Stephen Hopkins

Stephen Hopkins is a Jamaican-born British director and producer of film and television. He directed Predator 2, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, Blown Away, The Ghost and the Darkness, Lost in Space, Under Suspicion and The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. He also produced and directed several episodes of the first season of 24.

Biography Hopkins was born in Jamaica and grew up in the USA and England, arriving in England in the 1960s. He had aspirations to be a comic book artist but said "I wasn’t really good enough I don’t think or wasn’t applied enough and it was a lonely job." He began doing story boards for rock videos for artists such as Duran Duran and became a designer for directors like Russell Mulcahy, David Mallett, Brian Grant, and Steve Barron, before moving into directing videos himself.

Russell Mulcahy invited Hopkins to direct second unit on Highlander and he directed concert films for artists such as Mick Jagger.

He went on to make Predator 2, of which he said, "I'm pretty immature, really, so it was kind of a laugh". Stephan James plays Jesse Owens, opposite Jason Sudeikis and Jeremy Irons. The film was released in February 2016.

Hopkins said that after Predator 2 he "looked around for a good film for a long time, and I couldn't get anything I wanted to do... I didn't realise the Hollywood trick. In American action movies, people get shot to death and their arms are blown off, and they get up and they're fine. These films are supposed to be fun things that people can laugh at. I always thought, 'That's wrong, that's not what violence is like.' I took these films too seriously and tried to add profound depths, and that's not what's wanted. You either do that film or you do the other one, but I kept mixing the two up, and probably unsuccessfully.'"

in 2019 Hopkins directed the pilot episode for a potential The Dark Tower series for Amazon. However Amazon passed on the series.

In 2023 Hopkins directed the 6 episode globe trotting spy thriller Liaison starring Vincent Cassel and Eva Green. He is also a producer on the series.

Filmography Film Year Title Director Producer Writer Notes 1987 Dangerous Game 1989 A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child 1990 Predator 2 1993 Judgment Night 1994 Blown Away 1996 The Ghost and the Darkness 1998 Lost in Space 1999 Tube Tales Segment "Horny" 2000 Under Suspicion 2004 The Life and Death of Peter Sellers 2007 The Reaping 2016 Race 2019 Seberg

Television Year Title Director ExecutiveProducer Notes 1991-94 Tales from the Crypt 3 episodes 2001-02 24 13 episodes 2007-13 Californication 3 episodes2009 The Unusuals Episode "Pilot" In Plain Sight Episode "Gilted Lily" 2011 Shameless Episode "Aunt Ginger" 2012-14 House of Lies 24 episodes 2016-17 24: Legacy 3 episodes 2019 The Dark Tower Unsold pilot 2020 The Fugitive 14 episodes 2023 Liaison 6 episodes

TV movie The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)

Miniseries Year Title Director ExecutiveProducer Notes 2004 Traffic Co-directed with Eric Bross 2010 Thorne 3 episodes 2016 Houdini & Doyle Episodes "The Maggie's Redress" and "A Dish of Adharma"

Awards and nominations Fantasporto

Primetime Emmy Awards Year Title Category Result2001-0224 Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Outstanding Drama Series 2004 Traffic Outstanding Miniseries or Movie The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special

Cannes Film Festival Year Title Category Result 2004 The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Palme d'Or

Directors Guild of America Year Title Category Result 2001 24 Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series 2004 The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television

Gemini Awards Year Title Category Result 2010 Thorne Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries