John Woo

Known for: Directing
Born: September 22, 1946, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Movies: 114

John Woo Yu-Sen SBS (born September 22, 1946) is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard Boiled and Red Cliff. His Hollywood films include Hard Target, Broken Arrow, Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2. He also created the comic series Seven Brothers, published by Virgin Comics. Woo was described by Dave Kehr in The Observer in 2002 as "arguably the most influential director making movies today". Woo cites his three favorite films as David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, and Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samouraï.

Best-Known Movies

6.1

Mission: Impossible II

2000

7.1

Face/Off

1997

6.2

Paycheck

2003

6.1

Broken Arrow

1996

6.4

Windtalkers

2002

6.5

Hard Target

1993

5.5

Bulletproof Monk

2003

7.5

Hard Boiled

1992

6.1

Silent Night

2023

7.6

The Killer

1989

Filmography

2026	Twist & Shoot: Mister Suzuki	Self
2022	The King of Wuxia Part 2	Self
2022	The King of Wuxia Part 1	Self
2021	Life in 24 Frames a Second	Self
2017	John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood	Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
2016	Ken San	Self
2011	Beginning of the Great Revival	Lin Sen
2011	Kurosawa's Way	Self
2010	Mission: Remarkable - 40 Years of Creating the Impossible	Self
2009	The Founding of a Republic	Liu Wenhui, National Army Officers
2009	How Bruce Lee Changed the World	Self
2008	Team-Up: John Woo and Shinji Aramaki
2007	The Light and The Dark: The Making of Face/Off	Self
2007	The Making of Stranglehold
2004	Crossings: John Woo	Self
2003	Chop Socky: Cinema Hong Kong	Self
2003	The Master: Chang Cheh Documentary
2003	The Life and Times of Wu Zhong Xian	As himself
2003	Cinema Hong Kong: Wu Xia	Self
2003	Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fu	Self
2002	The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies	Self - Interviewee
2002	The Test of Time: The Genesis of Hard Boiled
2000	Mission: Improbable	John Woo
1999	Kurosawa: The Last Emperor	Self
1998	Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema	Self
1997	Task Force	Police Chief
1994	Cinema of Vengeance	Self (uncredited)
1993	Film ohne Fesseln - Das neue Hongkong Kino	Self
1992	Hard Boiled	Mr. Woo
1992	Twin Dragons	Priest
1991	The Banquet	Man on Stairs
1991	Once a Thief	Stanley Wu
1990	Rebel from China	Kwong
1990	Bullet in the Head	Policeman
1989	Sunset in Paris	Maggie's uncle
1988	Starry Is the Night	Father Fan
1988	I Love Maria
1987	The Thirty Million Dollar Rush	Ling's Husband
1986	A Better Tomorrow	Inspector Wu
1985	Love, Lone Flower
1985	Happy Union 2
1982	Plain Jane to the Rescue	Self
1980	From Riches to Rags	[cameo]
1979	Itchy Fingers	Triad Boss on Lorry
1978	Follow the Star	Miss Chen's Father
1976	Hand of Death	Zhang Yi
1974	Young Lovers on Flying Wheels	Man at Bike Reclaim Centre
1974	The Young Dragons	Message Deliverer
1973	The Mandarin
1969	Dead Knot	Boy
1968	Accidentally	Young Man

Directing, Writing & Producing

2024	The Killer	Director, Producer
2023	Silent Night	Producer, Director
2017	Manhunt	Director, Writer
2015	The Crossing II	Director
2014	The Crossing I	Director
2012	Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale	Producer
2011	Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 2: The Rainbow Bridge	Producer
2011	Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 1: The Sun Flag	Producer
2010	Color Me Love	Producer
2010	A Better Tomorrow	Screenplay
2010	Reign of Assassins	Producer, Director
2009	My Fair Gentleman	Producer
2009	Red Cliff II	Screenplay, Director, Producer
2008	Red Cliff	Director, Screenplay, Producer
2007	Appleseed: Ex Machina	Producer
2007	Blood Brothers	Producer
2007	The Making of Stranglehold	Producer
2006	All the Invisible Children	Director
2004	The Robinsons: Lost in Space	Director
2003	Paycheck	Director, Producer
2003	Bulletproof Monk	Producer
2002	Hostage	Director
2002	Windtalkers	Director, Producer
2000	Mission: Impossible II	Director
1998	Blackjack	Director, Producer
1997	Face/Off	Director
1996	Once a Thief	Director
1996	Somebody Up There Likes Me	Producer
1996	Broken Arrow	Director
1995	Don't Cry, Nanking	Producer
1993	Hard Target	Director
1992	Hard Boiled	Director
1991	Once a Thief	Director, Screenplay
1990	Bullet in the Head	Director, Producer, Writer
1989	A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon	Producer
1989	Just Heroes	Director
1989	The Killer	Director, Screenplay
1987	A Better Tomorrow II	Director, Writer
1986	A Better Tomorrow	Director, Writer
1985	Ghost Bustin	Producer
1985	Love, Lone Flower	Producer
1985	Super Citizen	Producer
1985	Run Tiger Run	Director, Producer
1985	Happy Union 2	Producer
1984	Heroes Shed No Tears	Producer, Director, Writer
1984	The Time You Need a Friend	Director
1984	Happy Union	Producer
1982	Plain Jane to the Rescue	Director, Screenplay
1982	To Hell with the Devil	Director, Writer
1981	The Idiot Assassin	Producer
1980	Laughing Times	Screenplay, Director
1980	From Riches to Rags	Director, Writer
1979	Last Hurrah for Chivalry	Director, Writer
1978	Hello, Late Homecomers	Director, Screenplay
1978	Follow the Star	Director, Writer, Screenplay
1977	Money Crazy	Director, Screenplay
1976	The Private Eyes	Producer
1976	Hand of Death	Director, Screenplay
1976	Princess Chang-Ping	Director, Screenplay
1975	The Dragon Tamers	Director, Writer
1974	The Young Dragons	Director, Writer
1969	Dead Knot	Writer, Producer, Director
1968	Accidentally	Director, Writer

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