Directors of Fantasy films

1. Robert Stevenson

Robert Stevenson was born on March 31, 1905 in Buxton, Derbyshire, England, UK. He was a director and writer, known for Mary Poppins (1964), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) and Nine Days a Queen (1936). He was married to Ursula Henderson, Frances Holyoke Howard, Anna Lee and Cecilie L Leslie. He ...

Mary Poppins (1964) The Gnome-Mobile (1967) Love Bug, The (1968) Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)

2. Tim Burton

Producer | Edward Scissorhands

Timothy Walter Burton was born in Burbank, California, to Jean Rae (Erickson), who owned a cat-themed gift shop, and William Reed Burton, who worked for the Burbank Park and Recreation Department. He spent most of his childhood as a recluse, drawing cartoons, and watching old movies (he was ...

Beetlejuice (1988) Edward Scissorhands (1990) Big fish (2003) Alice in wonderland (2010)

3. Guillermo del Toro

Writer | El laberinto del fauno

Guillermo del Toro was born October 9, 1964 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Raised by his Catholic grandmother, del Toro developed an interest in filmmaking in his early teens. Later, he learned about makeup and effects from the legendary Dick Smith (The Exorcist (1973)) and worked on making his ...

El laberinto del fauno (2006)

4. Peter Jackson

Producer | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Sir Peter Jackson made history with The Lord of the Rings trilogy, becoming the first person to direct three major feature films simultaneously. The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King were nominated for and collected a slew of awards from around the globe, with The ...

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, (2001) Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002) King Kong (2005)

5. M. Night Shyamalan

Producer | Lady in the Water

Born in Puducherry, India, and raised in the posh suburban Penn Valley area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, M. Night Shyamalan is a film director, screenwriter, producer, and occasional actor, known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots.

He is the son of Jayalakshmi, a Tamil ...

Unbreakable (2000) Lady in the Water (2006)

6. Joe Johnston

Director | Captain America: The First Avenger

Joseph Eggleston Johnston II is an American film director from Texas who is known for directing the cult classic film The Rocketeer, Jumanji, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, The Wolfman, October Sky, The Pagemaster, Jurassic Park III and Captain America: The First Avenger. He was an art director for ...

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) Jumanji (1995)

7. Terry Gilliam

Writer | Brazil

Terry Gilliam was born near Medicine Lake, Minnesota. When he was 12 his family moved to Los Angeles where he became a fan of MAD magazine. In his early twenties he was often stopped by the police who suspected him of being a drug addict and Gilliam had to explain that he worked in advertising. In ...

Jabberwocky (1977) The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) The Brothers Grimm (2005) Tideland (2005) The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

8. Ron Howard

Producer | Arrested Development

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard is one of this generation's most popular directors. From the critically acclaimed dramas A Beautiful Mind (2001) and Apollo 13 (1995) to the hit comedies Parenthood (1989) and Splash (1983), he has created some of Hollywood's most memorable films.

Howard ...

Splash (1984) Cocoon (1985) Willow (1988) How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

9. Jan Svankmajer

Director | Otesánek

After studying at the Institute of Industrial Arts and the Marionette Faculty of the Prague Academy of Fine Arts in the 1950s, Jan Svankmajer started working as a theatre director, chiefly in association with the Theatre of Masks and the Black Theatre. He first experimented with film-making after ...

Neco z Alenky (1988)

10. Spike Jonze

Producer | Her

Spike Jonze made up one-third (along with Andy Jenkins and Mark Lewman) of the triumvirate of genius minds behind Dirt Magazine, the brother publication of the much lamented ground-breaking Sassy Magazine. These three uncommon characters were all editors for Grand Royal Magazine as well, under the ...

Being John Malkovich (1999) Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

11. Tarsem Singh

Director | The Fall

Indian director Tarsem Singh is the son of an aircraft engineer. He was educated at Bishop Cotton Boy's School in Shimla and relocated to the USA to study business at Harvard and, significantly, film studies at the Art Center College of Design in California. Upon graduating he embarked on a career ...

The Fall (2006) Mirror Mirror (2012)

12. Henry Selick

Director | Coraline

Henry Selick is a film director, specializing in films with stop-motion animation. He has formal training as an animator.

Selick was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, son of Charles H. Selick and Melanie Molan. He was mostly raised in Rumson, New Jersey. As a child, Selick took up drawing as a hobby. ...

James and the Giant Peach (1996) Monkeybone (2001)

13. Joe Dante

Director | Innerspace

Joe Dante is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art. After a stint as a film reviewer, he began his filmmaking apprenticeship in 1974 as trailer editor for Roger Corman's New World Pictures. He made his directorial debut in 1976 with Hollywood Boulevard (1976) (co-directed with Allan Arkush)...

Gremlins (1984) Small soldiers (1998) Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)

14. Robert Zemeckis

Writer | Back to the Future

A whiz-kid with special effects, Robert is from the Spielberg camp of film-making (Steven Spielberg produced many of his films). Usually working with writing partner Bob Gale, Robert's earlier films show he has a talent for zany comedy (Romancing the Stone (1984), 1941 (1979)) and special effect ...

Back to the Future (1985) Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Beowulf (2007)

15. Rob Reiner

Actor | All in the Family

Robert Reiner was born in New York City, to Estelle Reiner (née Lebost) and Emmy-winning actor, comedian, writer, and producer Carl Reiner.

As a child, his father was his role model, as Carl Reiner created and starred in The Dick Van Dyke Show. Estelle was also an inspiration for him to become a ...

The Princess Bride (1987)

16. Darren Aronofsky

Writer | Pi

Darren Aronofsky was born February 12, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up, Darren was always artistic: he loved classic movies and, as a teenager, he even spent time doing graffiti art. After high school, Darren went to Harvard University to study film (both live-action and animation). He won ...

The Fountain (2006)

17. Steven Spielberg

Producer | Schindler's List

One of the most influential personalities in the history of cinema, Steven Spielberg is Hollywood's best known director and one of the wealthiest filmmakers in the world. He has an extraordinary number of commercially successful and critically acclaimed credits to his name, either as a director, ...

Hook (1991)

18. Wolfgang Petersen

Director | Das Boot

A controversial film maker, Wolfgang Petersen has at once been lauded for his professionalism and attention to detail and decried for turning out a string of standard commercial Hollywood blockbusters. The son of a naval officer, Petersen held a lifelong fascination with the sea and naval subjects....

Die unendliche Geschichte (1984)

19. Andrew Adamson

Director | Shrek 2

Andrew Adamson was born on December 1, 1966 in Auckland, New Zealand. He is a producer and director, known for Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek (2001) and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005). He has been married to Michelle Jonas since 2018. He was previously married to ...

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)

20. Zach Helm

Writer | Stranger Than Fiction

Zach Helm was born on January 21, 1975 in Santa Clara, California, USA. He is a writer and director, known for Stranger Than Fiction (2006), Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007) and Deep Water (2022).

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)

21. Matthew Vaughn

Producer | Kick-Ass

Matthew Vaughn is an English film producer and director. He is known for producing such films as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000) and for directing the crime thriller, Layer Cake (2004), the fantasy epic, Stardust (2007), the superhero comedy, Kick-Ass (2010), and the ...

Stardust (2007) Kick-Ass (2010)

22. Richard Donner

Director | Superman

Richard Donner was born on April 24, 1930 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and producer, known for Superman (1978), Ladyhawke (1985) and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980). He was married to Lauren Shuler Donner. He died on July 5, 2021 in Los Angeles, ...

The Goonies (1985) Ladyhawke (1985)

23. Stephen Herek

Director | Critters

Stephen Herek was born on November 10, 1958 in San Antonio, Texas, USA. He is a producer and director, known for Critters (1986), Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) and Mr. Holland's Opus (1995).

Critters (1986) 101 Dalmatians (1996)

24. Kevin Reynolds

Director | Waterworld

Raised as an Air Force brat, Kevin Reynolds' love for cinema inspired him to forsake his law school degree and move to Los Angeles to enroll in the University of Southern California's legendary film school. Reynolds' graduate thesis film "Proof" became the basis for "Fandango" starring Kevin ...

Waterworld (1995)

25. Jim Henson

Soundtrack | The Muppet Show

Jim Henson never thought that he would make a name of himself in puppetry; it was merely a way of getting himself on television. The vehicle that achieved it was Sam and Friends (1955), a late-night puppet show that was on after the 11:00 news in Washington DC. It proved to be very popular and ...

The Great Muppet Caper (1981) Dark Crystal (1982) Labyrinth (1986)

26. Frank Oz

Actor | The Muppet Show

Frank Richard Oznowicz was born in Hereford, England to puppeteers Frances and Isidore Oznowicz. His family moved to Montana in 1951, eventually settling in Oakland, California. As a teenager, he worked as an apprentice puppeteer at Children's Fairyland amusement park. He is one of the primary ...

Dark Crystal (1982) The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) Little Shop of Horrors (1986) The Indian in the Cupboard (1995) The Stepford Wives (2004)

27. John Hughes

Writer | Planes, Trains & Automobiles

John Hughes was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter. He was credited for creating some of the most memorable comedy films of the 1980s and the 1990s, when he was at the height of his career. He had a talent for writing coming-of-age stories, and for depicting fairly realistic...

Sixteen Candles (1984) Weird Science (1985)

28. Steve Barron

Director | The Durrells

Steve Barron started in films as a camera assistant on epic productions such as Richard Donner's 'Superman', Richard Attenborough's 'A Bridge Too Far' and Ridley Scott's The Duellists (1977). He began directing music videos in the early eighties for The Jam, Human League, and Adam & the Ants, his ...

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) Coneheads (1993) The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996)

29. Chris Columbus

Producer | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Born in Pennsylvania and raised in Ohio, Chris Columbus was first inspired to make movies after seeing "The Godfather" at age 15. After enrolling at NYU film school, he sold his first screenplay (never produced) while a sophomore there. After graduation Columbus tried to sell his fourth script, "...

Adventures in Babysitting (1987) Bicentennial Man (1999) Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

30. Jon Favreau

Producer | Chef

Initially an indie film favorite, actor Jon Favreau has progressed to strong mainstream visibility into the millennium and, after nearly two decades in the business, is still enjoying character stardom as well as earning notice as a writer/producer/director.

The amiable, husky-framed actor with the ...

Elf (2003)

31. Brad Silberling

Director | City of Angels

Brad Silberling was born on September 8, 1963 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He is a producer and director, known for City of Angels (1998), A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) and Moonlight Mile (2002). He has been married to Amy Brenneman since September 30, 1995. They have two ...

Casper (1995) Lemony Snicket (2004)

32. Jirí Trnka

Writer | Sen noci svatojánské

A graduate of Prague's School of Arts and Crafts, in 1936 he created a puppet theater, which was disbanded after the outbreak of WWII. During the war he designed stage sets and illustrated children's books. In 1945 he set up an animation unit with several collaborators at the Prague film studio; ...

Sen noci svatojánské (1959) Ruka (1965)

33. Barry Levinson

Director | Rain Man

Barry Lee Levinson was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Violet (Krichinsky) and Irvin Levinson, who worked in furniture and appliance. He is of Russian Jewish descent. Levinson graduated from high school in 1960, attended college at American University in Washington, DC. He did well, but decided he ...

Toys (1992)

34. Ken Hughes

Writer | Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Ken Hughes was an award-winning writer and director who flourished in the 1950s and 1960s, though he continued directing into the early 1980s. Born in Liverpool, England, on January 19, 1922, Hughes decided early in his life that he wanted to be a filmmaker. When he was 14 years old he won an ...

Chitty chitty bang bang (1968)

35. Robert Butler

Director | Remington Steele

Robert Butler was born on November 16, 1927 in Hollywood, California, USA. He was a director and writer, known for Remington Steele (1982), Hill Street Blues (1981) and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993). He was married to Adrienne Hepburn. He died on November 3, 2023 in Los ...

The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969) Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972)

36. William Dear

Director | Harry and the Hendersons

William Dear was born on November 30, 1944 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is a director and writer, known for Harry and the Hendersons (1987), The Rocketeer (1991) and Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1982).

The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1982) Harry and the Hendersons (1987) If Looks Could Kill (1991)

37. Willard Huyck

Writer | Howard the Duck

Willard Huyck was born on September 8, 1945 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a writer and director, known for Howard the Duck (1986), American Graffiti (1973) and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). He was previously married to Gloria Katz.

Howard the Duck (1986)

38. Michael Gottlieb

Director | Mannequin

Michael Gottlieb was born on April 12, 1945. Michael was a director and producer, known for Mannequin (1987), Mr. Nanny (1993) and A Kid in King Arthur's Court (1995). Michael died on May 23, 2014 in La Cañada Flintridge, California, USA.

A Kid in King Arthur's Court (1995)

39. Jack Donohue

Director | Babes in Toyland

Jack Donohue started as a dancer in the Ziegfeld Follies, continued as a dancer, dance director and dance teacher for tap dance (most prominent pupil: Eleanor Powell) in New York and in London (he starred in the British film Rhythm in the Air (1936) with his wife Tutta Rolf). He began working in ...

Babes in Toyland (1961)

40. Arthur Lubin

Director | Phantom of the Opera

A graduate of Carnegie Tech, Arthur Lubin entered films as an actor in the 1920s, and after appearing in many films turned to directing in 1934, mainly for Universal. His forte was light comedy, but he helmed many different types of pictures for the studio. Lubin was the director Universal ...

Francis (1950) The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964)

41. Ken Annakin

Director | The Longest Day

A former salesman and journalist, Ken Annakin got into the film industry making documentary shorts. His feature debut, Holiday Camp (1947), was a comedy about a Cockney family on vacation. It was made for the Rank Organization and was a modest success, spawning three sequels, all of which he ...

The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988)

42. Norman Tokar

Director | Kingu Kongu tai Gojira

Norman Tokar (November 25, 1919 - April 6, 1979) was an American director, actor and occasionally writer and producer of serial television and feature films. He directed many of the early episodes of "Leave it to Beaver," but found his greatest success directing over a dozen films for Walt Disney ...

The Ugly Dachshund (1966)

43. Stephen Sommers

Producer | G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Stephen Sommers was born on March 20, 1962 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Raised in St. Cloud, Minnesota, he attended St. John's University and the University of Seville in Spain. Afterward, Sommers spent the next four years performing as an actor in theater groups and managing rock bands throughout ...

The Jungle Book (1994)

44. Chris Noonan

Writer | Babe

Chris Noonan was born on November 14, 1952 in Sydney, Australia. He is a writer and director, known for Babe (1995), Stepping Out (1980) and Miss Potter (2006).

Babe (1995) Miss Potter (2006)

45. Harold D. Schuster

Director | Wings of the Morning

A highly regarded editor (he cut the classic Sunrise (1927)), Harold D. Schuster started out in films as an actor. It didn't take him long to abandon that career, and he turned to the production side of the business, working his way up to editor and eventually taking the reins as a director. While ...

So Dear to My Heart (1948)

46. Joe Pytka

Director | Pepsi: Archaeology

Joe Pytka was born on November 4, 1938 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He is a director and cinematographer, known for Pepsi: Archaeology (1985), Space Jam (1996) and Hallmark: Dance Cards (1991).

Space jam (1996)

47. Mel Stuart

Producer | Running on the Sun: The Badwater 135

Mel Stuart was born on September 2, 1928 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a producer and director, known for Running on the Sun: The Badwater 135 (2000), Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and The Making of the President 1960 (1963). He was married to Roberta Frances Silberman ...

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

48. Ralph Bakshi

Director | Wizards

Ralph Bakshi worked his way up from Brooklyn and became an animation legend. He was born on October 29, 1938, in Haifa, Israel, the son of Mina (Zlotin) and Eliezar Bakshi, and is of Krymchak Jewish descent. He was raised in Brownsville, after his family came to New York to escape World War II. ...

Cool World (1992)

49. Randal Kleiser

Director | Grease

Randal Kleiser has been an internationally known film director since the release of his first feature, Grease (1978). Other features include The Blue Lagoon (1980) with Brooke Shields, Summer Lovers (1982) starring Peter Gallagher and Daryl Hannah, Grandview, U.S.A. (1984) with Jamie Lee Curtis, ...

Navigator (1986) White Fang (1991) Honey I Blew Up the Kid (1992)

50. Frederik Du Chau

Director | Racing Stripes

Frederik Du Chau was born on May 15, 1965 in Belgium. He is a director and writer, known for Racing Stripes (2005), Underdog (2007) and Hong Kong Phooey.

Underdog (2007)

51. Gabor Csupo

Writer | Rugrats

Gábor Csupó is a Hungarian animator, film director, and producer. He has had a long career, but he is better known as the co-founder of animation studio Klasky-Csupo, Inc., a graphic design and animation studio based in Hollywood. The other major co-founder was his business partner and wife Arlene ...

Bridge to Terabithia (2007) The Secret of Moonacre (2008)

52. Mark Waters

Producer | (500) Days of Summer

Mark Waters grew up in South Bend, Indiana, USA. His first film, The House of Yes, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997. He is a director and producer, known for Mean Girls (2004), 500 Days of Summer (2009) and He's All That (2021). He has been married to Dina Spybey-Waters since November ...

The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

53. Chris Weitz

Writer | About a Boy

Christopher John Weitz is an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter who is known for Antz, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, American Pie, About a Boy, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps and The Golden Compass. He is married to Mercedes Martinez since 2006 and has three ...

The Golden Compass (2007)

54. Iain Softley

Director | Backbeat

Softley was educated at St Benedict's School, Ealing, London, and Queens' College, Cambridge University, where he was a member of the college's dramatic society, the BATS, and directed a number of highly-praised theatrical productions. He worked for Granada TV and the BBC before becoming a director...

Inkheart (2008)