John Woo
Born: 1946-09-22 in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Known For: Directing
Biography
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard Boiled and Red Cliff. His Hollywood films include Hard Target, Broken Arrow, Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2. He also created the comic series Seven Brothers, published by Virgin Comics. Woo was described by Dave Kehr in The Observer in 2002 as "arguably the most influential director making movies today". Woo cites his three favorite films as David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samouraï.
Filmography
2024
- The Killer ... (Director)
2023
- Silent Night ... (Producer)
2022
- The King of Wuxia Part 2 as Self
- The King of Wuxia Part 1 as Self
2021
- Life in 24 Frames a Second as Self
2017
- Manhunt ... (Director)
- John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
2016
- Ken San as Self
2015
- The Crossing II ... (Director)
2014
- The Crossing I ... (Director)
- Breaking the Waves ... (Executive Producer)
2012
- Voice
- Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale ... (Producer)
2011
- Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 1: The Sun Flag ... (Producer)
- Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 2: The Rainbow Bridge ... (Producer)
- Beginning of the Great Revival as Lin Sen
- Kurosawa's Way as Self
2010
- Reign of Assassins ... (Producer)
- A Better Tomorrow ... (Executive Producer)
- Color Me Love ... (Producer)
2009
- Red Cliff II ... (Screenplay)
- The Founding of a Republic as Liu Wenhui
- How Bruce Lee Changed the World as Self
- My Fair Gentleman ... (Producer)
2008
- Red Cliff ... (Director)
- Team-Up: John Woo and Shinji Aramaki
2007
- Appleseed: Ex Machina ... (Producer)
- Blood Brothers ... (Producer)
- The Light and the Dark: The Making of 'Face/Off' as Self
- Bokura no Jidai
- The Making of Stranglehold ... (Producer)
2006
- Be My Guest
- All the Invisible Children ... (Director)
2005
- A Century of Light and Shadow as Self
2004
- The Robinsons: Lost in Space ... (Director)
- Crossings: John Woo as Self
2003
- Paycheck ... (Director)
- Bulletproof Monk ... (Producer)
- The Master: Chang Cheh Documentary
- Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fu as Self
- Chop Socky: Cinema Hong Kong as Self
- Cinema Hong Kong: Wu Xia as Self
- The Life and Times of Wu Zhong Xian as As himself
2002
- Hostage ... (Director)
- Windtalkers ... (Producer)
- Red Skies ... (Executive Producer)
- The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies as Self - Interviewee
2001
- Mission: Improbable as John Woo
- The Hire ... (Director)
2000
- Mission: Impossible II ... (Director)
1999
- Kurosawa: The Last Emperor as Self
1998
- The Big Hit ... (Executive Producer)
- The Replacement Killers ... (Choreographer)
- Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema as Self
- Blackjack ... (Director)
1997
- Face/Off ... (Director)
- Task Force as Police Chief
1996
- Broken Arrow ... (Director)
- Somebody Up There Likes Me ... (Producer)
- Once a Thief ... (Creator)
- Once a Thief ... (Director)
1995
- Peace Hotel ... (Executive Producer)
- Don't Cry, Nanking ... (Producer)
1994
- Cinema of Vengeance as Self (uncredited)
1993
- Hard Target ... (Director)
- Film ohne Fesseln - Das neue Hongkong Kino as Self
1992
- Hard Boiled as Mr. Woo
- Twin Dragons as Priest
1991
- Once a Thief as Stanley Wu
- The Banquet as Man on Stairs
1990
- Bullet in the Head as Policeman
- Rebel from China as Kwong
1989
- The Killer ... (Director)
- A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon ... (Producer)
- Just Heroes ... (Director)
- Celebrity Talk Show as 吴宇森
- Sunset in Paris as Maggie's uncle
1988
- I Love Maria
- Starry Is the Night as Father Fan
1987
- A Better Tomorrow II ... (Director)
- The Thirty Million Dollar Rush as Ling's Husband
1986
- A Better Tomorrow as Inspector Wu
1985
- Ghost Bustin ... (Producer)
- Happy Union 2
- Super Citizen ... (Producer)
- Run Tiger Run ... (Director)
- Love, Lone Flower
1984
- Heroes Shed No Tears ... (Producer)
- Happy Union ... (Producer)
- The Time You Need a Friend ... (Director)
1982
- To Hell with the Devil ... (Director)
- Plain Jane to the Rescue as Self
1981
- The Idiot Assassin ... (Producer)
1980
- Laughing Times ... (Writer)
- From Riches to Rags as [cameo]
1979
- Last Hurrah for Chivalry ... (Director)
- Itchy Fingers as Triad Boss on Lorry
1978
- Hello, Late Homecomers ... (Director)
- Follow the Star as Miss Chen's Father
1977
- Money Crazy ... (Director)
1976
- Hand of Death as Zhang Yi
- The Private Eyes ... (Producer)
- Princess Chang-Ping ... (Director)
1975
- The Dragon Tamers ... (Director)
1974
- Young Lovers on Flying Wheels as Man at Bike Reclaim Centre
- The Young Dragons as Message Deliverer
1973
- Blood Brothers ... (Assistant Director)
- Fist to Fist ... (Assistant Director)
- The Mandarin
- The Devils ... (Assistant Director)
1972
- The Water Margin ... (Assistant Director)
- Young People ... (Assistant Director)
- The Boxer from Shantung ... (Assistant Director)
- Four Riders ... (Assistant Director)
1970
- The Ruthless Heart ... (Story)
1968
- Dead Knot
- Accidentally as Young Man
1962
- Golden Horse Awards as Self