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 ... (Producer)

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)
Boundless as Self
A Complicated Story ... (Executive Producer)

2012

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

2011

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

2010

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

2009

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

2008

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

2007

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

2006

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

2005

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

2004

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

2003

PTU ... (Director)
Running on Karma ... (Director)
1:99 Shorts ... (Director)
Looking for Mr. Perfect ... (Producer)
Love Under the Sun ... (Producer)
Turn Left, Turn Right ... (Director)
Love for All Seasons ... (Director)
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)
Grit & Polish: Heroines from Hong Kong as Self
Hong Kong Superstars as Self
Gimme Gimme ... (Producer)

2000

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

1999

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

1998

1997

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

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

1992

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

1991

1990

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

1989

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

1988

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

1987

Magnificent Warriors ... (Second Unit Director)
Seven Years Itch ... (Director)

1986

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

1985

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