John Woo Biography (1948?-)

Real name, Wu Yusen; born September 22, 1948 (some sources say May 1, 1946),in Guangzhou, China; raised in Hong Kong; father, a teacher, mother, a construction worker; married Ann Woo Chun-lung, 1976; children: two daughters, oneson. Addresses: Agent: Endeavor, 9701 Wilshire Blvd., 10th Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90212; William Morris Agency, 151 El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills,CA 90212.; Contact: Garth Productions, 450 North Roxbury Dr., 8th Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90210; c/o Lion Rock Productions, MGM Studios, 2500 Broadway,Building F, Suite 370, Santa Monica, CA 90404.

Nationality

Chinese

Gender

Male

Occupation

Director, editor, producer, screenwriter

Birth Details

September 22, 1948?

Guangzhou, China

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Film Director
• (Codirector; as Chen Ng Yu) Sijie (also known as Dead Knot), 1968
• Ouran (also known as Accidentally), 1968
• The Young Dragons (also known as Tie han rou qing and Ninja Kids), 1973
• The Dragon Tamers (also known as Nu zi tai quan qun ying hui and Belles of Taekwondo), 1974
• (As Wu Yusen) Princess Chang Ping (also known as Di nue hua), 1975
• Shao Lin men (also known as Countdown in Kung Fu, Hand of Death, Shaolin Men, and Strike of Death), Golden Harvest,1975
• Follow the Star (also known as Da sha xing yu xiao mei tou), 1977
• Money Crazy (also known as Fa qian han and The Pilferer's Progress), 1977
• Last Hurrah for Chivalry (also known as Last Hurray for Chivalry and Hao xia), Golden Harvest, 1978
• Ha luo, ye gui ren (also known as Hello, Late Homecomers),1978
• From Riches to Rags (also known as Quan zuo guai and Money Talk), 1979
• To Hell with the Devil (also known as Mo deng tian shi), 1981
• (As Wu Hsiang-fei) Laughing Times (also known as Hua ji shi dai), 1981
• Plain Jane to the Rescue (also known as Ba cai Lin Ya Zhenand Lam Au Chun No. 3), 1982
• The Sunset Warrior (also known as Heroes Shed No Tears andYing xiong wei lei), Paragon Films, 1983
• The Time You Need a Friend (also known as Xiao jiang), 1984
• Run, Tiger, Run (also known as Liang zhi lao hu), 1985
• A Better Tomorrow (also known as Yingxiong bense, Ying huang book sik, The Color of a Hero, Gangland Boss, and True Colors of a Hero), Golden Princess, 1986
• A Better Tomorrow II (also known as The Color of a Hero IIand Yinghung bunski II), 1986
• Yi dan qun ying (also known as Just Heroes and Tragic Heroes), 1987
• The Killer (also known as Die xue shuang xiong), Circle Releasing, 1989
• Bullet in the Head (also known as Die xue jie tou) Film Workshop, 1990
• Once a Thief (also known as Zongsheng sihai), Milestone Pictures, 1991
• Hard-Boiled (also known as Lashou shentan, Hot-Handed God of Cops, and Ruthless Super-Cop), Rim Film Distributors, 1992
• Hard Target, Universal, 1993
• Broken Arrow, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1995
• The Peace Hotel (also known as Heping fandian), 1995
• Somebody Up There Likes Me (also known as Lang man feng bao), 1996
• Face/Off, Buena Vista, 1997
• The Replacement Killers, Columbia, 1998
• Hong Kong Face-Off, 1998
• The Big Hit, TriStar, 1998
• King's Ransom, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1999
• Mission: Impossible 2, Paramount, 1999
• Windalkers, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2002
• Land of Destiny, Propaganda, 2003
• Paycheck, Paramount, 2003
• Also director, The Hire: Hostage, part of a series of short filmsproduced by BMW.
• Film Producer
• (Coproducer) Ha luo, ye gui ren (also known as Hello, Late Homecomers), 1978
• Liang zhi lao ju (also known as Run Tiger Run), 1985
• A Better Tomorrow (also known as Yingxiong bense, Ying huang book sik, The Color of a Hero, Gangland Boss, and True Colors of a Hero), Golden Princess, 1986
• A Better Tomorrow III (also known as Yinghung bunsik III and A Better tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon), 1989
• Bullet in the Head (also known as Die xue jie tou) Film Workshop, 1990
• The Peace Hotel (also known as Heping fandian), 1995
• Face/Off, Buena Vista, 1997
• The Last Word, 1999
• King's Ransom, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1999
• Mission Impossible: 2, Paramount, 1999
• Devil in a Bathrobe, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2000
• Windalkers, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2002
• Bulletproof Monk, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2003
• Paycheck, Paramount, 2003
• Also produced Longman Fungbou; worked on Countdown in Kung Fu, Shaw Brothers; and Just Heroes.
• Film Executive Producer
• Somebody Up There Likes Me (also known as Lang man feng bao), 1996
• The Replacement Killers, Columbia, 1998
• The Big Hit, TriStar, 1998
• Film Editor
• Mo deng tian shi (also known as To Hell with the Devil), 1981
• Bullet in the Head (also known as Die xue jie tou) Film Workshop, 1990
• Lashou shentan (also known as God of Guns, Hard-boiled, Hot-Handed God of Cops and Ruthless Super-Cop), 1992
• Film Appearances
• Young artist, Sijie (also known as Dead Knot), 1968
• Young man, Ouran (also known as Accidentally), 1968
• The Young Dragons (also known as Tie han rou qing and Ninja Kids), 1973
• Scholar Cheng, Shao Lin men (also known as Countdown in Kung Fu, Hand of Death, Shaolin Men, and Strike of Death),Golden Harvest, 1975
• Miss Chen's father, Follow the Star (also known as Da sha xingyu xiao mei tou), 1977
• Drunken master, From Riches to Rags (also known as Quan zuo guai and Money Talk), 1979
• John Wu, Plain Jane to the Rescue (also known as Ba cai Lin YaZhen and Lam Au Chun No. 3), 1982
• Man in bed, Heng cai san qian wan (also known as Thirty MillionDollar Rush and The Thirty Million Rush), 1985
• Inspector Wu, A Better Tomorrow (also known as Yingxiong bense, Ying huang book sik, The Color of a Hero, Gangland Boss, and True Colors of a Hero), Golden Princess, 1986
• Father Fan, Starry Is the Night (also known as Gam ye sing gwong chaan laan), 1988
• Kwong, Yong chuang tian xia (also known as Rebel from China), 1990
• Police inspector, Bullet in the Head (also known as Die xue jietou and Bloodshed in the Streets), Film Workshop, 1990
• Stanley Wu, Once a Thief (also known as Zongsheng sihai), Milestone Pictures, 1991
• Man on stairs, Haomen yeyan (also known as The Banquet, Ho moon ye yin, and Party of a Wealthy Family), 1991
• (As John Wu) Priest, Shuang long hui (also known as Brother v.Brother, Double Dragon, Duel of Dragons, The Twin Dragons, and When Dragons Collide), 1992
• Mr. Woo, a night club owner, Hard-Boiled (also known as Lashoushentan, Hot-Handed God of Cops, and Ruthless Super-Cop), Rim Film Distributors, 1992
• Cinema of Vengeance (documentary), Eastern Heroes Video, 1994
• Yang + Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema, 1996
• Police chief, Yit huet jui keung (also known as Re xue zui qiang and Task Force), 1997
• Jackie Chan: My Story, 1998
• Television Work
• Movies
• Producer and director, John Woo's Once a Thief (also known as John Woo's Violent Tradition and Once a Thief), Fox, 1996
• Executive producer and director, John Woo's Blackjack, USA Network, 1998
• Executive producer, John Woo's Once a Thief: Brother against Brother, TMC, 1998
• Executive producer, John Woo's Once a Thief: Family Business, TMC,1998
• Series
• Executive producer, Once a Thief (also known as John Woo's Oncea Thief), 1997
• Pilots
• Executive producer, Red Skies, USA Network, 2002
• Television Appearances
• Specials
• Interviewee, Kurosawa: The Last Emperor (documentary), IndependentFilm Channel, 2000
• 2000 MTV Movie Awards, MTV, 2000
• Mission: Improbable (also known as Being Tom Cruise), 2000
• World Stunt Awards, ABC, 2001
• Hollywood Salutes Nicolas Cage: An American Cinematheque Tribute,TNT, 2002
• WRITINGS
• Screenplays
• (As Ng Yu Chen) Sijie (also known as Dead Knot), 1968
• The Young Dragons (also known as Tie han rou qing and Ninja Kids), 1973
• The Dragon Tamers (also known as Nu zi tai quan qun ying hui and Belles of Taekwondo), 1974
• Shao Lin men (also known as Countdown in Kung Fu, Hand of Death, Shaolin Men, and Strike of Death), Golden Harvest,1975
• Princess Chang Ping (also known as Di nue hua), 1975
• Follow the Star (also known as Da sha xing yu xiao mei tou), 1977
• Money Crazy (also known as Fa qian han and The Pilferer's Progress), 1977
• From Riches to Rags (also known as Quan zuo guai and Money Talk), 1979
• Last Hurrah for Chivalry (also known as Last Hurray for Chivalry and Hao xia), Golden Harvest, 1978
• Ha luo, ye gui shi (also known as Hello, Late Homecomers),1978
• Mo deng tian shi (also known as To Hell with the Devil), 1981
• Hua ji shi dai (also known as Laughing Times), 1981
• (Also story) Ba cai Lin Ya Zhen (also known as Lam Au Chun No.3 and The Sunset Warrior), 1982
• The Sunset Warrior (also known as Heroes Shed No Tears andYing xiong wei lei), Paragon Films, 1983
• (Uncredited; with Chan Hing-kai and Leung Suk-wah) A Better Tomorrow (also known as Yingxiong bense, Ying huang book sik, TheColor of a Hero, Gangland Boss, and True Colors of a Hero),Golden Princess, 1986
• A Better Tomorrow II (also known as The Color of a Hero IIand Yinghung bunski II), Cinema City, 1986
• The Killer (also known as Die xue shuang xiong), Circle Releasing, 1989
• Bullet in the Head (also known as Die xue jie tou), Film Workshop, 1990
• Once a Thief (also known as Zongsheng sihai), Milestone Pictures, 1991
• Story only, Hard-Boiled (also known as Lashou shentan, Hot-Handed God of Cops, and Ruthless Super-Cop), Rim Film Distributors, 1992
• Television Movies
• John Woo's Once a Thief (also known as John Woo's Violent Tradition and Once a Thief), Fox, 1996
• John Woo's Once a Thief: Brother against Brother, TMC, 1998
• John Woo's Once a Thief: Family Business, TMC, 1998

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

• Bliss, Between the Bullets: The Spiritual Cinema of John Woo, Scarecrow Press, 2002
• Hall, Kenneth E., John Woo: The Films, McFarland & Company, 1999
• International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 2: Directors, St. James Press, 1996

• Empire, 1993, pp. 64-65
• Entertainment Weekly, March 8, 1996; July 18, 1997, p. 88
• Film Quarterly, summer, 1996, p. 23
• Maclean's, August 11, 1997, p. 43
• New York Times Biographical Service, February, 1996, pp. 318-319
• People Weekly, June 30, 1997, p. 20
• Playboy, July, 2002, pp. 104, 148-151
• Premiere, June, 2000, pp. 92-95, 105
• Reason, November, 1994
• Time, February 26, 1996