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David Hackl

Highest Rated: 38% Saw II (2005)

Lowest Rated: 0% Life on the Line (2015)

Birthday: Feb 7, 1963

Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

An integral part of the "Saw" franchise, David Hackl helped three of its first four films achieve their grisly look as production designer before making the move to the director's chair for the fifth. Born in Toronto, Ontario in 1963, Hackl began his career as an art director on the American Revolution drama "Mary Silliman's War" (1994) before making the move into production design on hitmen caper "Jerry and Tom" (1998) and sci-fi fantasy "Lexx" (Global 1997-2002). Hackl continued in that role on family drama "Club Land" (2001), erotic thriller "Zebra Lounge" (2001) and dog superhero movie "Cybermutt" (2003), later adding biopic "Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story," anti-terrorist mini-series "The Grid" (TNT, 2004) and Ted Bundy-based drama "The Riverman" (2004) to his resume. But Hackl made his first notable impact when he was hired to give "Saw II" (2005) its grimy and gruesome aesthetic. After doing the same on werewolf horror "Skinwalkers" (2006), Hackl returned to the torture horror franchise as second unit director for "Saw III" (2007) and "Saw IV" (2007), and eventually made his directorial debut with one of the most inventive installments, "Saw V" (2008). Hackl then went back to his more familiar role on Viking saga "Outlander" (2008) and cult rock horror musical "Repo! The Genetic Opera" (2008), also serving as assistant unit director on the latter. After a four-year break from the industry, he added monster mystery "The Barrens" (2012) and single episodes of crime procedural "Cracked" (CBC, 2013) and small screen adaptation "Transporter: The Series" (TNT, 2012-) to his list of production designer credits. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, James Marsden and Thomas Jane, Hackl's second directorial effort, "Into The Grizzly Maze" (2014), told the story of two estranged brothers stalked in the remote wild by a giant bear, while follow-up "Life on the Line" (2015) saw John Travolta leading a crew of men who must fix an electrical grid during a sudden heavy storm.

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Highest rated movies

38% 59% Saw II Watchlist
37% 45% Outlander
Watchlist
37% 73% Repo! The Genetic Opera
Watchlist
36% 24% Into the Grizzly Maze
Watchlist
30% 66% Dangerous Watchlist
29% 71% Saw III
Watchlist
25% 39% Daughter of the Wolf Watchlist 18% 62% Saw IV Watchlist 13% 52% Saw V Watchlist
11% 25% Skinwalkers
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
30% 66% Dangerous Director,
Executive Producer
- 2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet Salt-N-Pepa Production Design - 2021
25% 39% Daughter of the Wolf Director,
Executive Producer
- 2019
0% 36% Life on the Line Director - 2015
36% 24% Into the Grizzly Maze Director - 2014
No Score Yet 22% The Barrens Production Design - 2012
37% 45% Outlander Production Design $160.6K 2008
37% 73% Repo! The Genetic Opera Production Design - 2008
13% 52% Saw V Director $56.7M 2008
18% 62% Saw IV Production Design $63.3M 2007
11% 25% Skinwalkers Production Design $1.0M 2006
29% 71% Saw III Production Design $80.2M 2006
38% 59% Saw II Production Design $87.0M 2005
No Score Yet 25% The Riverman Production Design - 2004