James Watkins (director)

James Watkins
Watkins in 2017
Born	(1973-05-20) 20 May 1973 (age 52) Nottingham, England
Occupation	Filmmaker

James Thomas Watkins (born 20 May 1973) is an English filmmaker. He is best known for horror films such as Eden Lake (2008), The Woman in Black (2012), and Speak No Evil (2024). He has also directed episodes of series such as Black Mirror (2016) and The Ipcress File (2022), and was the creator, writer, director, and executive producer of the series McMafia (2018).

Early life

James Thomas Watkins^{[ citation needed ]} was born in Nottingham on 20 May 1973.^{[ citation needed ]}

Career

Film

Watkins co-wrote the horror films My Little Eye (2002) and Gone (2007). In his directorial debut, he wrote and directed the horror-thriller film Eden Lake (2008). ^[1] It won Best Horror Film at the 2009 Empire Awards, the Jury Prize at the Sitges Film Festival, and Best Director at Fantasporto.^{[ citation needed ]} Watkins was also nominated for the Douglas Hickox Award at the 2008 British Independent Film Awards.^{[ citation needed ]}

Watkins was the co-writer and second unit director of The Descent Part 2 (2009). He directed the horror film The Woman in Black (2012) ^{[2] [3]} and co-wrote and directed the action thriller film Bastille Day (2016). He wrote and directed the horror-thriller film Speak No Evil (2024). ^[4] He has also written scripts for Warner Bros., Working Title, Film4, and BBC Films.^{[ citation needed ]}

Watkins will next direct the DC Universe horror superhero film Clayface (2026). ^[5]

Television

Watkins directed the Black Mirror episode "Shut Up and Dance" (2016) and six episodes of The Ipcress File (2022). He was the creator, writer, director, and executive producer of McMafia (2018).

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Director	Writer
2002	My Little Eye	No	Yes
2007	Gone	No	Yes
2008	Eden Lake	Yes	Yes
2009	The Descent Part 2	Second unit	Yes
2012	The Woman in Black	Yes	No
2016	Bastille Day	Yes	Yes
2024	Speak No Evil	Yes	Yes
2026	Clayface	Yes	No

Television

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Creator	Producer	Notes
2016	Black Mirror	Yes	No	No	No	Episode: "Shut Up and Dance"
2018	McMafia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	8 episodes
2022	The Ipcress File	Yes	No	No	No	6 episodes

References

1. "James Watkins interview: Eden Lake, modern horror & The Descent 2". Den of Geek. 23 January 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
2. Gingold, Michael (4 February 2019). "Q&A: Director James Watkins' Dark Directions For THE WOMAN IN BLACK". Fangoria.
3. Mellor, Louisa (9 February 2012). "James Watkins, Jane Goldman & Susan Hill interview: The Woman In Black, Hammer and more". Den of Geek.
4. "James Watkins - United Agents". United Agents. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
5. Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (21 February 2025). "DC's 'Clayface' Lands 'Speak No Evil' Director James Watkins (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 February 2025.

External links

• James Watkins at IMDb