Johnnie To

Born: 1955-04-22 in Hong Kong, British Crown Colony [now China]

Known For: Directing

Biography

Johnnie To Kei-Fung (Chinese: 杜琪峯, born 22 April 1955) is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Popular in his native Hong Kong, To has also found acclaim overseas. Intensely prolific, To has made films in a variety of genres, though in the West he is best known for his action and crime movies, which have earned him critical respect and a cult following. His films, often made in collaboration with the same group of actors, screenwriters and cinematographers, frequently explore themes of friendship, fate and the changing face of Hong Kong society. Sometimes described as "multifaceted and chameleonic" due to his ability to switch tones and genres between movies, To is nonetheless seen as having a consistent style, which involves mixing subdued realism and social observation with highly stylized visual and acting elements. To heads the Hong Kong-based production company Milkyway Image with his frequent co-director Wai Ka-Fai.

Filmography

2025

What If ... (Producer)

2023

Mad Fate ... (Producer)

2022

Septet: The Story of Hong Kong ... (Director)

2019

Chasing Dream ... (Director)

2018

A or B ... (Producer)

2017

In the Mood for Melville as Self

2016

Three as Wong Superintendent (voice)
Trivisa ... (Producer)
The Weaving of a Dream: Johnnie To's Vision and Craft as Self

2015

Office ... (Director)

2014

Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2 ... (Director)

2013

Blind Detective ... (Director)
A Complicated Story ... (Executive Producer)
Boundless as Self

2012

Drug War ... (Director)
Motorway ... (Producer)
Romancing in Thin Air ... (Director)

2011

Punished ... (Producer)
Don't Go Breaking My Heart ... (Director)
Life Without Principle ... (Director)

2010

Code Name: Melville as Self
Johnnie Got His Gun! as Himself

2009

Vengeance ... (Director)
Tactical Unit - Partners ... (Producer)
Tactical Unit: Comrades in Arms ... (Producer)
Accident ... (Producer)
Newsmakers ... (Original Film Writer)

2008

Tactical Unit - The Code ... (Producer)
Sparrow ... (Director)
Tactical Unit - No Way Out ... (Producer)
Tactical Unit - Human Nature ... (Producer)
Linger ... (Director)

2007

Eye in the Sky ... (Producer)
Mad Detective ... (Director)
Triangle ... (Director)
Hooked on You ... (Producer)

2006

Exiled ... (Director)
2 Become 1 ... (Producer)
Election 2 ... (Director)

2005

Election ... (Director)
The Open Road ... (Director)

2004

Throw Down ... (Director)
Yesterday Once More ... (Director)
Breaking News ... (Director)
Katanas, yakuzas y cintas de video as (archive footage)

2003

PTU ... (Director)
Running on Karma ... (Director)
Turn Left, Turn Right ... (Director)
Love for All Seasons ... (Director)
Love Under the Sun ... (Producer)
1:99 Shorts ... (Director)
Looking for Mr. Perfect ... (Producer)
Memory of the Youth ... (Producer)

2002

Fat Choi Spirit ... (Director)
My Left Eye Sees Ghosts ... (Director)
Second Time Around ... (Producer)

2001

Running Out of Time 2 ... (Producer)
Fulltime Killer ... (Director)
Love on a Diet ... (Director)
Wu Yen ... (Producer)
Gimme Gimme ... (Producer)
Hong Kong Superstars as Self
Grit & Polish: Heroines from Hong Kong as Self

2000

Needing You... ... (Director)
Help!!! ... (Director)
Comeuppance ... (Producer)
Spacked Out ... (Producer)

1999

Running Out of Time ... (Director)
The Mission ... (Director)
Where a Good Man Goes ... (Director)
Sealed with a Kiss ... (Producer)

1998

1997

Too Many Ways to Be No. 1 ... (Producer)
Final Justice ... (Producer)
The Odd One Dies ... (Producer)
Lifeline ... (Director)
Intruder ... (Producer)

1996

A Moment of Romance III ... (Director)
Beyond Hypothermia ... (Producer)

1995

Only Fools Fall in Love ... (Producer)
Loving You ... (Director)
Fatal Assignment ... (Producer)
Dead End ... (Producer)

1994

The Lone Sabre ... (Producer)

1993

A Moment of Romance II ... (Producer)
Heroic Trio 2: Executioners ... (Producer)
The Bare-Footed Kid ... (Director)
The Mad Monk ... (Director)
Edge of Justice ... (Producer)
The Heroic Trio ... (Director)

1992

Iron Butterfly III: Tomorrow ... (Producer)
Justice, My Foot! ... (Director)
Lucky Encounter ... (Director)

1991

1990

The Iron Butterfly II
A Moment of Romance ... (Producer)
The Fun, the Luck & the Tycoon ... (Director)
Behind Bars ... (Director)
The Story of My Son ... (Director)

1989

All About Ah-Long ... (Director)
Story of Nam ... (Producer)
The Iron Butterfly ... (Director)
The Vampire Strikes Back ... (Director)

1988

The Big Heat ... (Director)
The Eighth Happiness ... (Director)
It's No Heaven as Club Patron
The Betrayal ... (Director)

1987

Seven Years Itch ... (Director)
Magnificent Warriors ... (Assistant Director)

1986

Royal Warriors ... (Assistant Director)
New Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre ... (Director)
Happy Ghost III ... (Director)

1985

It's a Drink! It's a Bomb! ... (Assistant Director)
The Yang's Saga ... (Director)