John Woo

Biography

John Woo Yu-Sen SBS 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 Founding of a Republic

17 September 2009

The Founding of a Republic

17 September 2009

Hand of Death

15 July 1976

Jackie Chan: My Story

17 July 1998

Beginning of the Great Revival

23 June 2011

Acting roles

Year	Movie / TV show / Other	Role
2022	The King of Wuxia	Self
2021	Life in 24 Frames a Second	Self
2017	John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood	Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
2016	Ken San	Self
2012	开讲啦
2011	Beginning of the Great Revival	Lin Sen
2011	Kurosawa's Way	Self
2009	The Founding of a Republic	Liu Wenhui
2009	The Founding of a Republic	National Army officers
2009	How Bruce Lee Changed the World	Self
2008	Team-Up: John Woo and Shinji Aramaki
2007	Bokura no Jidai
2005	A Century of Light and Shadow	Himself
2004	Crossings: John Woo	Self
2003	Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fu	Self
2003	Cinema Hong Kong: Wu Xia	Himself
2003	The Master: Chang Cheh Documentary
2002	The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies	Self - Interviewee
2001	Mission: Improbable	John Woo
1999	Kurosawa: The Last Emperor	Self
1998	Jackie Chan: My Story	(archive footage)
1998	Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema	Himself
1997	Task Force	Police Chief
1994	Cinema of Vengeance	Himself (uncredited)
1993	Film ohne Fesseln - Das neue Hongkong Kino	Himself
1992	Hard Boiled	Mr. Woo
1992	Twin Dragons	Priest
1991	Once a Thief	Stanley Wu
1991	The Banquet	Man on stairs
1990	Bullet in the Head	Policeman
1990	Rebel from China	Kwong
1989	Sunset in Paris
1988	I Love Maria
1988	Starry Is the Night	Father Fan
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	The Young Dragons	Message deliverer
1974	Young Lovers on Flying Wheels	Man at bike reclaim centre
1973	The Mandarin
1968	Accidentally	Young Man
1968	Dead Knot
1962	Golden Horse Awards	Self

Credits

Year	Movie / TV show / Other	Role
—	X-Crucior	Director
2024	The Killer	Director
2024	The Killer	Producer
2024	The Killer	Original Film Writer
2023	Silent Night	Producer
2023	Silent Night	Director
2017	Manhunt	Director
2017	Manhunt	Writer
2015	The Crossing II	Director
2014	The Crossing	Director
2014	Breaking the Waves	Executive Producer
2012	Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale	Producer
2011	Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 1: The Sun Flag	Producer
2011	Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 2: The Rainbow Bridge	Producer
2010	Reign of Assassins	Producer
2010	Reign of Assassins	Co-Director
2010	A Better Tomorrow	Executive Producer
2010	A Better Tomorrow	Screenplay
2009	Red Cliff II	Screenplay
2009	Red Cliff II	Director
2009	Red Cliff II	Producer
2008	Red Cliff	Screenplay
2008	Red Cliff	Director
2008	Red Cliff	Producer
2007	Appleseed: Ex Machina	Producer
2007	Blood Brothers	Producer
2007	The Making of Stranglehold	Producer
2005	All the Invisible Children	Director
2004	The Robinsons: Lost in Space	Director
2003	Paycheck	Director
2003	Paycheck	Producer
2003	Bulletproof Monk	Producer
2002	Windtalkers	Director
2002	Windtalkers	Producer
2002	Hostage	Director
2002	Red Skies	Executive Producer
2001	The Hire	Director
2000	Mission: Impossible II	Director
1998	The Replacement Killers	Choreographer
1998	The Replacement Killers	Executive Producer
1998	The Big Hit	Executive Producer
1998	Blackjack	Director
1998	Blackjack	Producer
1997	Face/Off	Director
1996	Broken Arrow	Director
1996	Once a Thief	Director
1996	Once a Thief	Creator
1996	Somebody Up There Likes Me	Producer
1995	Peace Hotel	Executive Producer
1995	Don't Cry, Nanking	Producer
1993	Hard Target	Director
1992	Hard Boiled	Director
1992	Hard Boiled	Editor
1992	Hard Boiled	Story
1991	Once a Thief	Screenplay
1991	Once a Thief	Director
1991	Once a Thief	Story
1990	Bullet in the Head	Producer
1990	Bullet in the Head	Director
1990	Bullet in the Head	Editor
1990	Bullet in the Head	Writer
1989	The Killer	Director
1989	The Killer	Screenplay
1989	A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon	Producer
1989	Just Heroes	Director
1987	A Better Tomorrow II	Writer
1987	A Better Tomorrow II	Director
1986	A Better Tomorrow	Screenplay
1986	A Better Tomorrow	Director
1986	A Better Tomorrow	Producer
1986	Heroes Shed No Tears	Producer
1986	Heroes Shed No Tears	Director
1986	Heroes Shed No Tears	Writer
1985	Happy Union 2	Producer
1985	The Time You Need a Friend	Director
1985	Super Citizen	Producer
1985	Love, Lone Flower	Producer
1984	Run Tiger Run	Director
1984	Run Tiger Run	Producer
1982	Plain Jane to the Rescue	Director
1982	Plain Jane to the Rescue	Screenplay
1982	To Hell with the Devil	Writer
1982	To Hell with the Devil	Director
1980	Laughing Times	Writer
1980	Laughing Times	Screenplay
1980	Laughing Times	Director
1980	From Riches to Rags	Director
1980	From Riches to Rags	Writer
1979	Last Hurrah for Chivalry	Writer
1979	Last Hurrah for Chivalry	Director
1978	Follow the Star	Director
1978	Hello, Late Homecomers	Director
1978	Follow the Star	Writer
1978	Hello, Late Homecomers	Screenplay
1977	Money Crazy	Director
1977	Money Crazy	Screenplay
1976	Hand of Death	Director
1976	Hand of Death	Screenplay
1976	Princess Chang-Ping	Director
1976	Princess Chang-Ping	Screenplay
1975	The Dragon Tamers	Director
1975	The Dragon Tamers	Writer
1974	The Young Dragons	Writer
1974	The Young Dragons	Director
1973	Blood Brothers	Assistant Director
1973	Fist to Fist	Assistant Director
1973	The Mandarin	Second Unit
1972	The Boxer from Shantung	Assistant Director
1968	Accidentally	Director
1968	Dead Knot	Director
1968	Dead Knot	Writer