Born on March 15th, 1959 in Riihimaki, Finland, Renny Harlin has established himself as one of Hollywood's most well-known filmmakers, both as a director and a producer with extraordinary vision whose work covers drama, comedy, action and suspense in both film and television. After directing the low budget, low-fare movie Born American in 1986 starring legendary actor Chuck Norris, Harlin leaped into Hollywood productions with the chiller Prison (1988), yet compared to his later directorial efforts, that film was quite forgettable. However, his initial success came with a franchise picture. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master was the director's first success, which, at the time of its release in 1988, was the highest grossing independent film ever made, the budget was only $6.5 million and the film took in nearly $50 millions. In fact, this film outgrossed any of the previous and future sequels of the franchise.
66ème Festival du Cinéma de Venise (Mostra), 11Ã...
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
The Harlin Bros. left to right -- Jimmie, Win, Jay...In 1990, following that film's success, Harlin was given the opportunity to create the much-anticipated Die Hard 2 sequel. The film was a box office smash and helped establish him as one of the finest action directors of all time. In 1993, he struck gold again with the Sylvester Stallone-starred Cliffhanger that ended up becoming one of the highest grossing films of 1993. Harlin made his debut as a producer in 1991 with the critically acclaimed drama Rambling Rose, which received several Oscar nominations. His credits as a producer includes the TV-movie courtroom drama Mistrial (1996) and the romantic comedy Blast from the Past (1999).
Harlin seemed to have hit a loosing streak when he began to team up with his ex-wife Geena Davis on several film projects. Together with their production company, The Forge, they made the romantic comedy Speechless (1994), with Michael Keaton. The next year, they collaborated...