Nimród Antal

Nimród E. Antal (; born November 30, 1973) is a Hungarian-American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the films Vacancy, Predators (2010), and Retribution (2023).

Life and career Antal was born in Los Angeles, California, to parents of Hungarian descent. In 1991, following his father's advice, Antal moved to Hungary to study at the Hungarian Film Academy in Budapest. After graduating, he worked in the Hungarian film and television industry; in 2005, he returned to Los Angeles and continued to work in the film and television industry in Hollywood.

Directing Antal wrote and directed the Hungarian-language film Kontroll (2003), which won numerous awards, including the Award of the Youth at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and the main prize at the Chicago International Film Festival, as well as a European Film Award nomination for Best Director and being selected as Hungary's submission to the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The backdrop of the film is the Budapest Metro subway system. Kontroll, refers to the act of ticket inspectors checking to ensure a rider has paid their fare.

Antal's first American feature film, Vacancy, starring Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson, was released on April 20, 2007. His second American film, Armored, was released in December 2009. Robert Rodriguez hired him to direct the film Predators. He directed the Metallica 3D concert movie/narrative film titled Metallica: Through the Never (2013).

Antal returned to Hungary to make The Whisky Bandit (2017), a biopic of infamous Hungarian bank robber Attila Ambrus.

Antal has directed for three television series, two of which were executive produced by M. Night Shyamalan – first, as a guest director on Wayward Pines, then as a regular director for Servant. In 2022, he directed two episodes of Stranger Things season 4.

Acting Antal has appeared in acting roles in films including András Salamons Közel a szerelemhez (1999) and Balra a nap nyugszik (2000), directed by András Fésös. He also had a cameo in Robert Rodriguez's 2010 film Machete.

FilmographyFilm Year Title Director Writer 2003 Kontroll 2007 Vacancy 2009 Armored 2010 Predators 2013 Metallica: Through the Never 2017 The Whiskey Bandit 2023 Retribution 2025 Afterburn Television'