Paul Anderson: filmography and the personal life of the director

Paul Anderson (full name Paul William Scott Anderson), an English scriptwriter, director and producer, was born on March 4, 1965 in Newcastle, UK.

Since Anderson's name is quite common, there were some incidents. Paul William was often confused with an American director, whose name is Paul Thomas Anderson, who is younger than his English counterpart for just five years. However, in addition to the same name and surname, nothing unites them. To somehow denote the difference of names, the Englishman Paul Anderson added to his initials the letters WS (William Scott).

Director and computer games

To distinguish Paul Anderson from other figures of cinema can be, first of all, in his manner, to implement unique film projects. The famous producer-director Anderson became thanks to the films, shot on the subjects of popular computer games. Thus, the director secured a multi-million army of viewers from among the fans and participants of these games, as each player wants to see the big screen of the adventure of his favorite characters.

"Shopping"

However, the first directorial work of Paul Anderson was a picture called "Shopping", not related to computer games. But the film differed in its profound psychological overtones, when the energy of young and, in general, unrequited children went to insanely expensive and criminally punishable entertainment - hijacking prestigious cars worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. It was not even the hijacking, but what happened next. The main character of the film Billy (young English actor Jude Law) and his girlfriend Joe (actress Sadie Frost) are great fans of shopping. They invented an unusual shopping for themselves, which excited the imagination. Billy and Joe visited the stores in a somewhat unusual way: on a stolen expensive car, overclocking into a showcase of the market they chose.

The first cult movie Anderson

In 1995, Paul Anderson shot the film "The Mortal Battle", which became super-cash, raising more than $ 120 million with a relatively small budget of 30 million. In the center of the plot is the confrontation of the Earth and the dark forces of the Outer World. The events that occur can end in the death of all humanity as a result of the invasion of the forces of evil from without. There was the last duel, which must be won. This will be the tenth deadly battle, beyond which is either deliverance, or eternal darkness on the defeated Earth.

Criticism of the film was ambiguous and for the most part negative. Many reviewers noted the mediocre performance of the majority of actors, although they unanimously praised the special effects and successfully created the atmosphere of the film. On the site Rotten Tomatoes, Paul Anderson's work was pelted with fresh and rotten "tomatoes." Russian critic Kudryavtsev Sergei responded about the "Mortal Battle" as a "stupid spectacle."

However, the film received a lot of positive feedback from the fans of the original game Mortal Kombat, which is the basis of the "Mortal Battle". The fans of the game celebrated the authenticity of the atmosphere and good dynamics of action. Today, the picture is considered the best option for interpreting a computer game in the format of a movie.

Paul Anderson's next film project, "Through the Horizon," was an example of a classic fantasy thriller with scenes borrowed from a conventional horror film. The picture did not make a special impression on the audience and was not put on one level with the "Mortal Battle".

Failure

The 1998 film, called "The Soldier", shot by Paul Anderson in the genre of the fantastic bovik, was completely disastrous. The picture has collected only 15 million dollars with a budget of 75 million, repeating the fate of a similar project "Runner on the blade" with Harrison Ford. It is worth noting that the film "Runner on the Blade" was nevertheless unanimously recognized by scientists as the best example of science fiction in the history of cinema.

The second cult movie

In 2002, the US premiered a new film directed by Paul Anderson called "Resident Evil". The picture was a film version of the computer game of the same name, created by the Japanese company Capcom. In the center of the story, the main heroine Alice, at the behest of the case, got into the labyrinth of the secret laboratory "Anthill", part of the research complex of the corporation Umbrella. In the laboratory, the central computer, the "Red Queen", runs all the way, releasing a deadly virus that kills people. Alice feels an attack of amnesia, and when her memory returns for a short while, she does not believe that anything that emerges in her memories can happen to her. Eventually, Alice turns off the "Red Queen" with the help of her friends, and the whole group leaves the laboratory.

Milla Jovovich

Paul Anderson once said about the "Resident Evil" that this is a "really scary movie". When there was a thought to adapt a teen computer game to a full-length film for adults, it was necessary to contact the company of the creators of Resident Evil with the promise to follow the story line and consult on any changes. In 1997, the film studio received an exclusive right to stage the film. At once there was a question of a choice of the performer of a leading role. Actress Mila Jovovich and Paul Anderson did not meet at that time, nevertheless the director offered the main role to her. Mila really was ideally suited for the role of Alice, she brilliantly reproduced the complex image of an amnesia, but a fighting girl.

Anderson Scenarios

Paul Anderson, the director, replaced George Romero, who wrote the script is not entirely successful, and it was clear that in his interpretation of the film will be doomed to failure in terms of box office. Therefore, Romero received his resignation, and the script was rewritten by Paul Anderson. Calculations of the producers were justified, the film at the box office collected cash, three times the budget. The musical accompaniment of the picture was at a good level, the sound effects also left much to be desired. At the request of the creator of the game, the company Capcom, the film widely used elements from all options: Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis.

Apocalypse

In 2004, the sequel to the film "Resident Evil" with Milla Jovovich in the role of Alice was filmed. The painting was called "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" and was a continuation of the first series of 2002, with the same characters, the former scene and quite predictable finale. The scenario of the sequel was written by Paul Anderson, but this time it was not he who directed it, but Alexander Witt, who simply followed the already well-developed production scheme. And, since the "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" also showed high box office with a relatively small budget, it was decided to launch the third film project "Resident Evil: Extinction". Scenario of the third film was written by Paul Anderson, who also acted as a producer. In the chair of the director this time settled Russell Malkahi.

Series "Resident Evil"

"Resident Evil 3" is a film about the disastrous impact of the Virus, which got out of control and destroyed all life on earth. Survived only those who had access to the antivirus, including Alice. The girl acquired supernatural abilities, gained fantastic power, and only for satellites in outer space she was vulnerable. Therefore, Alice is constantly on the alert, only looks up.

Paul Anderson, whose photo has already appeared on the pages of glossy magazines, wrote the script for the next film "Resident Evil 4: Life After Death." The picture came out in 2010 and again broke the record of cash success, collecting about $ 300 million. The main character and this time played Milla Jovovich, embodying the image of Alice, surrounded by a large number of their own clones. The survivors already got out of the ground, but huge hordes of zombies flooded the whole space, and Umbrella Corporation still rules the ball.

Filmography

And, finally, "Resident Evil 5: Retribution," the last film filmed by Anderson in 2012. In this film project, Paul Anderson is a director and screenwriter. In addition, he is also the co-producer of the painting. The role of the protagonist was still performed by Mila Jovovich. In the center of the plot, the same Umbrella corporation, which is trying to destroy Alice, is giving her support, depending on the mood of the leadership and on who is currently at the head of Umbrella: Albert Wesker or someone else. The box office fees were still high, about $ 240 million. Paul Anderson, whose filmography already includes about 20 films, is full of creative plans and continues to be shot. As a director, he acts when the script is written by himself. All the films of Paul Anderson, the list of which can be divided into two parts: computer games in the format of full-length film and all the others - one way or another, deserve attention.

Personal life

The personal life of the director and screenwriter Paul William Scott Anderson is an example of pre-orderliness and constancy. Paul for a long time met with one of the most beautiful and talented movie stars of Hollywood, Mila Jovovich, who starred in many of his films. Relations between the director and the actress were friendly and business-like at first, but then they moved to a more intimate plane, and on November 5, 2007 they had a daughter named Eve Gabo. In the summer of 2009, Paul Anderson and Mila Jovovich registered their marriage.