror won Best Make Up at the NZ Film Awards.

In 2007 King and Matthew Grainger wrote The Tattooist, directed by Peter Burger and released in the USA by Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures. The pair collaborated again on the screenplay Under the Mountain and have future projects in development.

Before the release of his first feature, King had made short films, TV commercials and more than 100 New Zealand music video clips.