Why the Woolly Mammoth Startup Felt It Needed to Hire a Hollywood Director

A while back, Thomas Tull, billionaire Hollywood mogul turned venture capitalist, invited a group of friends to a rodeo in Dallas. One of those people was Ben Lamm, co-founder of Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based startup backed by Tull that hopes to resurrect the woolly mammoth. Another was Mike Dougherty, a director who has made several movies with Tull, including one of the latest Godzilla pictures and the cult-favorite anthology tale “Trick ’r Treat.”

Dougherty is a passionate sci-fi nerd—“Comic-Con and horror conventions are the only two places I’m recognized,” he said—and he and Lamm hit it off. Then about a year ago, Lamm made Dougherty an offer: Would he want to come work for Lamm? Dougherty quickly agreed.