M. J. Bassett

Last updated

M. J. Bassett
Born
Occupations
  • Screenwriter
  • film director
  • television director
  • television producer
  • television writer
  • film producer
Children3

M. J. Bassett (born Michael J. Bassett) is a British film and television writer, director, and producer. She began her career directing the cult horror films Deathwatch (2002) and Wilderness (2006). She also directed the dark fantasy Solomon Kane (2009) and the video game adaptation Silent Hill: Revelation (2012). Since 2012, she has worked as a director, writer, and producer on television series such as Strike Back , Ash vs Evil Dead , Power , and Altered Carbon .

Contents

Early life

Bassett grew up in Newport, Shropshire, in the West Midlands, where she was educated at Adams Grammar School. Bassett described this as a "safe, unremarkable childhood". She developed an obsession with wildlife and nature; Bassett's fascination with films would not arise until much later. Bassett's childhood aspirations were to be a wildlife veterinarian in Africa. Because of her grades in school, a veterinary career became out of the question, and at the age of 16, Bassett left school and became a wildlife filmmaker's assistant, where she would spend 18 months learning photography and film making.

Career

After her time as an assistant, Bassett went back to school to do A-Levels in the hopes of getting a Zoology degree. Once back in school, Bassett wrote to a variety of TV producers, looking for work as a nature presenter. Eventually, Bassett was contacted by Janet Street-Porter, shortly after which she began working as a presenter on the children's show Get Fresh , [1] where she presented the science and nature segments. She left to work on other programs, but as work stopped coming in, she was losing interest. At this point, Bassett realized that she wanted to make films. Since moving into film-making would entail substantial risk, Bassett worked for a year animating and voicing the puppet Scally the Dog on Children's ITV while she considered the career change.

Bassett then produced several short films, as well as a 16 mm piece for broadcast television. All the while, Bassett worked on feature scripts which she used to try to catch producers' attention. After a period of years, Bassett's screenplay titled No Man's Land generated significant interest. Many studios offered to purchase the script, but Bassett was determined to direct the film of her screenplay. Eventually, one production company consented to this, and the film was retitled Deathwatch . [2]

She directed Red Sonja (2025), after it had been reported Hannah John-Kamen and Joey Soloway had departed from the film. [3]

Personal life

In 2017, Bassett came out as trans. [4] She has two daughters and a son. [5] [6]

Filmography

Film

YearTitle Director Writer Producer Notes
2002 Deathwatch YesYesAssociate Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in Silver
Nominated – International Fantasy Film Award for Best Film
Nominated – Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in Gold
Nominated – Molodist Festival Award for Best Feature Fiction Film
Nominated – Neuchâtel Narcisse Award for Best Feature Film
Nominated – Sitges Maria Award for Best Film
The Abduction Club 2nd unitNoNo
2006 Wilderness YesNoNo
2009 Solomon Kane YesYesNo Fantasporto Audience Jury Award
2012 Silent Hill: Revelation YesYesNoNominated – Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Film
2019 Inside Man: Most Wanted YesNoNo
2020 Rogue YesYesYesWrote the screenplay with her daughter, Isabel
2021 Endangered Species YesYesYesWrote the screenplay with her daughter, Isabel
2025 Red Sonja YesNoNoDid rewrite the script based off original script by Tasha Huo. [7]

As a film crew

Television

YearTitle Director Writer Producer Notes
1998 Bugs NoYesNo3 episodes
2012–18 Strike Back YesYesExecutive15 episodes
2013 Da Vinci's Demons YesNoNo2 episodes
2015 The Player YesNoNo2 episodes
2015–16 Ash vs Evil Dead YesYesNo4 episodes
2015–18 Power YesNoNo4 episodes
2018 Taken YesNoNoEpisode: "Imperium"
Iron Fist YesNoNoEpisode: "Target: Iron Fist"
Nightflyers YesNoNoEpisode: "Greywing"
2019 Altered Carbon YesNoNo2 episodes
2020 Motherland: Fort Salem YesNoNoEpisode: "Bellweather Season"
2022 Reacher YesNoNoEpisode: "Pie"
2022 The Terminal List YesNoNoEpisode: "Consolidation"
2023 Quantum Leap YesNoNoEpisode: "The Lonely Hearts Club"
2024 The Equalizer YesNoNoEpisode: "The Whistleblower"
2025 FUBAR YesNoNoEpisode: "Dam It"

References

  1. Biography Archived 30 November 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "EAT MY BRAINS! – Interview with M.J. Bassett, Director of Wilderness – Feature Article". eatmybrains.com.
  3. "RED SONJA Reportedly Finds A New Director As ANT-MAN AND THE WASP Star Hannah John-Kamen Drops Out". Comic Book Movie. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  4. "Director MJ Bassett".
  5. "Isabel Bassett". IMDb. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  6. Collis, Clark (20 July 2020). "Megan Fox's mercenary takes on a lethal lion in trailer for action movie Rogue". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  7. Hamman, Cody (11 January 2023). "Red Sonja: How M.J. Bassett broke the reboot out of development hell". JoBlo. Retrieved 15 August 2025.