John Woo

Directing

John Woo

Born September 22, 1946Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China97 credits

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.

Known For

The Killer
6.2

The Killer

Movie

2024

Silent Night
6.2

Silent Night

Movie

2023

The King of Wuxia Part 2

The King of Wuxia Part 2

Movie

2022

The King of Wuxia Part 1
8.7

The King of Wuxia Part 1

Movie

2022

大侠胡金铨

大侠胡金铨

TV

2022

Life in 24 Frames a Second

Life in 24 Frames a Second

Movie

2021

Filmography

The Killer
2024The KillerDirectorMovie
Silent Night
2023Silent NightDirectorMovie
The King of Wuxia Part 2
2022The King of Wuxia Part 2as SelfMovie
The King of Wuxia Part 1
2022The King of Wuxia Part 1as SelfMovie
大侠胡金铨
2022大侠胡金铨as selfTV
Life in 24 Frames a Second
2021Life in 24 Frames a Secondas SelfMovie
Manhunt
2017ManhuntDirectorMovie
John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood
2017John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywoodas Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)Movie
Ken San
2016Ken Sanas SelfMovie
The Crossing II
2015The Crossing IIDirectorMovie
The Crossing I
2014The Crossing IDirectorMovie
Breaking the Waves
2014Breaking the WavesExecutive ProducerMovie
Voice
2012VoiceTV
Beginning of the Great Revival
2011Beginning of the Great Revivalas Lin SenMovie
Kurosawa's Way
2011Kurosawa's Wayas SelfMovie
A Better Tomorrow
2010A Better TomorrowExecutive ProducerMovie
Reign of Assassins
2010Reign of AssassinsDirectorMovie
The Founding of a Republic
2009The Founding of a Republicas Liu WenhuiMovie
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
2009How Bruce Lee Changed the Worldas SelfMovie
Red Cliff II
2009Red Cliff IIDirectorMovie
Red Cliff
2008Red CliffDirectorMovie
Team-Up: John Woo and Shinji Aramaki
2008Team-Up: John Woo and Shinji AramakiMovie
The Making of Hard Boiled
2007The Making of Hard BoiledMovie
Bokura no Jidai
2007Bokura no JidaiTV
Be My Guest
2006Be My GuestTV
All the Invisible Children
2006All the Invisible ChildrenDirectorMovie
A Century of Light and Shadow
2005A Century of Light and Shadowas SelfMovie
Crossings: John Woo
2004Crossings: John Wooas SelfMovie
The Robinsons: Lost in Space
2004The Robinsons: Lost in SpaceDirectorMovie
Paycheck
2003PaycheckDirectorMovie
Chop Socky: Cinema Hong Kong
2003Chop Socky: Cinema Hong Kongas SelfMovie
The Master: Chang Cheh Documentary
2003The Master: Chang Cheh DocumentaryMovie
The Life and Times of Wu Zhong Xian
2003The Life and Times of Wu Zhong Xianas As himselfMovie
Cinema Hong Kong: Wu Xia
2003Cinema Hong Kong: Wu Xiaas SelfMovie
Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fu
2003Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fuas SelfMovie
Hostage
2002HostageDirectorMovie
Red Skies
2002Red SkiesExecutive ProducerMovie
Windtalkers
2002WindtalkersDirectorMovie
The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies
2002The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Moviesas Self - IntervieweeMovie
Mission: Improbable
2001Mission: Improbableas John WooMovie
The Hire
2001The HireDirectorTV
Mission: Impossible II
2000Mission: Impossible IIDirectorMovie
Kurosawa: The Last Emperor
1999Kurosawa: The Last Emperoras SelfMovie
Blackjack
1998BlackjackDirectorMovie
Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema
1998Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinemaas SelfMovie
The Big Hit
1998The Big HitExecutive ProducerMovie
The Replacement Killers
1998The Replacement KillersExecutive ProducerMovie
Task Force
1997Task Forceas Police ChiefMovie
Face/Off
1997Face/OffDirectorMovie
Once a Thief
1996Once a ThiefDirectorMovie
Once a Thief
1996Once a ThiefCreatorTV
Broken Arrow
1996Broken ArrowDirectorMovie
Peace Hotel
1995Peace HotelExecutive ProducerMovie
Cinema of Vengeance
1994Cinema of Vengeanceas Self (uncredited)Movie
Hard Target
1993Hard TargetDirectorMovie
Film ohne Fesseln - Das neue Hongkong Kino
1993Film ohne Fesseln - Das neue Hongkong Kinoas SelfMovie
Hard Boiled
1992Hard Boiledas Mr. WooMovie
Twin Dragons
1992Twin Dragonsas PriestMovie
The Banquet
1991The Banquetas Man on StairsMovie
Once a Thief
1991Once a Thiefas Stanley WuMovie
Rebel from China
1990Rebel from Chinaas KwongMovie
Bullet in the Head
1990Bullet in the Headas PolicemanMovie
Just Heroes
1989Just HeroesDirectorMovie
Sunset in Paris
1989Sunset in Parisas Maggie's uncleMovie
The Killer
1989The KillerDirectorMovie
Celebrity Talk Show
1989Celebrity Talk Showas 吴宇森TV
Starry Is the Night
1988Starry Is the Nightas Father FanMovie
I Love Maria
1988I Love MariaMovie
A Better Tomorrow II
1987A Better Tomorrow IIDirectorMovie
The Thirty Million Dollar Rush
1987The Thirty Million Dollar Rushas Ling's HusbandMovie
A Better Tomorrow
1986A Better Tomorrowas Inspector WuMovie
Love, Lone Flower
1985Love, Lone FlowerMovie
Run Tiger Run
1985Run Tiger RunDirectorMovie
Happy Union 2
1985Happy Union 2Movie
Heroes Shed No Tears
1984Heroes Shed No TearsDirectorMovie
The Time You Need a Friend
1984The Time You Need a FriendDirectorMovie
Plain Jane to the Rescue
1982Plain Jane to the Rescueas SelfMovie
To Hell with the Devil
1982To Hell with the DevilDirectorMovie
Laughing Times
1980Laughing TimesDirectorMovie
From Riches to Rags
1980From Riches to Ragsas [cameo]Movie
Last Hurrah for Chivalry
1979Last Hurrah for ChivalryDirectorMovie
Itchy Fingers
1979Itchy Fingersas Triad Boss on LorryMovie
Hello, Late Homecomers
1978Hello, Late HomecomersDirectorMovie
Follow the Star
1978Follow the Staras Miss Chen's FatherMovie
Money Crazy
1977Money CrazyDirectorMovie
Hand of Death
1976Hand of Deathas Zhang YiMovie
Princess Chang-Ping
1976Princess Chang-PingDirectorMovie
The Dragon Tamers
1975The Dragon TamersDirectorMovie
Young Lovers on Flying Wheels
1974Young Lovers on Flying Wheelsas Man at Bike Reclaim CentreMovie
The Young Dragons
1974The Young Dragonsas Message DelivererMovie
The Mandarin
1973The MandarinMovie
T
1970The Ruthless HeartStoryMovie
Dead Knot
1969Dead Knotas BoyMovie
Accidentally
1968Accidentallyas Young ManMovie
Golden Horse Awards
1962Golden Horse Awardsas SelfTV
X
—X-CruciorDirectorMovie
G
—GambinoDirectorMovie