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
Hard Target
(1993)
Director
Silent Night
(2023)
Director
Broken Arrow
(1996)
Director
Face/Off
(1997)
Director
Mission: Impossible II
(2000)
Director
Red Cliff II
(2009)
Director
Red Cliff
(2008)
Director
A Better Tomorrow
(1986)
Director
Windtalkers
(2002)
Director
Paycheck
(2003)
Director
Hard Boiled
(1992)
Director
A Better Tomorrow II
(1987)
Director
The Killer
(1989)
Director
Manhunt
(2017)
Director
Once a Thief
(1991)
Director
Reign of Assassins
(2010)
Co-Director
Full Filmography
Directing
Accidentally
(1968)
Director
Dead Knot
(1968)
Director
The Boxer from Shantung
(1972)
Assistant Director
Fist to Fist
(1973)
Assistant Director
The Young Dragons
(1974)
Director
The Dragon Tamers
(1975)
Director
Hand of Death
(1976)
Director
Princess Chang-Ping
(1976)
Director
Money Crazy
(1977)
Director
Follow the Star
(1978)
Director
Hello, Late Homecomers
(1978)
Director
Last Hurrah for Chivalry
(1979)
Director
From Riches to Rags
(1980)
Director
Laughing Times
(1980)
Director
To Hell with the Devil
(1982)
Director
Plain Jane to the Rescue
(1982)
Director
Run Tiger Run
(1984)
Director
Heroes Shed No Tears
(1984)
Director
The Time You Need a Friend
(1985)
Director
A Better Tomorrow
(1986)
Director
A Better Tomorrow II
(1987)
Director
The Killer
(1989)
Director
Just Heroes
(1989)
Director
Bullet in the Head
(1990)
Director
Once a Thief
(1991)
Director
Hard Boiled
(1992)
Director
Hard Target
(1993)
Director
Once a Thief
(1996)
Director
Broken Arrow
(1996)
Director
Face/Off
(1997)
Director
Blackjack
(1998)
Director
Mission: Impossible II
(2000)
Director
Hostage
(2002)
Director
Windtalkers
(2002)
Director
Paycheck
(2003)
Director
The Robinsons: Lost in Space
(2004)
Director
All the Invisible Children
(2005)
Director
Red Cliff
(2008)
Director
Red Cliff II
(2009)
Director
Reign of Assassins
(2010)
Co-Director
The Crossing
(2014)
Director
The Crossing II
(2015)
Director
Manhunt
(2017)
Director
Silent Night
(2023)
Director
Acting
Accidentally
(1968)
Young Man
Dead Knot
(1968)
The Mandarin
(1973)
The Young Dragons
(1974)
Message deliverer
Young Lovers on Flying Wheels
(1974)
Man at bike reclaim centre
Hand of Death
(1976)
Zhang Yi
Follow the Star
(1978)
Miss Chen's father
Itchy Fingers
(1979)
Triad boss on lorry
From Riches to Rags
(1980)
[cameo]
Plain Jane to the Rescue
(1982)
Self
Love, Lone Flower
(1985)
Happy Union 2
(1985)
A Better Tomorrow
(1986)
Inspector Wu
The Thirty Million Dollar Rush
(1987)
Ling's Husband
Starry Is the Night
(1988)
Father Fan
I Love Maria
(1988)
Sunset in Paris
(1989)
Rebel from China
(1990)
Kwong
Bullet in the Head
(1990)
Policeman
The Banquet
(1991)
Man on stairs
Once a Thief
(1991)
Stanley Wu
Hard Boiled
(1992)
Mr. Woo
Twin Dragons
(1992)
Priest
Film ohne Fesseln - Das neue Hongkong Kino
(1993)
Himself
Cinema of Vengeance
(1994)
Himself (uncredited)
Task Force
(1997)
Police Chief
Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema
(1998)
Himself
Jackie Chan: My Story
(1998)
Self
Kurosawa: The Last Emperor
(1999)
Self
Mission: Improbable
(2001)
Self
The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies
(2002)
Self - Interviewee
Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fu
(2003)
Self
Cinema Hong Kong: Wu Xia
(2003)
Himself
The Master: Chang Cheh Documentary
(2003)
Crossings: John Woo
(2004)
Self
A Century of Light and Shadow
(2005)
Himself
Team-Up: John Woo and Shinji Aramaki
(2008)
The Founding of a Republic
(2009)
Liu Wenhui
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
(2009)
Self
Kurosawa's Way
(2011)
Self
Beginning of the Great Revival
(2011)
Lin Sen
Ken San
(2016)
Self
John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood
(2017)
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Life in 24 Frames a Second
(2021)
Self
The King of Wuxia
(2022)
Self
Writing
Dead Knot
(1968)
Writer
The Young Dragons
(1974)
Writer
The Dragon Tamers
(1975)
Writer
Princess Chang-Ping
(1976)
Screenplay
Hand of Death
(1976)
Writer
Money Crazy
(1977)
Screenplay
Follow the Star
(1978)
Writer
Hello, Late Homecomers
(1978)
Screenplay
Last Hurrah for Chivalry
(1979)
Writer
From Riches to Rags
(1980)
Writer
Laughing Times
(1980)
Writer and Screenplay
To Hell with the Devil
(1982)
Writer
Plain Jane to the Rescue
(1982)
Screenplay
Heroes Shed No Tears
(1984)
Writer
A Better Tomorrow
(1986)
Screenplay
A Better Tomorrow II
(1987)
Writer
The Killer
(1989)
Screenplay
Bullet in the Head
(1990)
Screenplay
Once a Thief
(1991)
Screenplay
Hard Boiled
(1992)
Story
Red Cliff
(2008)
Screenplay
Red Cliff II
(2009)
Screenplay
A Better Tomorrow
(2010)
Screenplay
Manhunt
(2017)
Writer
Crew
Production
Run Tiger Run
(1984)
Producer
Heroes Shed No Tears
(1984)
Producer
Super Citizen
(1985)
Producer
Happy Union 2
(1985)
Producer
Love, Lone Flower
(1985)
Producer
A Better Tomorrow
(1986)
Producer
A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon
(1989)
Producer
Bullet in the Head
(1990)
Producer
Peace Hotel
(1995)
Executive Producer
Don't Cry, Nanking
(1995)
Producer
Somebody Up There Likes Me
(1996)
Producer
Blackjack
(1998)
Producer
The Big Hit
(1998)
Executive Producer
The Replacement Killers
(1998)
Executive Producer
Red Skies
(2002)
Executive Producer
Windtalkers
(2002)
Producer
Paycheck
(2003)
Producer
Bulletproof Monk
(2003)
Producer
Appleseed: Ex Machina
(2007)
Producer
The Making of Stranglehold
(2007)
Producer
Blood Brothers
(2007)
Producer
Red Cliff
(2008)
Producer
Red Cliff II
(2009)
Producer
A Better Tomorrow
(2010)
Executive Producer
Reign of Assassins
(2010)
Producer
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 1: The Sun Flag
(2011)
Producer
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 2: The Rainbow Bridge
(2011)
Producer
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale
(2012)
Producer
Breaking the Waves
(2014)
Executive Producer
Silent Night
(2023)
Producer
Editing