Alexandre Aja
Encyclopedia
Alexandre Aja is a French film director
who rose to international stardom for his 2003 horror film Haute Tension
(known as High Tension in the US, and known as Switchblade Romance in the UK).
director Alexandre Arcady and French cinema critic Marie-Jo Jouan. Aja is Jewish
and his wife is Moroccan
filmmaker Laïla Marrakchi
.
He made his directorial debut at the age of eighteen with the short film Over The Rainbow, which received a Cannes Film Festival
Golden Palm Award nomination for best short film. In 1999 he directed Furia, a movie based on Julio Cortázar
's short story Graffiti. From Furia and his next features, he frequently works with Grégory Levasseur as writers. Such as in The Hills Have Eyes
, Mirrors
, P2
, and Piranha 3-D
. Levasseur also made his works as production designer too.
Haute Tension
, released in 2003 in France and in 2005 in USA, placed Aja on the map for the horror movie genre. The French slasher, though sticking to horror convention, pushed the gore and tension envelope. The film is an unauthorized reinterpretation of the novel "Intensity" by Dean Koontz. Favouring make-up effects over computer-generated imagery, the film quickly found respect among horror fans. It was released in the U.S. as High Tension after some editing. The film was nominated for grand prize at the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival and earned Aja awards for best direction and best fantasy film at the Catalonian International Film Festival.
American director Wes Craven
asked Aja to come up with a concept for the remake of his 1977 film The Hills Have Eyes
after seeing High Tension. Craven subsequently asked Aja to direct the movie, which was released with an R rating in the U.S. after an extensive amount of editing.
His next project was a horror film entitled Mirrors
, about a mysterious mirror that brings out the worst aspects of people whenever they look at themselves in it. The film is a remake of the K-Horror
film Into the Mirror
. Aja directed Piranha 3-D
, a horror movie about prehistoric piranhas in Arizona. It is a remake of the film Piranha.
Because Alexandre Aja is working on Mirrors, he did not direct the sequel to The Hills Have Eyes 2
, which was released on 10 March 2007.
In 2004, Aja was named to the Variety – Ten Directors To Watch list. He is a member of the so-called Splat Pack
, a term coined by film historian Alan Jones
in "Total Film" magazine for a new wave of directors making brutally violent horror films. The other Splat Pack members are Darren Lynn Bousman
, Neil Marshall
, Greg Mclean, Eli Roth
, James Wan
, Leigh Whannell
, and Rob Zombie
.
Aja will direct a live action adaptation of the manga series Space Adventure Cobra
.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
who rose to international stardom for his 2003 horror film Haute Tension
Haute Tension
Haute Tension is a 2003 French horror film that was later released in 2004 in the United Kingdom and 2005 in the United States and Canada. The film, directed by Alexandre Aja, stars Cécile de France, Maïwenn and Philippe Nahon....
(known as High Tension in the US, and known as Switchblade Romance in the UK).
Personal life
Aja was born in Paris, France. His real name is Alexandre Jouan-Arcady and his pseudonymous surname is formed of the 3 first letters of his full name. He is the son of French pied-noirPied-noir
Pied-Noir , plural Pieds-Noirs, pronounced , is a term referring to French citizens of various origins who lived in French Algeria before independence....
director Alexandre Arcady and French cinema critic Marie-Jo Jouan. Aja is Jewish
History of the Jews in Algeria
History of the Jews in Algeria refers to the history of the Jewish community of Algeria, which goes back to the 1st centuries CE. In the 14th century, many Spanish Jews moved to Algeria...
and his wife is Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
filmmaker Laïla Marrakchi
Laila Marrakchi
Laila Marrakchi is a Moroccan film maker most famous for the controversial film Marock. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival....
.
Movie career
Acted in minor roles in his father's movies such as Le Grand Carnaval, and the two Le Grand Pardon films at a very young age.He made his directorial debut at the age of eighteen with the short film Over The Rainbow, which received a Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
Golden Palm Award nomination for best short film. In 1999 he directed Furia, a movie based on Julio Cortázar
Julio Cortázar
Julio Cortázar, born Jules Florencio Cortázar, was an Argentine writer. Cortázar, known as one of the founders of the Latin American Boom, influenced an entire generation of Spanish speaking readers and writers in the Americas and Europe.-Early life:Cortázar's parents, Julio José Cortázar and...
's short story Graffiti. From Furia and his next features, he frequently works with Grégory Levasseur as writers. Such as in The Hills Have Eyes
The Hills Have Eyes (2006 film)
The Hills Have Eyes is a 2006 horror film and remake of Wes Craven's 1977 film The Hills Have Eyes. Written by filmmaking partners Alexandre Aja and Grégory Levasseur of the French horror film Haute Tension, and directed by Aja, the film follows a family who becomes the target of a group of...
, Mirrors
Mirrors (film)
Mirrors is a 2008 horror film directed by Alexandre Aja, and stars Kiefer Sutherland. The film was first titled Into the Mirror, but the name was later changed to Mirrors...
, P2
P2 (film)
P2 is a 2007 thriller film directed by Franck Khalfoun, written and produced by Khalfoun, Alexandre Aja and Grégory Levasseur and starring Rachel Nichols and Wes Bentley....
, and Piranha 3-D
Piranha 3-D
Piranha 3D is a 2010 3D horror film, and the second remake of the 1978 film of the same name. It is directed by Alexandre Aja and sports an ensemble cast featuring Steven R...
. Levasseur also made his works as production designer too.
Haute Tension
Haute Tension
Haute Tension is a 2003 French horror film that was later released in 2004 in the United Kingdom and 2005 in the United States and Canada. The film, directed by Alexandre Aja, stars Cécile de France, Maïwenn and Philippe Nahon....
, released in 2003 in France and in 2005 in USA, placed Aja on the map for the horror movie genre. The French slasher, though sticking to horror convention, pushed the gore and tension envelope. The film is an unauthorized reinterpretation of the novel "Intensity" by Dean Koontz. Favouring make-up effects over computer-generated imagery, the film quickly found respect among horror fans. It was released in the U.S. as High Tension after some editing. The film was nominated for grand prize at the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival and earned Aja awards for best direction and best fantasy film at the Catalonian International Film Festival.
American director Wes Craven
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
asked Aja to come up with a concept for the remake of his 1977 film The Hills Have Eyes
The Hills Have Eyes (1977 film)
The Hills Have Eyes is a 1977 American horror film directed by Wes Craven and starring Susan Lanier, Michael Berryman, and Dee Wallace. It is about a family on a road trip who become stranded in the Nevada desert, and are hunted by a clan of deformed cannibals in the surrounding hills...
after seeing High Tension. Craven subsequently asked Aja to direct the movie, which was released with an R rating in the U.S. after an extensive amount of editing.
His next project was a horror film entitled Mirrors
Mirrors (film)
Mirrors is a 2008 horror film directed by Alexandre Aja, and stars Kiefer Sutherland. The film was first titled Into the Mirror, but the name was later changed to Mirrors...
, about a mysterious mirror that brings out the worst aspects of people whenever they look at themselves in it. The film is a remake of the K-Horror
K-Horror
Korean horror, sometimes referred to as K-Horror, is the term given to horror films made as part of the cinema of Korea. Korean horror features many of the same motifs, themes, and imagery as Japanese horror. Korean horror has been around since the early years of Korean cinema; however, it wasn't...
film Into the Mirror
Into the Mirror
Into the Mirror is a 2003 South Korean horror film about a series of grisly deaths in a department store, all involving mirrors, and the troubled detective who investigates them. It was the debut film of director Kim Sung-ho....
. Aja directed Piranha 3-D
Piranha 3-D
Piranha 3D is a 2010 3D horror film, and the second remake of the 1978 film of the same name. It is directed by Alexandre Aja and sports an ensemble cast featuring Steven R...
, a horror movie about prehistoric piranhas in Arizona. It is a remake of the film Piranha.
Because Alexandre Aja is working on Mirrors, he did not direct the sequel to The Hills Have Eyes 2
The Hills Have Eyes 2
The Hills Have Eyes 2 is the 2007 American horror film sequel to the 2006 film The Hills Have Eyes which was a remake of the 1977 horror film The Hills Have Eyes. The film follows several heroic, but troubled, U.S. National Guardsmen as they fight for survival against the mutant people living in a...
, which was released on 10 March 2007.
In 2004, Aja was named to the Variety – Ten Directors To Watch list. He is a member of the so-called Splat Pack
Splat Pack
The Splat Pack is a collection of filmmakers who, since 2002, have directed a large number of horror films.-History:The term was coined by Alan Jones of Total Film. The group has been credited with bringing back ultra-violent movies, as well as moving away from PG-13 rated movies and into the...
, a term coined by film historian Alan Jones
Alan Jones
Alan Jones may refer to:* Alan Jones , Ulster architect* Alan Jones , cinematographer active 1984–1996, see Love Is All There Is* Alan Jones , Welsh cricketer...
in "Total Film" magazine for a new wave of directors making brutally violent horror films. The other Splat Pack members are Darren Lynn Bousman
Darren Lynn Bousman
Darren Lynn Bousman is an American film director and screenwriter.-Personal life:Bousman was born in Overland Park, Kansas, the son of Nancy and Lynn Bousman. He is a graduate of the Film School at Full Sail University. He attended high school at Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park,...
, Neil Marshall
Neil Marshall
Neil Marshall is an English film director, editor and screenwriter. Marshall began his career in editing and in 2002 directed his first feature film Dog Soldiers, which became a cult film. He followed up with the critically acclaimed horror film The Descent in 2005...
, Greg Mclean, Eli Roth
Eli Roth
Eli Raphael Roth is an American film director, producer, writer and actor. He is known for his role as Donny "The Bear Jew" Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds for which he won both a SAG Award and a BFCA Critic's Choice Award...
, James Wan
James Wan
James Wan is a Malaysian-born Australian producer, screenwriter, and film director of Chinese heritage. He is widely known for directing the horror film Saw and creating Billy the puppet. He also directed Dead Silence, Death Sentence and Insidious.-Life and career:Wan was born in Kuching, Sarawak,...
, Leigh Whannell
Leigh Whannell
Leigh Whannell is an Australian screenwriter, producer, and actor, best known for his work on the Saw franchise.-Life and career:...
, and Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
.
Aja will direct a live action adaptation of the manga series Space Adventure Cobra
Space Adventure Cobra
is a space-opera manga series written and illustrated by Buichi Terasawa of the Black Sheep studio. The serialized form of Cobra originally appeared the Japanese shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump during 1978–1984...
.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Credited as | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... |
Producer Film producer A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The... |
Writer Screenwriter Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:... |
||
| 1997 | Over the Rainbow | |||
| 1999 | Furia Furia (film) Furia is a 1999 French romantic drama film directed by Alexandre Aja, who co-wrote screenplay with Grégory Levasseur, adapted from science fiction "Graffiti" by Julio Cortázar.-Cast:*Stanislas Merhar as Théo*Marion Cotillard as Elia... |
|||
| 2003 | Haute Tension Haute Tension Haute Tension is a 2003 French horror film that was later released in 2004 in the United Kingdom and 2005 in the United States and Canada. The film, directed by Alexandre Aja, stars Cécile de France, Maïwenn and Philippe Nahon.... |
|||
| 2006 | The Hills Have Eyes The Hills Have Eyes (2006 film) The Hills Have Eyes is a 2006 horror film and remake of Wes Craven's 1977 film The Hills Have Eyes. Written by filmmaking partners Alexandre Aja and Grégory Levasseur of the French horror film Haute Tension, and directed by Aja, the film follows a family who becomes the target of a group of... |
|||
| 2007 | P2 P2 (film) P2 is a 2007 thriller film directed by Franck Khalfoun, written and produced by Khalfoun, Alexandre Aja and Grégory Levasseur and starring Rachel Nichols and Wes Bentley.... |
|||
| 2008 | Mirrors Mirrors (film) Mirrors is a 2008 horror film directed by Alexandre Aja, and stars Kiefer Sutherland. The film was first titled Into the Mirror, but the name was later changed to Mirrors... |
|||
| 2010 | Piranha 3-D Piranha 3-D Piranha 3D is a 2010 3D horror film, and the second remake of the 1978 film of the same name. It is directed by Alexandre Aja and sports an ensemble cast featuring Steven R... |
|||
| TBA | The Contractor | |||
| TBA | Fragile | |||
| TBA | Space Adventure Cobra Space Adventure Cobra is a space-opera manga series written and illustrated by Buichi Terasawa of the Black Sheep studio. The serialized form of Cobra originally appeared the Japanese shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump during 1978–1984... |