Wolfgang Petersen

After establishing himself in his native Germany, director Wolfgang Petersen enjoyed a huge international success with the tense submarine thriller "Das Boot" (1981), which opened the doors wide open for what proved to be a successful career making blockbuster Hollywood movies. Following "Das Boot," Petersen earned critical acclaim for his touching and visually dynamic children's fantasy "The Neverending Story" (1984), an American debut that trumpeted his arrival on the scene. "In the Line of Fire" (1993) was also a triumph, a tense and well-received action thriller that benefited greatly from the cat-and-mouse between star Clint Eastwood and his onscreen tormentor John Malkovich. Entering the next century, Petersen raised the stakes - both onscreen and with his budget - for "A Perfect Storm" (2000), an account of a terrifying real-life maritime disaster.