Jaume Collet-Serra

Jaume Collet-Serra (Catalan: [ˈʒawmə kuˈʎɛt ˈsɛrə]; born 23 March 1974) pushes the envelope as a Spanish-American film director and producer, revered in the industry for his horror films and collaborations. He directed House of Wax (2005), Orphan (2009), and The Shallows (2016), winning audiences with his storytelling prowess and stylistic audacity. Additionally, Collet-Serra's collaborations with Liam Neeson allowed him to steer thriller films like Unknown (2011), Non-Stop (2014), Run All Night (2015), and The Commuter (2018) into success. Consecutively, scaling up to teams with Dwayne Johnson for the vast blockbuster films Jungle Cruise (2021) and Black Adam (2022) demonstrated his versatility.

In his early life, Collet-Serra forged his career path, born in Sant Iscle de Vallalta, Catalonia. He moved to Los Angeles, California, at just 18, attending Columbia College Hollywood. As a student, he worked as an editor on the side, laying a solid foundation for his prolific career. After graduating in 1996, he directed music videos and television commercials for heavyweight brands like PlayStation, Budweiser, and Verizon. Working with Joel Silver in 2005, he directed his first feature film, House of Wax, a remake of the 1953 film of the same name. Despite its negative critical reception, it was a financial success, setting the tone for his career. From there, he climbed successively up the Hollywood ladder, never losing the grasp of his unique vision. Later, he formed his own production house Ombra Films and found strides in providing a platform to emerging Spanish filmmakers, turning up the volume on voices waiting to be heard.