Paul W.S. Anderson
- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Paul W.S. Anderson gained a fair bit of notoriety in his native England
when he directed the ultra-violent
Shopping (1994) (which he also wrote),
starring Jude Law and
Sean Pertwee in a story about thieves who
steal by ramming a car into storefronts. The film was banned in some
cinemas in England, and became a direct-to-video slightly edited
release in the United States.
Shopping (1994) allowed Anderson to get
the chance to direct
Mortal Kombat (1995), an adaptation
of the hit video game, which showcased his directorial trademarks -
visually stunning scenery and quick-cut editing. The film did well
enough for him to choose his next project, which was
Soldier (1998) with Warner Bros.,
with Kurt Russell in the lead.
Unfortunately, Russell decided at the time to go on hiatus, pushing the
release date of that film into 1998. In the meantime, Anderson directed
Event Horizon (1997) from a script
by Philip Eisner, which featured Anderson
regulars Sean Pertwee and
Jason Isaacs. The science fiction/horror
film, a Gothic horror version of
Solaris (1972), was stylish and scary,
but was critically panned and did not do well in the box office, which
Anderson blamed on studio-enforced cuts to the story. (Anderson has
promised a Director's Cut, though none has been announced as of yet).
Soldier (1998) didn't fare well with
critics and box office either, and Anderson's planned 2000 remake of
Death Race 2000 (1975) was
canceled. This forced him to think smaller, which led to
The Sight (2000), a
supernatural mystery movie that was a minor hit. He then resurfaced to
direct another video game adaption,
Resident Evil (2002). Long rumored
among fans to be a choice comeback vehicle for zombie grandfather
George A. Romero, the writing
and directing credits eventually transferred to Anderson. He next was
given the helm for the long-awaited film adaption of the popular Dark
Horse comic book,
Alien vs. Predator (2004).
when he directed the ultra-violent
Shopping (1994) (which he also wrote),
starring Jude Law and
Sean Pertwee in a story about thieves who
steal by ramming a car into storefronts. The film was banned in some
cinemas in England, and became a direct-to-video slightly edited
release in the United States.
Shopping (1994) allowed Anderson to get
the chance to direct
Mortal Kombat (1995), an adaptation
of the hit video game, which showcased his directorial trademarks -
visually stunning scenery and quick-cut editing. The film did well
enough for him to choose his next project, which was
Soldier (1998) with Warner Bros.,
with Kurt Russell in the lead.
Unfortunately, Russell decided at the time to go on hiatus, pushing the
release date of that film into 1998. In the meantime, Anderson directed
Event Horizon (1997) from a script
by Philip Eisner, which featured Anderson
regulars Sean Pertwee and
Jason Isaacs. The science fiction/horror
film, a Gothic horror version of
Solaris (1972), was stylish and scary,
but was critically panned and did not do well in the box office, which
Anderson blamed on studio-enforced cuts to the story. (Anderson has
promised a Director's Cut, though none has been announced as of yet).
Soldier (1998) didn't fare well with
critics and box office either, and Anderson's planned 2000 remake of
Death Race 2000 (1975) was
canceled. This forced him to think smaller, which led to
The Sight (2000), a
supernatural mystery movie that was a minor hit. He then resurfaced to
direct another video game adaption,
Resident Evil (2002). Long rumored
among fans to be a choice comeback vehicle for zombie grandfather
George A. Romero, the writing
and directing credits eventually transferred to Anderson. He next was
given the helm for the long-awaited film adaption of the popular Dark
Horse comic book,
Alien vs. Predator (2004).