The decade of the 1980s in Western cinema saw the return of studio-driven pictures, coming from the filmmaker-driven New Hollywood era of the 1970s. The period was when the "high concept" picture was created by producer Don Simpson, where films were expected to be easily marketable and understandable. Therefore, they had short cinematic plots that could be summarized in one or two sentences. Since its implementation, this method has become the most popular formula for modern Hollywood blockbusters. At the same time in Eastern cinema, the Hong Kong film industry entered a boom period that significantly elevated its prominence in the international market.
Commando is a 1985 American action thriller film directed by Mark L. Lester and produced by Joel Silver. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role, alongside Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Vernon Wells, Bill Duke and Dan Hedaya. The musical score was composed by James Horner.
Showdown in Little Tokyo is a 1991 American buddy cop action film directed by Mark L. Lester, who also produced with Martin E. Caan. The film stars Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee; it was the latter's first American film role. The film was released in the United States on August 23, 1991. The film gained a cult following among action fans especially for the chemistry between Lundgren and Lee.
Hans "Dolph" Lundgren is a Swedish-American actor, filmmaker and martial artist. Born in Spånga, Sweden, Lundgren became interested in martial arts at a young age. This would lead him to hold the rank of 4th dan black belt in Kyokushin karate and become European champion in 1980 and 1981. In 1982, while studying to get a master's degree, he became the boyfriend of singer Grace Jones. With her, he moved to New York City and started to take acting classes. In 1985, Lundgren had a breakthrough role playing the lead villain as an imposing Soviet boxer named Ivan Drago in Sylvester Stallone's Rocky IV.
Peter Hyams is an American film director, screenwriter and cinematographer known for directing 1977 conspiracy thriller film Capricorn One, the 1981 science fiction-thriller Outland, the 1984 science fiction film 2010: The Year We Make Contact, the 1986 action/comedy Running Scared, the comic book adaptation Timecop, the action film Sudden Death, and the horror films The Relic and End of Days.
Davis Entertainment is an American independent film and television production company, founded by John Davis in 1984.
Menahem Golan was an Israeli film producer, screenwriter, and director. He co-owned The Cannon Group with his cousin Yoram Globus. Cannon specialized in producing low-to-mid-budget American films, primarily genre films, during the 1980s after Golan and Globus had achieved significant filmmaking success in their native Israel during the 1970s.
The Punisher is a 1989 vigilante action-thriller film directed by Mark Goldblatt, written by Boaz Yakin, and starring Dolph Lundgren. Based on the Punisher character from Marvel Comics. It was shot in Sydney, co-starring Louis Gossett Jr, Jeroen Krabbé, Kim Miyori, Nancy Everhard, and Barry Otto.
Storm Catcher is a 1999 American action film starring Dolph Lundgren and directed by Tony Hickox, who also co-stars in the film. New Zealand model and actress Kylie Bax debuts as Jessica Holloway. The film tells the story of a renegade general who plans to bomb Washington, D.C., with a new stealth fighter. Storm Catcher, was released first released on HBO and then direct-to-video.
Firestarter is a 1984 American science fiction thriller horror film based on Stephen King's 1980 novel of the same name. The plot concerns a girl who develops pyrokinesis and the secret government agency known as The Shop which seeks to control her. The film was directed by Mark L. Lester, and stars David Keith, Drew Barrymore, Martin Sheen and George C. Scott. Firestarter was shot in and around Wilmington, Chimney Rock, and Lake Lure, North Carolina.
Bridge of Dragons is a 1999 American romantic action film directed by Isaac Florentine, and starring Dolph Lundgren, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Valerie Chow, and Gary Hudson. Lundgren and Tagawa had previously starred together in the 1991 film Showdown in Little Tokyo. It was the first film by Nu Image to be shot in Bulgaria.
Matt McColm is an American actor and stuntman, and former model.
Gianni Capaldi is a Scottish actor and film and television producer.
John Hyams is an American screenwriter, director and cinematographer, best known for his involvement in the Universal Soldier series, for which he has directed two installments. Hyams is the son of director Peter Hyams.
Puncture Wounds is a 2014 American action film directed by Giorgio Serafini and James Coyne, and starring Cung Le, Dolph Lundgren, Vinnie Jones, and Briana Evigan. The film follows John Nguyen, a war veteran suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. After he rescues a prostitute, Hollis, a local crime lord, marks them for death. It was released direct to video in the United States on March 11, 2014, followed by a limited release in other countries.
Kindergarten Cop 2 is a 2016 American comedy film starring Dolph Lundgren and directed by Don Michael Paul. It is a standalone sequel to the 1990 film Kindergarten Cop, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Principal photography in Maple Ridge, Langley, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada took place for 28 days, from July 27 to August 24, 2015. The school at which the film was produced is Kanaka Elementary. The film was released by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on DVD in the United States on May 17, 2016.
The following is a list of unproduced John Carpenter projects in roughly chronological order. During a career that has spanned over 40 years, John Carpenter has worked on projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage. Some of the films were produced after he left production.
Balboa Productions is an American film and television production company founded and led by Sylvester Stallone. The studio is named after his character Rocky Balboa from the Rocky franchise.
Castle Falls is a 2021 American action film starring and directed by Dolph Lundgren in his first film as director since 2010, who produced with Andre Relis and Craig Baumgarten. The film co-stars Scott Adkins, Jim Chandler, Kim Delonghi, Dave Halls, Scott Hunter, Robert Berlin and Lundgren's real life daughter Ida Lundgren.
Wanted Man is a 2024 American action film starring and directed by Dolph Lundgren, who also wrote the screenplay with Michael Worth.
