Jaume Collet-Serra | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Collet-Serra in June 2015 | |
| Born | (1974-03-23)23 March 1974 (age 51) |
| Alma mater | Columbia College Hollywood |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Website | jaumecolletserra.com |
Jaume Collet-Serra (Catalan:[ˈʒawməkuˈʎɛtˈsɛrə]; born 23 March 1974) is a Spanish-American film director and producer. He directed the horror filmsHouse of Wax (2005),Orphan (2009), andThe Shallows (2016), and is known for his collaborations withLiam Neeson on the thriller filmsUnknown (2011),Non-Stop (2014),Run All Night (2015), andThe Commuter (2018) andDwayne Johnson on the blockbuster filmsJungle Cruise (2021) andBlack Adam (2022). His 2024 filmCarry-On had the second-most views ever onNetflix as of March 2025.[1][2]
Collet-Serra was born in Sant Iscle de Vallalta, Catalonia,Spain. At the age of 18, he moved toLos Angeles,California and attendedColumbia College Hollywood, working as an editor on the side. After graduating in 1996, he began directing music videos and television commercials for brands such asPlayStation,Budweiser, andVerizon.[3]
In 2005, Collet-Serra was given an opportunity to direct his first feature film by producerJoel Silver. The film,House of Wax, was a remake of the1953 film of the same name, and starredElisha Cuthbert andChad Michael Murray and featuredParis Hilton. Despite a negative critical reception, it was a financial success. Two years later, Collet-Serra directedGoal II: Living the Dream, the second film in theGoal! film trilogy, in which the main character, star Mexican footballer Santiago Muñez (Kuno Becker), goes to play forReal Madrid. Collet-Serra reunited with producer Silver for his third film,Orphan, a 2009 Americanpsychological horror film starringVera Farmiga,Peter Sarsgaard, andIsabelle Fuhrman, about on a couple who, after the death of their unborn child, adopt a mysterious nine-year-old girl.[4] The film received mixed critical reviews but was a box office success, earning around $80 million on a $20 million budget.
Collet-Serra then directedUnknown, a 2011action thriller starringLiam Neeson,Diane Kruger,January Jones,Aidan Quinn,Bruno Ganz, andFrank Langella.[5] The film is based on the 2003 French novel published in English asOut of My Head, byDidier Van Cauwelaert.[6] Collet-Serra made his television directing debut with the ABC pilotThe River, a horror drama fromParanormal Activity writer-directorOren Peli.[7] The show was met with generally favourable reviews.[8] In December 2012, he began filming for his next filmNon-Stop,[9] which starredLiam Neeson andJulianne Moore.[10]
Collet-Serra formed his own production house Ombra Films. With money fromStudioCanal, the small company set out to make low-budget English-language horror films, with an eye toward launching the careers of up-and-coming Spanish filmmakers. Juan Sola, Collet-Serra's producing partner, toldDeadline Hollywood, "We've seen how many talented directors are coming out ofSpain, but there hasn't really been a platform for them to find work in films. They look up to Jaume as a guy they want to become and we thought, how about a company that creates a bridge between Spain and the U.S., similar to whatLuc Besson provided in France? Already, we are being bombarded, and we feel directors will find Ombra a fantastic platform. Jaume loves mentoring new talent." The venture's first film wasMindscape, a psychological thriller about a man with the ability to enter people's memories, starringTaissa Farmiga,Mark Strong, andBrian Cox.[11] Collet-Serra executive produced thefound footage comedy-horror filmHooked Up,[12] which was directed by Pablo Larcuen and was shot on aniPhone.[13]
Collet-Serra directed and executive producedThe Shallows, a 2016 horror-thriller starringBlake Lively, from a script by Anthony Jaswinski,[14] andThe Commuter, an action-thriller starringLiam Neeson, which was released on January 12, 2018, and also featuresVera Farmiga,Sam Neill, andElizabeth McGovern.[15]
Collet-Serra served as director forJungle Cruise fromThe Walt Disney Company, starringDwayne Johnson. The film was based on the concept of the rideof the same name atDisneyland.[16]
In June 2019, Collet-Serra signed on to directBlack Adam, written byAdam Sztykiel and starring Dwayne Johnson. Johnson served as a producer on the project alongside Hiram Garcia, Dany Garcia,Beau Flynn, and Scott Sheldon. Collet-Serra emerged as the frontrunner to direct after his work onJungle Cruise. The film is a co-production betweenWarner Bros. Pictures,New Line Cinema,DC Films,Seven Bucks Productions, andFlynnPicturesCo. film studios.[17][18] Production began in April 2021.[19]
In 2021, Collet-Serra began directingNetflix thriller, titledCarry-On. It follows a TSA agent blackmailed into allowing a dangerous package on board a flight, starringTaron Egerton andJason Bateman.[20] It released December 13, 2024.
In March 2019,TheWrap reported that Collet-Serra was to directVictory, a remake of the 1981 filmEscape to Victory.[21]
In August 2021, Collet-Serra signed on to direct a sequel toJungle Cruise.[22]
In February 2024, it was announced that Collet-Serra would directThe Woman in the Yard, produced byJason Blum'sBlumhouse Productions and starringDanielle Deadwyler.[23] The film is scheduled for release on March 28, 2025;[24] it was originally scheduled to be released on January 10,[23] but was removed from the release schedule in March 2024[25] before being rescheduled in May.[24] In October 2024, it was announced that Collet-Serra would direct anuntitled reboot of the 1993 filmCliffhanger, starringLily James andPierce Brosnan, with filming beginning that month inAustria.[26]
Collet-Serra resides in theHollywood Hills West neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.[27]
| Year | Title | Director | Executive producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | House of Wax | Yes | No |
| 2007 | Goal II: Living the Dream | Yes | No |
| 2009 | Orphan | Yes | No |
| 2011 | Unknown | Yes | No |
| 2014 | Non-Stop | Yes | No |
| 2015 | Run All Night | Yes | Yes |
| 2016 | The Shallows | Yes | Yes |
| 2018 | The Commuter | Yes | Yes |
| 2021 | Jungle Cruise | Yes | No |
| 2022 | Black Adam | Yes | No |
| 2024 | Carry-On | Yes | Yes |
| 2025 | The Woman in the Yard | Yes | Yes |
| TBA | UntitledCliffhanger film | Yes | No |
Producer
Executive producer only
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The River | Yes | Yes | Episodes: "Magus" and "Marbeley" |
| 2018 | Reverie | Yes | Executive | Episode: "Apertus" |
