Directing
John Woo
Born September 22, 1946 · Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
Biography
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
6.1
Mission: Impossible II
Director
7.3
Face/Off
Director, Storyboard
6.3
Paycheck
Director, Producer
6.1
Broken Arrow
Director
6.1
Windtalkers
Director, Producer
6.2
Hard Target
Director
5.5
Bulletproof Monk
Producer
7.7
Hard Boiled
Mr. Woo, Director, Editor, Story
5.3
Silent Night
Producer, Director
7.7
The Killer
Director, Screenplay
7.3
Red Cliff
Director, Screenplay, Producer
7.4
A Better Tomorrow
Inspector Wu, Director, Writer
5.7
The Killer
Director, Producer, Original Film Writer
6.1
The Replacement Killers
Executive Producer, Choreographer
7.5
Red Cliff II
Screenplay, Director, Producer
6.1
The Big Hit
Executive Producer
6.4
Twin Dragons
Priest
7.5
Bullet in the Head
Policeman, Director, Producer, Editor, Writer
7.1
A Better Tomorrow II
Director, Writer
6.8
Reign of Assassins
Producer, Director
Filmography
- 2026Twist & Shoot: Mister SuzukiSelfMovie
- 2024The KillerDirector, Producer, Original Film WriterMovie
- 2023Silent NightProducer, DirectorMovie
- 2022The King of Wuxia Part 2SelfMovie
- 2022The King of Wuxia Part 1SelfMovie
- 2022大侠胡金铨selfSeries
- 2021Life in 24 Frames a SecondSelfMovie
- 2018A Better TomorrowOriginal StoryMovie
- 2017ManhuntDirector, WriterMovie
- 2017John Travolta, le miraculé d'HollywoodSelf - Filmmaker (archive footage)Movie
- 2016Ken SanSelfMovie
- 2015The Crossing IIDirectorMovie
- 2014The Crossing IDirectorMovie
- 2014Breaking the WavesExecutive ProducerMovie
- 2012VoiceSeries
- 2012Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq BaleProducerMovie
- 2011Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 2: The Rainbow BridgeProducerMovie
- 2011Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 1: The Sun FlagProducerMovie
- 2011Beginning of the Great RevivalLin SenMovie
- 2011Kurosawa's WaySelfMovie
- 2010Color Me LoveProducerMovie
- 2010A Better TomorrowExecutive Producer, Screenplay, Original StoryMovie
- 2010Reign of AssassinsProducer, DirectorMovie
- 2010Mission: Remarkable - 40 Years of Creating the ImpossibleSelfMovie
- 2009My Fair GentlemanProducerMovie
- 2009The Founding of a RepublicLiu Wenhui, National Army OfficersMovie
- 2009How Bruce Lee Changed the WorldSelfMovie
- 2009Red Cliff IIScreenplay, Director, ProducerMovie
- 2008Red CliffDirector, Screenplay, ProducerMovie
- 2008Team-Up: John Woo and Shinji AramakiMovie
- 2007Appleseed: Ex MachinaProducerMovie
- 2007The Light and The Dark: The Making of Face/OffSelfMovie
- 2007Blood BrothersProducerMovie
- 2007The Making of StrangleholdMovie
- 2007Bokura no JidaiSeries
- 2006Be My GuestSeries
- 2006All the Invisible ChildrenDirectorMovie
- 2005A Century of Light and ShadowSelfSeries
- 2004Crossings: John WooSelfMovie
- 2004The Robinsons: Lost in SpaceDirectorMovie
- 2003PaycheckDirector, ProducerMovie
- 2003Chop Socky: Cinema Hong KongSelfMovie
- 2003The Master: Chang Cheh DocumentaryMovie
- 2003The Life and Times of Wu Zhong XianAs himselfMovie
- 2003Bulletproof MonkProducerMovie
- 2003Cinema Hong Kong: Wu XiaSelfMovie
- 2003Cinema Hong Kong: Kung FuSelfMovie
- 2002HostageDirectorMovie
- 2002Red SkiesExecutive ProducerMovie
- 2002WindtalkersDirector, ProducerMovie
- 2002The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the MoviesSelf - IntervieweeMovie
- 2002The Test of Time: The Genesis of Hard BoiledMovie
- 2001The HireDirectorSeries
- 2000Mission: ImprobableJohn WooMovie
- 2000Mission: Impossible IIDirectorMovie
- 1999Kurosawa: The Last EmperorSelfMovie
- 1998BlackjackDirector, ProducerMovie
- 1998Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese CinemaSelfMovie
- 1998The Big HitExecutive ProducerMovie
- 1998The Replacement KillersExecutive Producer, ChoreographerMovie
- 1997Task ForcePolice ChiefMovie
- 1997Face/OffDirector, StoryboardMovie
- 1996Once a ThiefDirectorMovie
- 1996Once a ThiefCreatorSeries
- 1996Somebody Up There Likes MeProducerMovie
- 1996Broken ArrowDirectorMovie
- 1995Don't Cry, NankingProducerMovie
- 1995Peace HotelExecutive ProducerMovie
- 1994Cinema of VengeanceSelf (uncredited)Movie
- 1993Hard TargetDirectorMovie
- 1993Film ohne Fesseln - Das neue Hongkong KinoSelfMovie
- 1992Hard BoiledMr. Woo, Director, Editor, StoryMovie
- 1992Twin DragonsPriestMovie
- 1991The BanquetMan on StairsMovie
- 1991Once a ThiefStanley Wu, Director, Screenplay, StoryMovie
- 1990Rebel from ChinaKwongMovie
- 1990Bullet in the HeadPoliceman, Director, Producer, Editor, WriterMovie
- 1989A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in SaigonProducerMovie
- 1989Just HeroesDirectorMovie
- 1989Sunset in ParisMaggie's uncleMovie
- 1989The KillerDirector, ScreenplayMovie
- 1989Celebrity Talk Show吴宇森Series
- 1988Starry Is the NightFather FanMovie
- 1988I Love MariaMovie
- 1987A Better Tomorrow IIDirector, WriterMovie
- 1987The Thirty Million Dollar RushLing's HusbandMovie
- 1986A Better TomorrowInspector Wu, Director, WriterMovie
- 1985Love, Lone FlowerMovie
- 1985Super CitizenProducerMovie
- 1985Run Tiger RunDirector, ProducerMovie
- 1985Happy Union 2Movie
- 1984Heroes Shed No TearsProducer, Director, WriterMovie
- 1984The Time You Need a FriendDirectorMovie
- 1984Happy UnionProducerMovie
- 1982Plain Jane to the RescueSelf, Director, ScreenplayMovie
- 1982To Hell with the DevilDirector, WriterMovie
- 1980Laughing TimesScreenplay, DirectorMovie
- 1980From Riches to Rags[cameo], Director, WriterMovie
- 1979Last Hurrah for ChivalryDirector, WriterMovie
- 1979Itchy FingersTriad Boss on LorryMovie
- 1978Hello, Late HomecomersDirector, ScreenplayMovie
- 1978Follow the StarMiss Chen's Father, Director, Writer, ScreenplayMovie
- 1977Money CrazyDirector, ScreenplayMovie
- 1976The Private EyesProducerMovie
- 1976Hand of DeathZhang Yi, Director, ScreenplayMovie
- 1976Princess Chang-PingDirector, ScreenplayMovie
- 1975The Dragon TamersDirector, WriterMovie
- 1974Young Lovers on Flying WheelsMan at Bike Reclaim CentreMovie
- 1974The Young DragonsMessage Deliverer, Director, WriterMovie
- 1973Fist to FistAssistant DirectorMovie
- 1973The MandarinMovie
- 1973Blood BrothersAssistant DirectorMovie
- 1972Four RidersAssistant DirectorMovie
- 1972Young PeopleAssistant DirectorMovie
- 1972The Water MarginAssistant DirectorMovie
- 1972The Boxer from ShantungAssistant DirectorMovie
- 1970BeggingThanksMovie
- 1969Dead KnotBoy, Writer, Producer, Editor, DirectorMovie
- 1968AccidentallyYoung Man, Director, Writer, EditorMovie
- 1962Golden Horse AwardsSelfSeries