Ilya Naishuller

Ilya Viktorovich Naishuller (; born November 19, 1983) is a Russian film director and musician. He is known for directing the action films Hardcore Henry and Nobody (2021). He is also the founder of the film production company Versus Pictures and the indie rock band Biting Elbows.

Early life Naishuller was born in Moscow, the son of a surgeon mother, Tatyana Rusakova, and an "oligarch" businessman father, "one of the richest people in Russia in the early 1990s", Viktor Naishuller, of Jewish background. From the ages of seven to fourteen he lived in London and attended a private school.

After returning to Russia, he graduated from the British International School (Moscow) in Yasenevo District, Moscow. The video caught the attention of Hollywood agents and talents, notably by filmmaker Darren Aronofsky. Simultaneously, a comic book was released titled "Hardcore Akan #1", written by Naishuller, Brian Phillipson, and Will Stewart. It is a prequel to the film and provides the backstory for Akan, a villain in the film.

In 2016, he directed the music video for "False Alarm" by The Weeknd; it stars Kristine Froseth and Damion Poitier. In 2017, he directed the music video for Kolshchik by Russian rock band Leningrad, it won the Berlin Music Video Awards in 2017, while taking the first place for the "Best Concept" category. He has also directed 3 other music videos for the band, that being Voyage, Ju-Ju, and Tsoi.

In 2021, Naishuller directed Nobody, an American action film written by Derek Kolstad. It stars Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Aleksei Serebryakov, RZA and Christopher Lloyd. It premiered as theaters in the United States were starting to reopen, following the initial COVID-19 outbreak. Nobody debuted at #1 at the US Box Office in its opening weekend.

He directed Heads of State, written by Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, and Harrison Query. It stars Idris Elba, John Cena, and Priyanka Chopra. Heads of State was released on July 2nd, 2025 on Prime Video.

Personal life In summer 2010, he married actress Daria (Darya) Charusha.

Filmography Film Director Year Title Notes 2015 Hardcore Henry Also writer, producer and cinematographer 2021 Nobody 2025 Heads of State TBA Road House 2 Post-production

Actor Year Title Role 2014 All at Once Armourer 2015 Hardcore Henry Timothy / Higher-Self Merc / Henry2021 Nobody Hitman Anatoly The Execution Suspect 2022 Young Man Bank manager 2025 Heads of State Polish cop

Other credits Year Title Notes 2016 The Medic A piece from Saatchi & Saatchi's 25x25 - a collection of 1 minute shorts directed bythe participants of the last 25 years of the New Director's Showcase 2018 I Am Losing Weight Producer 2020 The Marathon of Desires Producer and co-writer 2022 Young ManProducer 2023 Centaur

Music video