John Woo
Highest Rated: 100% Bullet in the Head (1990)
Lowest Rated: 23% Bulletproof Monk (2003)
Birthday: May 1, 1946
Birthplace: Guangzhou, China
Once hailed by action star Jean-Claude Van Damme as "the Martin Scorsese of Asia," John Woo was a legendary action director in the Hong Kong film industry long before immigrating to Hollywood to direct his first American film, "Hard Target" (1993). Reportedly the first Asian to direct a major Hollywood studio film, Woo made his name with action-packed, emotionally florid thrillers like "A Better Tomorrow" (1986), "The Killer" (1989), "A Bullet in the Head" (1990) and "Hard-Boiled" (1992). Enthusiastically embraced by English-speaking critics, Woo was a bold visual stylist who learned his meticulous choreography of movement, graceful camera moves and over-the-top violence from the likes of Sergio Leone, Sam Peckinpah and Jean-Pierre Melville. Though soaked in blood, his films were marked by old-fashioned morality and chastely gallant attitudes toward women, while, even among villains, valuing friendship and loyalty. Woo remained an influential figure among a new generation of filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, who eagerly adopted his signature moves.
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John Woo
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
57% |
|
The Killer |
Director, Producer |
- | 2024 |
59% |
|
Silent Night |
Director, Producer |
$8.0M | 2023 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Silent Revenge |
Director, Producer |
- | 2023 |
67% |
|
Manhunt |
Director, Screenwriter |
- | 2017 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Crossing 2 |
Director, Screenwriter |
- | 2015 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Crossing |
Director, Screenwriter |
- | 2014 |
69% |
|
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale | Producer | - | 2011 |
25% |
|
The Beginning of the Great Revival | Lin Sen (Character) | - | 2011 |
70% |
|
Reign of Assassins |
Co-Director, Producer |
- | 2010 |
No Score Yet |
|
Red Cliff II |
Director, Screenwriter, Producer |
- | 2009 |
90% |
|
Red Cliff |
Director, Screenwriter, Producer |
$626.8K | 2008 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Blood Brothers | Producer | - | 2007 |
No Score Yet |
|
Appleseed: Ex Machina | Producer | - | 2007 |
No Score Yet |
|
All the Invisible Children | Director | - | 2005 |
27% |
|
Paycheck |
Director, Producer |
$53.8M | 2003 |
23% |
|
Bulletproof Monk | Producer | $23.0M | 2003 |
33% |
|
Windtalkers |
Director, Producer |
$40.9M | 2002 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Red Skies | Executive Producer | - | 2002 |
56% |
|
Mission: Impossible II |
Director, Cinematographer |
$215.4M | 2000 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Once a Thief: Family Business |
Executive Producer, Director |
- | 1998 |
No Score Yet |
|
Blackjack |
Director, Executive Producer |
- | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Once a Thief: Brother Against Brother | Executive Producer | - | 1998 |
41% |
|
The Big Hit | Executive Producer | $27.1M | 1998 |
37% |
|
The Replacement Killers | Executive Producer | $19.0M | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Face/Off | Director | - | 1997 |
93% |
|
Face/Off | Director | $112.3M | 1997 |
80% |
|
Once a Thief | Director | - | 1996 |
54% |
|
Broken Arrow | Director | $70.6M | 1996 |
No Score Yet |
|
Somebody Up There Likes Me | Producer | - | 1996 |
No Score Yet |
|
Peace Hotel | Producer | - | 1995 |
60% |
|
Hard Target | Director | $31.5M | 1993 |
92% |
|
Hard-Boiled |
Director, Writer |
- | 1992 |
60% |
|
Once a Thief |
Director, Writer |
- | 1991 |
44% |
|
Twin Dragons | Priest (Character) | $8.3M | 1991 |
100% |
|
Bullet in the Head |
Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Film Editing |
- | 1990 |
95% |
|
The Killer |
Director, Screenwriter |
- | 1989 |
No Score Yet |
|
A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon | Producer | - | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Just Heroes |
Director, Writer |
- | 1987 |
80% |
|
A Better Tomorrow II |
Director, Writer |
- | 1987 |
No Score Yet |
|
Heroes Shed No Tears |
Director, Screenwriter, Producer |
- | 1986 |
93% |
|
A Better Tomorrow |
Inspector Wu (Character), Director, Writer, Producer |
- | 1986 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Plain Jane to the Rescue | Director | - | 1982 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | To Hell With the Devil |
Director, Screenwriter, Cinematographer |
- | 1982 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Laughing Times |
Director, Screenwriter |
- | 1981 |
100% |
|
Last Hurrah for Chivalry |
Director, Writer |
- | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Pilferer's Progress |
Director, Screenwriter |
- | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Princess Chang Ping | Director | - | 1976 |
No Score Yet |
|
Hand of Death |
Scholar Cheng (Character), Director, Screenwriter |
- | 1976 |