Renny Harlin

Renny Harlin (born Renny Lauri Mauritz Harjola) is a revered Finnish film director, producer, and screenwriter. He has made notable strides in Hollywood, Europe, and China, with significant contributions such as A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, The Long Kiss Goodnight, and Deep Blue Sea. Harlin's films have been a massive commercial triumph, grossing over $520 million in the US and a cumulative box office revenue exceeding $1.2 billion worldwide, making him the 151st highest-grossing director in the international film industry as of October 2022. Harlin's birthplace is in Riihimäki, Finland. He embarked on his film career in the 1980s, directing commercials and company films and later working as a film distributor. His early works include Born American, which became the most expensive Finnish film at the time. In the same year, he set up his own production company, Larmark Productions. He then started working in Hollywood and achieved monumental success in the 90s through various notable films. Despite Cutthroat Island's major box-office failure in 1995, Harlin managed to redeem his career with The Long Kiss Goodnight in 1996 and Deep Blue Sea in 1999. He continued to direct movies in the 2000s, including his notable WWE Studios action movie, 12 Rounds, in 2009. He also lectured an independent war film, 5 Days of War. Harlin's film career continued to flourish in the 2010s, with notable works like The Legend of Hercules and the action comedy, Skiptrace. Despite setbacks and unproduced films, Harlin pursued numerous film projects and was selected as a jury member at the 11th Beijing International Film Festival for Tiantan Awards.