Cannon began making films at the age of 16 in 1984, and started a youth experimental theatre group at 33 Arts Centre. Using the centre's facilities, he was a prolific Director of video dramas and collaborated with a number of other Directors in different roles including cameraman. A major influence was the centre's video maker, Dermot Byrne, with whom Cannon worked on a number of projects. It was at 33 that he met the Future film Composer David Arnold who played in a band that rehearsed there. Cannon convinced Arnold that he could compose soundtracks for his and other people's videos. Arnold would later compose his first professional score for Cannon's debut feature 'The Young Americans'.
In 1987, he was awarded the BBC Young Filmmaker of the Year Award by Alan Parker for a 40-minute short called Sometimes. Parker suggested he attend National Film and Television School in 1988, from which he graduated in 1990. His intermediate film, 'Play Dead' was screened on channel 4, a rare honor for a student still at the school. He then wrote and directed his graduation film Strangers (1990) which premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival.
Cannon's professional career began with adverts for James Garrett and later RSA. This led to his debut feature The Young Americans (1993), he signed on to direct the big-budget film Judge Dredd (1995), starring Sylvester Stallone, which was poorly received by critics and audiences alike. Since then he has also directed Phoenix (1998) and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998), the latter of which was also poorly received by critics but still financially successful.
John Danny Cannon has been married to Nicole Suzanne Freeman from 1997 divorced 2017 they have 2 children, Cannon plays football regularly with Hollywood United F.C., a team consisting of mostly celebrities and former professional footballers, who occasionally play against professional teams for friendly matches and charity events.
Beginning in 2000, he has directed and produced the pilot for CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He stayed on as an executive Producer and went on to write and direct many more episodes. In 2003, he directed the pilot to CSI: Miami, and in 2004 directed the pilot to CSI: New York.
In 2005, he directed the poorly-received soccer film Goal!.
He directed a 2006 CBS television pilot, Capital Law, about a group of legal associates trying to make partner at a powerful Washington, D.C.–based law firm. In 2007 Cannon co-created TNT's crime drama series starring Dylan McDermott called Dark Blue. Cannon also directed the pilot episode for Dark Blue. In 2008, he produced and directed 'The Eleventh Hour' for CBS which ran for one season.
In 2011, Cannon executive produced and directed the pilot for the poorly-received FOX crime/mystery series Alcatraz for J. J. Abrams and WBTV.
In 2014 Cannon directed the pilot for the series Gotham, for which he is an executive Producer. The pilot was then ordered to series. Like CSI, it is a series he also writes for.
