New generation of directors of horror
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- Director
James Wan (born 26 February 1977) is an Australian film producer, screenwriter and film director of Malaysian Chinese descent. He is widely known for directing the horror film Saw (2004) and creating Billy the puppet. Wan has also directed Dead Silence (2007), Death Sentence (2007), Insidious (2010), The Conjuring (2013) and Furious 7 (2015).
Before his success in the mainstream film industry, he made his first feature-length film, Stygian, with Shannon Young, which won "Best Guerrilla Film" at the Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF) in 2000.
Prior to 2003, Wan and Leigh Whannell had begun writing a script based for a horror film, citing inspiration from their dreams and fears. Upon completing the script, Leigh and James had wanted to select an excerpt from their script, later to be known as Saw (2004), and film it to pitch their film to studios. With the help of Charlie Clouser, who had composed the score for the film, and a few stand-in actors, Leigh and James shot the film with relatively no budget. Leigh had decided to star in the film as well.
After the release of the full-length Saw (2004), the film was met with overwhelming success in the box office both domestically and internationally. The film ended up grossing 55 million dollars in America, and 48 million dollars in other countries, totaling over $103 million worldwide. This was over 100 million dollars profit, over 80 times the production budget. This green-lit the sequel Saw II (2005), and later the rest of the Saw franchise based on the yearly success of the previous installment. Since its inception, Saw (2004) has become the highest grossing horror franchise of all time worldwide in unadjusted dollars. In the United States only, Saw (2004) is the second highest grossing horror franchise, behind only the Friday the 13th (1980) films by a margin of $10 million.Director in the following films:
Saw (2004)
Dead Silence (2007)
Insidious (2010)
Insidious 2: Chapter 2 (2013)
The Conjuring (2013)
Fast & Furious 7 (2015)- Director
- Editor
- Writer
At 19 Adam got his start in feature film making early with his directorial debut Home Sick, a slasher horror film starring Bill Moseley and Tom Toweles. However it was his second effort at 24 years old with the film Pop Skull that garnered him a talent to watch. Made for a budget of around 2000 dollars he managed to capture the attention of French Distribution company The Wild Bunch. The film went on to premiere at the prestigious Rome Film Festival and the American Film Institute Film Festival. His dark and sometimes abrasive directing/editing style has been compared to directors such as David Lynch, Darren Aronofsky, and Shinya Tsukamoto.Director in the following films:
Paradox Mary (2008)
You're Next (2011)
V/H/S (2012)
The ABCs of Death (2012)
Las crónicas del miedo 2 (2013)
The Guest (2014)- Writer
- Director
Alexandre Bustillo was born on 10 August 1975 in France. He is a writer and director, known for Inside (2007), The Deep House (2021) and Among the Living (2014).Director in the following films:
Inside (2007)
Livid (2011)
Among the Living (2014)
The ABCs of Death 2 (segment "X is for Xylophone") (2014)
Leatherface (Coming Soon)- Writer
- Director
- Cinematographer
Director in the following films:
Inside (2007)
Livid (2011)
Among the Living (2014)
The ABCs of Death 2 (segment "X is for Xylophone") (2014)
Leatherface (Coming Soon)- Director
- Writer
- Producer
James Watkins was born in 1978 in the UK. He is a director and writer, known for Eden Lake (2008), McMafia (2018) and The Take (2016).Director in the following films:
Eden Lake (2008)
La dama de negro (2012)
Bastille Day (2016)- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Scott Derrickson is an American filmmaker who is known for directing horror films such as Deliver Us from Evil, Hellraiser: Inferno, Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. He also directed the superhero film Doctor Strange starring Benedict Cumberbatch. He decided not to direct Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which resulted in Sam Raimi directing the sequel.Director in the following films:
Love in the Ruins (Short) (1995)
Hellraiser: Inferno (Video) (2000)
El exorcismo de Emily Rose (2005)
El día que la tierra se detuvo (2008)
Sinister (2012)
Líbranos del mal (2014)
Two Eyes Staring (Coming Soon)
Dr. Strange (Coming Soon)- Producer
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alfonso was born and raised in Laredo, Texas on the US/Mexico border. He received his BFA from NYU and his MFA from AFI. He began his career as personal assistant to Martin Scorsese, Nora Ephron, Robert De Niro and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. He has gone on to direct second unit for Ms. Ephron, Inarritu, Scorsese, Kevin Macdonald, Ryan Murphy and Ben Affleck (on the Academy Award-winning "Argo"). He has directed acclaimed episodes of Glee and American Horror Story, as well as numerous national commercials for the likes of T-Mobile and Chevrolet (Super Bowl). He was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Directing For a Miniseries for "American Horror Story: Coven," as well as for Outstanding Miniseries as the show's Co-Executive Producer. He also directed the pilot for Fox's "Red Band Society" which was picked up for series. He just finished work on his second feature, Me & Earl & the Dying Girl for Indian Paintbrush, which won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the US Dramatic Competition at Sundance Film Festival 2015.Director in the following films and TV series:
Glee (TV Series) (8 episodes) (2010-2012)
The Carrie Diaries (TV Series) (1 episode) (2013)
Red Band Society (TV Series) (1 episode) (2014)
The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014)
American Horror Story (TV Series) (12 episodes) (2011-2014)
Me & Earl & the Dying Girl (Coming Soon)- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Fede Alvarez was born on 9 February 1978 in Montevideo, Uruguay. He is a writer and producer, known for Don't Breathe (2016), Evil Dead (2013) and The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018).Director in the following films:
Los pocillos (Short) (2001)
El último Alevare (Short) (2003)
El cojonudo (Short) (2005)
Ataque de pánico! (Short) (2009)
Posesión infernal (2013)
From Dusk Till Dawn (TV Series) (1 episode) (2014)- Writer
- Producer
- Director
John grew up in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. After graduating St. Thomas Academy, an all-boys, military, Catholic highschool, John moved to Iowa City to attend the University of Iowa. There he would make the move from writing to film. Two years later, John moved to Manhattan to attend NYU's film program. After graduating NYU, John moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in filmmaking. John wrote and directed his first feature, Full Moon Rising (1996) just out of college. For his sophomore effort, The Dry Spell, John was joined by his brother Drew, who produced the film as John wrote, directed and edited. They now live in Los Angeles, working together as The Brothers Dowdle.Director in the following films:
Full Moon Rising (1996)
The Dry Spell (2005)
The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)
Cuarentena (2008)
La reunión del diablo (2010)
Así en la Tierra como en el Infierno (2014)
The Coup (2015)- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Alexandre Aja was born on 7 August 1978 in Paris, France. He is a producer and director, known for High Tension (2003), The Hills Have Eyes (2006) and Piranha 3D (2010). He is married to Laïla Marrakchi.Director in the following films:
Over the Rainbow (Short) (1997)
Furia (1999)
Alta tensión (2003)
Despertar del diablo (2006)
Espejos siniestros (2008)
The Esseker File (Video short) (2009)
Piraña (2010)
Horns (2013)
The 9th Life of Louis Drax (2015)
Space Adventure Cobra (2017)- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Jennifer Kent was born on 5 March 1969 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. She is an actress and director, known for The Nightingale (2018), The Babadook (2014) and Monster (2005).Director in the following films:
Monster (Short) (2005)
Two Twisted (TV Series) (1 episode) (2006)
The Babadook (2014)- Writer
- Editor
- Director
The Vicious Brothers is the writing, directing collaboration between brothers Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz. Their debut feature film, "Grave Encounters", made on a shoe string budget had its world premiere at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival and has since become a cult hit worldwide. Forbes magazine placed it in the top 10 horror movies of 2011-2012. The brothers wrote and produced, but did not direct the sequel Grave Encounters 2 which was released Halloween of 2012. The brother's newest film, 'Extraterrestrial', had its premiere at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival and is slated for US release by IFC Midnight in the first quarter of 2015.Director in the following films:
Fenómeno paranormal (2011)- Director
- Writer
- Editor
Ti West is most notable for directing horror films, as well as being an actor, writer, producer, and editor. Ti broke out, after directing various projects, in 2009, when he directed two feature films - 2009's The House Of The Devil and Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever. Ti later directed, with his production company Glass Eye Pix, the widely popular 2011 horror film The Innkeepers, which starred actors Sara Paxton, Pat Healy and Kelly McGillis. Ti also starred as "Tariq" in Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett's horror film, You're Next (2011). More recently he has been a director for MTV's Scream and Fox's The Exorcist. His acting roles include him portraying "Dave" in Joe Swanberg's rom-com, Drinking Buddies (2013) and a cameo as "Favorite Teacher" in The House Of The Devil.Director in the following films:
Prey (Short) (2001)
The Wicked (Short) (2001)
The Roost (2005)
Trigger Man (2007)
The House of the Devil (2009)
Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (2009)
Dead and Lonely (TV Mini-Series) (2009)
The Innkeepers (2011)
Las crónicas del miedo (segment "Second Honeymoon") (2012)
The ABCs of Death (segment "M Is for Miscarriage") (2012)
The Sacrament (2013)
In a Valley of Violence (2015)- Writer
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Director in the following films:
Nocturnu (Short) (1998)
Love from Mother Only (Short) (2003)
Ninjas (Short) (2010)
The ABCs of Death 2 (segment "J is for Jesus") (2014)- Writer
- Producer
- Director
James DeMonaco was born in 1969 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for The Purge: Anarchy (2014), The Purge: Election Year (2016) and The First Purge (2018).Director in the following films:
El estado de la mafia (2009)
La noche de la expiación (2013)
12 horas para sobrevivir (2014)
The Purge 3 (2015)- Producer
- Writer
- Music Department
Born November 9, 1965 in Indianapolis, Indiana, US as Ryan Patrick Murphy, he is an American writer, director, and producer, responsible for creating such hits as Nip/Tuck (2003), Glee (2009) and American Horror Story (2011). His mother, J. Andy Murphy, was a writer and communications worker and his father was a circulation director in the newspaper industry. He has one brother. He attended a Catholic school till the eighth grade and graduated from Warren Central High School. He went on to study journalism at the Indiana University Bloomington, where he was also a member of a vocal ensemble, and went on to intern in the style section of the The Washington Post in 1986. In 1990 he got into screenwriting, but only in 1999 was his first story produced: it was Popular (1999), a teen comedy show, which he co-created with Gina Matthews and which run for two seasons. In 2003 he created Nip/Tuck (2003), which brought him his first Emmy nomination. He won the award six years later, when in 2009 he directed the pilot of his hit series Glee (2009) which he co-created with Ian Brennan and Brad Falchuk. In 2011 he and Falchuk co-crated another highly popular series, American Horror Story (2011). in 2015 he was awarded the Award for Inspiration from amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. In 2018 Murphy signed a five-year $300 million development deal with Netflix. He is a pan equal opportunities activist, both through his movies and television projects which very often focus on the LGBTQ+ community, and as a creator of the Half Initiative, which aims at making Hollywood more inclusive for women and minorities. He's been married to photographer David Miller since 2012. They have three sons, Logan Phineas, Ford, and Griffin Sullivan.Director in the following films and TV Series:
Popular (TV Series) (2 episodes) (2001)
Recortes de mi vida (2006)
Nip/Tuck (TV Series) (8 episodes) (2003-2006)
Pretty/Handsome (TV Movie) (2008)
Glee: Programa Piloto - Edición del Director (TV Movie) (2009)
Comer, rezar, amar (2010)
Glee (TV Series) (8 episodes) (2009-2011)
The New Normal (TV Series) (4 episodes) (2012)
The Normal Heart (TV Movie) (2014)
American Horror Story FreakShow: Extra-Ordinary-Artists (TV Series documentary) (2014)
American Horror Story (TV Series) (2 episodes) (2011-2014)- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Juan Carlos Fresnadillo was born on 5 December 1967 in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. He is a producer and director, known for 28 Weeks Later (2007), Intacto (2001) and Linked (1996).- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Cary Joji Fukunaga is a Japanese-American film director, screenwriter, cinematographer and producer from Oakland, California who is known for directing the James Bond film No Time to Die, Kofi, Beasts of No Nation, Jane Eyre and Sin Nombre. He co-wrote the 2017 film adaptation of the Stephen King book It. He directed several episodes of the television show True Detective.- Producer
- Actor
- Writer
Kevin Patrick Smith was born in Red Bank but grew up in Highlands, New Jersey, the son of Grace (Schultz) and Donald E. Smith, a postal worker. He is very proud of his native state; this fact can be seen in all of his movies. Kevin is of mostly German, with some Irish and English, ancestry.
His first movie, Clerks (1994), was filmed in the convenience store in which Smith worked. He was only allowed to shoot at night after the store closed. This movie won the highest award at the Sundance film festival and was brought to theaters by Miramax. The movie went over so well that Smith was able to make another movie, Mallrats (1995). This movie, as Kevin has said, was meant to be a "smart Porkys". Although it didn't do well at all in the box office, it has done more than well on video store shelves and is usually the favorite among many Smith fans.
During filming for the movie, Smith met his new close friends and stars of his next movie, Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, and his new girlfriend, Joey Lauren Adams. Smith has said that his relationship with Adams has been much of an inspiration for his next movie, Chasing Amy (1997), Smith's comedy drama which won two independent Spirit awards: Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Role (for Jason Lee). Around the time that Chasing Amy (1997) was wrapping, Smith broke up with Adams and, then when the Spirit awards were approaching, he met his soon-to-be wife, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith. After Chasing Amy (1997), Smith started on Dogma (1999), a controversial film about Christianity. Around this time, Smith's wife gave birth to their first baby girl, Harley Quinn Smith. Harley Quinn and Jennifer both have roles in Smith's next film,Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001). In this road trip comedy, the cult heroes, Jay and Silent Bob, go on an adventure to stop the production of a movie being made about them, find true love, and save an orangutan.
In 2004, he wrote and directed Jersey Girl (2004), starring Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler. Although there were some disappointing reviews and the movie was a disappointment at the box office, Smith says it did alright going up against the "Bennifer Massacre" known as Gigli (2003).
In 2005, Smith wrote the screenplay for Clerks II (2006), which he planned to start shooting in January of 2005. But then he got a call from Susannah Grant, who wanted Smith to audition for her new film. Smith went into the audition and, five minutes after finishing, he got a call saying he got the part. Filming began in January 2005 so Smith had to delay the filming of Clerks II (2006). After Catch and Release (2006) finished filming, Smith shot "Clerks II" in September 2005. After cutting "Clerks II", they submitted it to the Cannes film festival. It got accepted and, at Cannes, it got an 8 minute standing ovation.
In 2006, Smith also got offered a part in the fourth "Die Hard" film, Live Free or Die Hard (2007). Smith got to film a scene with one of his idols, Bruce Willis, the scene was supposed to take one day of filming, it ended up taking a week. In 2007, Smith was also hired to direct the pilot for the show Reaper (2007), which garnered favorable reviews.
In 2007 and 2008, Smith wrote two scripts: a comedy, Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008), and a horror film called Red State (2011). Harvey Weinstein green-lighted "Zack and Miri", based just off the title, although they passed on "Red State", Smith plans to get "Red State" independently funded. Smith filmed "Zack and Miri" with comedy starSeth Rogen. The film did not meet expectations at the box office but got good reviews. It is Smith's highest grossing movie, although he says he was crushed by the disappointing box office of the film.
Smith was offered the chance to direct a film which was written by Robb Cullen and Mark Cullen called Cop Out (2010). Smith accepted, it would be two firsts; the first feature Smith has directed but not written and the first feature of Smith's that Scott Mosier has not produced (Mosier is trying to find a film to direct). Smith hired Bruce Willis for the film.- Music Artist
- Writer
- Actor
Robert Bartleh Cummings, more famously known as Rob Zombie, was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts on January 12, 1965. He is the oldest son of Louise and Robert Cummings, and has a younger brother, Michael David (aka Spider One; b. 1968), who is the lead singer of Powerman 5000. Growing up, Zombie loved horror movies, which have greatly influenced his music and filmmaking career; in 1983, he graduated from Haverhill High School. After graduating, he moved to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design, also briefly working as a production assistant on Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986).
Zombie and his then-girlfriend, Sean Yseult, co-founded the band White Zombie, named after the Bela Lugosi classic horror film of the same name (White Zombie (1932)). The band released their debut studio album, 'Soul-Crusher', in 1987; their second, 'Make Them Die Slowly', followed in 1989, but generated little buzz.
Following the release of their fourth extended play, however, White Zombie caught the attention of Geffen Records, who in 1992 went on to release their third studio album, 'La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One'. This album sold over two million copies in the U.S., becoming the band's breakout hit. White Zombie's fourth and final album, 'Astro-Creep: 2000 - Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head', was released in 1995 to critical and commercial success, ultimately becoming their most successful album. The band released a remix album in 1996 and disbanded the same year, officially breaking up in 1998.
Rob Zombie began working on a debut album in 1997; 'Hellbilly Deluxe: 13 Tales of Cadaverous Cavorting Inside the Spookshow International' came out in 1998, selling over three million copies. Zombie formed his own record label, Zombie-A-Go-Go Records, in 1998.
Zombie composed the original score for the video game Twisted Metal III (1998) and designed a haunted attraction for Universal Studios in 1999. In 2000, he began working on his directional debut, House of 1000 Corpses (2003). Inspired mainly by classics such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), the film was delayed until 2003 due to distributional issues. Though criticized for its explicit depictions of violence and gore, it went on to gross over $16 million and has garnered a cult following.
Zombie's second studio album, 'The Sinister Urge', was released in 2001 and sold over a million copies. In 2002, he married his longtime girlfriend Sheri Moon Zombie, who has appeared in all of his movies to date and often accompanies him on tour to choreograph dance routines and create costumes. Zombie released a sequel to 'House of 1000 Corpses' in 2005, entitled The Devil's Rejects (2005). Although it received much more positive reviews than its predecessor, it was still criticized for its violent content. He released his third studio album, 'Educated Horses', the following year.
In 2007, Zombie decided to focus on his work as a filmmaker for a while; the same year, he would release his most polarizing movie to date: Halloween (2007), a remake of the 1978 classic of the same name (Halloween (1978)). It received a mixed reception, but was a box office hit, and still currently resides as the top Labor Day weekend grosser. Zombie directed a fictitious trailer entitled 'Werewolf Women of the SS' (inspired by the exploitation flick Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS (1975)) for Grindhouse (2007). In 2009, Zombie directed Halloween II (2009), which was critically panned, and The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (2009), which was based upon one of his comic book series.
Also in 2009, Zombie began working on a new album; 'Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool' came out the following year. In 2011, he directed a horror-themed commercial for Woolite, and began work on a new film, The Lords of Salem (2012). Unlike Zombie's previous efforts, 'The Lords of Salem' focused more on building suspense and a nightmarish, surreal atmosphere and less on brutal violence and excessive profanity. It ultimately received mixed reviews; just after its release, Zombie came out with his fifth studio album, 'Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor', his lowest-selling to date.
Zombie lent his voice to the superhero movie Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). He also began work on 31 (2016), which tells the story of five carnival workers who are trapped and forced to fight for survival against a gang of murderous clowns. It premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival in January, and will be released in September. In April, Zombie's sixth studio album, 'The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser', was released. Additionally, he has signed on to direct a film on the life of zany comic Groucho Marx, though a release date is uncertain.
Zombie is most recognized for his heavy metal style of music, influenced by his love of classic horror, and his exploitation/splatter-type movies. Overall, he has sold an estimated fifteen million albums worldwide, and his films have grossed over $150 million in total.- Special Effects
- Director
- Writer
- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Marcus Dunstan was born on 14 April 1975 in Macomb, Illinois, USA. He is a writer and director, known for The Collector (2009), The Collection (2012) and Feast (2005).- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Bryan Bertino was born on 17 October 1977 in Crowley, Texas, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for The Strangers (2008), The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015) and The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018).- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Jerome Sable is a film director, screenwriter, and composer of genre cinema, most known for his work in horror musical comedy.
His directorial debut short film was "The Legend of Beaver Dam," a horror musical comedy which opened Midnight Madness at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to screen at over 75 film festivals worldwide, winning 17 awards, including "Best Short Film" at Sitges, Fantastic Fest, Dallas, Screamfest LA and receiving an honorable mention at Sundance.
Sable followed up with the feature film, "Stage Fright," about a musical theatre camp terrorized by a slasher who hates musicals, starring musical theatre veterans Meat Loaf and Minnie Driver. It premiered at the South By Southwest Film Festival to critical acclaim and enthusiastic audience response, and went on to be distributed by Magnolia Pictures in the U.S. as well as over a dozen other territories worldwide.
Most recently, Sable directed "V is for Vacation," a first-person horror short he wrote with Nicholas Musurca for the anthology film, "The ABCs of Death 2." "Vacation" is a departure from Sable's previous work, avoiding elements of music and comedy. IGN Entertainment described the piece as "a gripping and beautifully shot shocker" and Film Freak Central wrote, "nasty, dark, and representative proof that POV horror is alive and well and innovative as hell."
Sable grew up in Montreal, Quebec where he studied piano and music theory at the McGill Conservatory of Music, and hockey at the Montreal Forum. He has a B.A. in philosophy from Brown University and an MFA in directing from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.