Stephen Hopkins

Stephen Hopkins studied at Sutton Valence School. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is film direction. Distinctions recorded are Primetime Emmy Award and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special.

• Name — Stephen Hopkins • Birthplace — Jamaica • Occupation — Film director, producer • Notable Works — A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

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. Hopkins moved to New York to work, then to Australia direct videos for Elton 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. Russell Mulcahy invited Hopkins to direct second unit on Highlander and he directed concert films for artists such as Mick Jagger. He lived in Australia for six years.

Hopkins has directed a number of episodes for television. He was a co-executive producer for the first season of the Fox action drama 24, and also directed half of the season's episodes, including the first and last episodes. He is also co-executive producer on 24: Legacy, and director of the show's pilot episode. Hopkins has also directed a number of episodes of Showtime's series House of Lies starring Don Cheadle which premiered on 8 January 2012. He is also a producer on the series. In 2004, Hopkins directed the controversial biographical film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, which was broadcast by HBO in the United States but received a theatrical release in a number of countries. The film provoked the ire of the actor's son Michael Sellers and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special. 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.

• Year — Title — Director — Executive Producer — Notes • 1991-94 — Tales from the Crypt — 3 episodes • 2001-02 — 24 — Co-executive — 13 episodes • 2007-13 — Californication — 3 episodes • 2009 — 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 — Executive Producer — 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"

In Australia Hopkins made Dangerous Game (1987). He said it "was seen in Cannes by a bunch of Hollywood people" and helped him get the job directing A 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." He went on to make Predator 2, of which he said, "I'm pretty immature, really, so it was kind of a laugh". He followed it with Judgment Night ("a real, absolute, total bomb" according to Hopkins), Blown Away ("made a lot of mistakes") and The Ghost and the Darkness ("It was a mess. I haven't been able to watch it."). In 2016, Hopkins directed Race, a biopic about athlete Jesse Owens for Focus Features. 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.'"

• 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