James Ashcroft

James Ashcroft (born 12 June 1978) is a New Zealand director, screenwriter, producer, and former actor. He had a career in theatre, film, television and radio, before moving to directing films. He has directed two films based on short stories by New Zealand writer Owen Marshall, and in 2025 was directing The Whisper Man, starring Robert De Niro.

Early life and education Ashcroft was born to a Māori mother and an English father. He is of Ngāti Kahu and Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) descent. He is the youngest of six siblings and grew up in Paraparaumu. He trained as an actor, and graduated from Victoria University and Toi Whakaari drama school.

Career Ashcroft has had a career in theatre, film, television and radio, including becoming the artistic director and chief executive of Māori theatre company Taki Rua Productions. He has directed multiple short films. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

In 2024 he directed The Rule of Jenny Pen, a psychological horror film based on Marshall's short story of the same name. It was co-written by Ashcroft and Eli Kent, and stars John Lithgow, Geoffrey Rush, and George Henare. The film was shown at Fantastic Fest on 19 September 2024, where Ashcroft won the best director award. It was shown at Sitges Film Festival in October 2024, where Lithgow and Rush were jointly awarded best actor.

Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 73% approval rating from 95 reviews. The critical consensus reads "John Lithgow's frighteningly unhinged performance reigns over The Rule of Jenny Pen, a nasty chiller that's by turns monotonous and haunting". The Guardian called it a "bracingly malicious tale of elder abuse". Novelist Stephen King tweeted “I watched one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. It’s called The Rule of Jenny Pen, and I urge you to watch it...”. to be released in 2026. His next film will be When Darkness Loves Us, based on a novella by Elizabeth Engstrom, starring Emilia Clarke, and filmed in New Zealand. He lives in Mount Maunganui. When Darkness Loves Us (2027)