Stephen Hopkins is a Jamaican-born[1] British director and producer of film and television. He directedPredator 2,A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child,Blown Away,The Ghost and the Darkness,Lost in Space,Under Suspicion andThe Life and Death of Peter Sellers. He also produced and directed several episodes of thefirst season of24.
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."[2] He began doing story boards for rock videos for artists such asDuran Duran and became a designer for directors likeRussell Mulcahy,David Mallett,Brian Grant, andSteve Barron, before moving into directing videos himself.[2]
Hopkins moved to New York to work, then to Australia direct videos forElton John such as "Sad Songs". He made other rock videos and commercials in Australia for clients such as Pizza Hut and David Jones as well as directing a $3 million rock musical,Rasputin.[3]
Russell Mulcahy invited Hopkins to direct second unit onHighlander and he directed concert films for artists such as Mick Jagger.[2] He lived in Australia for six years.[4]
In Australia Hopkins madeDangerous Game (1987). He said it "was seen in Cannes by a bunch of Hollywood people"[2] and helped him get the job directingA Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. Hopkins later said, "I went at it like a dog, and had a wild, fun time. But when I look back, I think I'm the luckiest guy in the world because I don't understand how it all happened."[4]
He went on to makePredator 2, of which he said, "I'm pretty immature, really, so it was kind of a laugh".[4] He followed it withJudgment Night ("a real, absolute, total bomb" according to Hopkins[4]),Blown Away ("made a lot of mistakes"[4]) andThe Ghost and the Darkness ("It was a mess. I haven't been able to watch it."[4]). Despite his thoughts on the latter film, it managed to win theAcademy Award for Best Sound Effects Editing.
In 2016, Hopkins directedRace, a biopic about athleteJesse Owens forFocus Features.[5][6]Stephan James plays Jesse Owens, oppositeJason Sudeikis andJeremy Irons. The film was released in February 2016.
Hopkins said that afterPredator 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.'"[4]
Hopkins has directed a number of episodes for television. He was a co-executive producer for the first season of theFox action drama24, and also directed half of the season's episodes, including the first and last episodes. He is also co-executive producer on24: Legacy, and director of the show's pilot episode. Hopkins has also directed a number of episodes ofShowtime's seriesHouse of Lies starringDon Cheadle which premiered on 8 January 2012. He is also a producer on the series.
In 2004, Hopkins directed the controversial biographical filmThe Life and Death of Peter Sellers, which was broadcast byHBO in the United States but received a theatrical release in a number of countries. The film provoked the ire of the actor's sonMichael Sellers and won anEmmy Award forOutstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special.[7]
in 2019 Hopkins directed the pilot episode for a potentialThe Dark Tower series forAmazon.[8] However Amazon passed on the series.[9]
In 2023 Hopkins directed the 6 episode globe trotting spy thrillerLiaison starring Vincent Cassel and Eva Green. He is also a producer on the series.[10][11]
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Dangerous Game | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 1989 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child | Yes | No | No | |
| 1990 | Predator 2 | Yes | No | No | |
| 1993 | Judgment Night | Yes | No | No | |
| 1994 | Blown Away | Yes | No | No | |
| 1996 | The Ghost and the Darkness | Yes | No | No | |
| 1998 | Lost in Space | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1999 | Tube Tales | Yes | Yes | Yes | Segment "Horny" |
| 2000 | Under Suspicion | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2007 | The Reaping | Yes | No | No | |
| 2016 | Race | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2019 | Seberg | No | Yes | No |
| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-94 | Tales from the Crypt | Yes | No | 3 episodes |
| 2001-02 | 24 | Yes | Co-executive | 13 episodes |
| 2007-13 | Californication | Yes | Yes | 3 episodes |
| 2009 | The Unusuals | Yes | Yes | Episode "Pilot" |
| In Plain Sight | Yes | No | Episode "Gilted Lily" | |
| 2011 | Shameless | Yes | No | Episode "Aunt Ginger" |
| 2012-14 | House of Lies | Yes | Yes | 24 episodes |
| 2016-17 | 24: Legacy | Yes | Yes | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | The Dark Tower | Yes | Yes | Unsold pilot |
| 2020 | The Fugitive | Yes | No | 14 episodes |
| 2023 | Liaison | Yes | Yes | 6 episodes |
TV movie
Miniseries
| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Traffic | Yes | Yes | Co-directed withEric Bross |
| 2010 | Thorne | Yes | Yes | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Houdini & Doyle | Yes | Yes | Episodes "The Maggie's Redress" and "A Dish of Adharma" |
Fantasporto
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child | Critics Award | Nominated |
| Best Film | Nominated | ||
| 1990 | Predator 2 | Nominated |
Primetime Emmy Awards
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 | 24 | Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | Nominated |
| Outstanding Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| 2004 | Traffic | Outstanding Miniseries or Movie | Nominated |
| The Life and Death of Peter Sellers | Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special | Won |
Cannes Film Festival
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Life and Death of Peter Sellers | Palme d'Or | Nominated |
Directors Guild of America
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 24 | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series | Nominated |
| 2004 | The Life and Death of Peter Sellers | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television | Nominated |
Gemini Awards
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Thorne | Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries | Won |
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