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

Books

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

Periodicals

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

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