John Woo

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.

Directed

1. Mission: Impossible II (2000) — Director
2. Face/Off (1997) — Director
3. Paycheck (2003) — Director
4. Broken Arrow (1996) — Director
5. Windtalkers (2002) — Director
6. Hard Target (1993) — Director
7. Silent Night (2023) — Director
8. Hard Boiled (1992) — Director
9. The Killer (1989) — Director
10. Red Cliff (2008) — Director
11. A Better Tomorrow (1986) — Director
12. The Killer (2024) — Director
13. Red Cliff II (2009) — Director
14. Bullet in the Head (1990) — Director
15. A Better Tomorrow II (1987) — Director
16. Reign of Assassins (2010) — Director
17. Once a Thief (1991) — Director
18. Manhunt (2017) — Director
19. Blackjack (1998) — Director
20. Hostage (2002) — Director
21. Hand of Death (1976) — Director
22. Heroes Shed No Tears (1984) — Director
23. All the Invisible Children (2006) — Director
24. Last Hurrah for Chivalry (1979) — Director
25. The Crossing I (2014) — Director
26. The Crossing II (2015) — Director
27. Just Heroes (1989) — Director
28. Once a Thief (1996) — Director
29. The Hire (2001) — Director
30. Money Crazy (1977) — Director
31. Dead Knot (1969) — Director
32. The Robinsons: Lost in Space (2004) — Director
33. From Riches to Rags (1980) — Director
34. Laughing Times (1980) — Director
35. Plain Jane to the Rescue (1982) — Director
36. Accidentally (1968) — Director
37. The Young Dragons (1974) — Director
38. The Dragon Tamers (1975) — Director
39. To Hell with the Devil (1982) — Director
40. Run Tiger Run (1985) — Director

Also appeared in

1. Hard Boiled (1992) — Mr. Woo
2. A Better Tomorrow (1986) — Inspector Wu
3. Twin Dragons (1992) — Priest
4. Bullet in the Head (1990) — Policeman
5. Once a Thief (1991) — Stanley Wu
6. Hand of Death (1976) — Zhang Yi
7. The Founding of a Republic (2009) — Liu Wenhui
8. Beginning of the Great Revival (2011) — Lin Sen
9. How Bruce Lee Changed the World (2009) — Self
10. Mission: Improbable (2001) — John Woo
11. I Love Maria (1988)
12. The Banquet (1991) — Man on Stairs
13. Kurosawa's Way (2011) — Self
14. The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies (2002) — Self - Interviewee
15. The Thirty Million Dollar Rush (1987) — Ling's Husband
16. Dead Knot (1969) — Boy
17. Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema (1998) — Self
18. Plain Jane to the Rescue (1982) — Self
19. Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fu (2003) — Self
20. From Riches to Rags (1980) — [cameo]
21. Kurosawa: The Last Emperor (1999) — Self
22. Cinema of Vengeance (1994) — Self (uncredited)
23. John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood (2017) — Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
24. Accidentally (1968) — Young Man
25. Itchy Fingers (1979) — Triad Boss on Lorry
26. The Young Dragons (1974) — Message Deliverer
27. Starry Is the Night (1988) — Father Fan
28. Task Force (1997) — Police Chief
29. The King of Wuxia Part 1 (2022) — Self
30. Follow the Star (1978) — Miss Chen's Father
31. Ken San (2016) — Self
32. Film ohne Fesseln - Das neue Hongkong Kino (1993) — Self
33. Young Lovers on Flying Wheels (1974) — Man at Bike Reclaim Centre
34. Cinema Hong Kong: Wu Xia (2003) — Self
35. Sunset in Paris (1989) — Maggie's uncle
36. The Mandarin (1973)
37. The Making of Stranglehold (2007)
38. Celebrity Talk Show (1989) — 吴宇森
39. Rebel from China (1990) — Kwong
40. Love, Lone Flower (1985)