Hughes brothers

Last updated

Allen and Albert Hughes
HughesbrothersCCJuly09.jpg
Albert (left) and Allen (right) Hughes at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International
Born (1972-04-01) April 1, 1972 (age 51)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Other namesThe Hughes brothers
Occupation(s)Film directors, producers, writers
Years active1993–present
Style Action

Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes (born April 1, 1972), known together professionally as the Hughes brothers, are American film directors and producers. The pair, who are twins, [1] are known for co-directing visceral, and often violent, movies, including 1993's Menace II Society , 1995's Dead Presidents , 2001's From Hell and 2010's The Book of Eli . The brothers did most of their collaboration between 1993 and 2001. Since 2004, when Albert moved to Prague, Czech Republic, he and Allen have only directed one film together, The Book of Eli in 2010. They have been involved in directing and producing film and television projects separately since 2005.

Contents

Early lives

The Hughes brothers were born in Detroit, Michigan to an African American father, Albert Hughes, and an Armenian American mother, Aida, whose family were Iranian Armenians from Tehran. [2] Albert is the older of the twins by nine minutes; [3] although they originally believed themselves to be fraternal twins, they suspect they may be identical despite not having had a DNA test. [4] Their parents divorced when they were two years old. The twins moved with their mother to Claremont, California, east of Los Angeles, when they were nine. Their mother raised Albert and Allen alone while putting herself through school and starting her own business, a vocational center. [3] Supportive of her sons' ambitions as filmmakers, she gave them a video camera when they were 12. [5] The boys spent their free time making short films. When a teacher suggested that they make a "How To" film for an assignment, they complied with a short film, "How to Be a Burglar." [3]

Career

After Allen had a son at the age of 18, the twins dropped out of high school and soon began working on music videos as teenagers, directing for artists like Tone Loc and Tupac Shakur. [6] Their first feature film, 1993's Menace II Society premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Centering on black, disenfranchised youth, it was made on a budget of $3.5 million when they were 20 years old. Tyger Williams wrote the screenplay, and shared story credit with the brothers. It became a critical as well as a box office success and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature. Because of their previous experience in directing music videos, they became the first sibling duo since Jerry and David Zucker allowed a waiver by the Directors Guild of America to take co-credit as directors. [1]

Their second film was Dead Presidents in 1995. Dealing with the black underclass society like their feature film debut, and also starring Larenz Tate, the film centered on war veterans during the racially charged Vietnam War era. The film, which was released at the New York Critics Film Festival, failed to make as much of a profit as their first film. [3] They followed Dead Presidents with American Pimp , a feature-length documentary about the underground pimp culture and exploitation of women. It premiered at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. They had originally set out to do an adaptation of Iceberg Slim's novel Pimp, but someone else acquired the rights. [7] The brothers have stated that the film's perspective was partially shaped by being raised by their mother, who is a feminist and a lesbian. [8] [9] In between projects, they filmed several anti-handgun public service announcements. [10]

In a departure from their previous material, the Hughes brothers co-directed From Hell , the 2001 film adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel of the same name about the Jack the Ripper murders in Victorian England, starring Johnny Depp and Heather Graham. Considered too violent and gory by some critics, the film had to be edited in order to avoid an NC-17 rating by the MPAA. [3] As described by the film's star, there were sometimes disagreements between the twins regarding the direction of the film. [10] For example, the amount of shown violence was a point of contention between the two; one brother thought the brutality should be shown, while the other believed implied violence would suffice. [11]

Their only film together since 2001's From Hell was the post-apocalyptic drama Book of Eli for Warner Bros., which was released in January 2010. [12]

In 2006, the brothers were announced as directing The Iceman , a film about serial killer Richard Kuklinski, but it was eventually directed by Ariel Vromen, and released in 2012. They were also slated to direct a film version of the classic TV series Kung Fu . [12] [13] It was announced in 2010 that the brothers were tapped to direct a live-action adaptation of the 1988 manga Akira , [14] but they left the project in 2011. [15]

As a team, Allen typically works with the actors while Albert handles the technical aspects of their films, stemming from Albert's experience of taking classes at Los Angeles City College's film school. [1]

Solo projects

Allen Hughes

Allen directed a few episodes of the American version of the TV series Touching Evil (for which his brother was an executive producer) as well as the 2005 television feature Knights of the South Bronx.

In 2009, Allen directed a segment of New York, I Love You , starring Drea De Matteo and Bradley Cooper. [16]

Allen Hughes directed the 2013 film Broken City , a crime thriller starring Mark Wahlberg [17] and Russell Crowe. [18] He directed the four-part 2017 HBO documentary miniseries The Defiant Ones , about music producers Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre.

Albert Hughes

In 2005, it was announced that Albert would direct a feature film called Art Con, although no further news was reported on its development. [5]

In December 2012, Albert Hughes announced that he would be producing an online video series using the Crysis 3 game engine called The 7 Wonders of Crysis 3. [19]

In 2018, Albert Hughes directed his first solo feature film, Alpha . The film was written by Daniele Sebastian Wiedenhaupt, based on a story written by Hughes, and holds an approval rating of 79% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.

Personal lives

Known as much for their frank manner as for their films, the Hughes Brothers have been known to get into altercations. They took the hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur to court in 1994, after he assaulted them during a music video shoot. [20] Shakur had originally been slated to star in Menace II Society, but was replaced after the incident that apparently stemmed from Shakur's disliking the role they had chosen for him. He was later sentenced to 15 days in jail for the assault as well as another incident that occurred a day before his sentencing. [21]

The brothers have also made no secret of their use of marijuana and have previously turned down an offer to do anti-marijuana commercials. [10]

Allen has a son with singer/songwriter Stephanie "Stevvi" Alexander, Eric Alexander-Hughes. Albert has a daughter, Adrienne Hughes, [22] and has been living in the Czech Republic since 2004.[ citation needed ]

In a 2013 interview, Albert stated that the brothers "love each other," but are also "kind of in a weird dance right now." [23]

Filmography

YearTitleDirectorsProducersWritersNotes
1993 Menace II Society YesYesStory
1995 Dead Presidents YesYesStory
1999 American Pimp YesYesNoDocumentary
2001 From Hell YesExecutivesNo
2010 The Book of Eli YesNoNo

Solo works

Allen Hughes

YearTitleDirectorProducerWriterNotes
2005 Knights of the South Bronx YesNoNoTV movie
2008 New York, I Love You YesNoNo1 segment
2013 Broken City YesYesNo
2017 The Defiant Ones YesExecutiveYesDocumentary mini-series
2022Dear MamaYesExecutiveYesDocumentary mini-series [24]
TBAUntitled Snoop Dogg biopicYesYesNo [25]

Albert Hughes

YearTitleDirectorProducerWriterNotes
2018 Alpha YesYesStory
2020 The Good Lord Bird YesExecutiveNoEpisode "Meet the Lord"
2023 The Continental: From the World of John Wick YesExecutiveNo2 episodes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tupac Shakur</span> American rapper (1971–1996)

Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential and successful rappers of all time. Shakur is among the best-selling music artists, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Much of Shakur's music has been noted for addressing contemporary social issues that plagued inner cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Singleton</span> American filmmaker (1968–2019)

John Daniel Singleton was an American director, screenwriter, and producer. He made his feature film debut writing and directing Boyz n the Hood (1991), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, becoming, at age 24, the first African American and youngest person to have ever been nominated for that award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suge Knight</span> American music executive (born 1965)

Marion Hugh "Suge" Knight Jr. is an American music executive and convicted felon who is the co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Knight was a central figure in gangsta rap's commercial success in the 1990s. This feat is attributed to the record label's first two album releases: Dr. Dre's The Chronic in 1992 and Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle in 1993. Knight is serving a 28-year sentence in prison for a fatal hit-and-run in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donnie Wahlberg</span> American singer and actor (born 1969)

Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor, and producer. He is a founding member of the boy band New Kids on the Block. Outside music, he has had roles in the Saw films, Zookeeper (2011), Dreamcatcher (2003), The Sixth Sense (1999), Righteous Kill (2008), and Ransom (1996), as well as appearing in the World War II miniseries Band of Brothers as Carwood Lipton.

<i>Menace II Society</i> 1993 film by the Hughes Brothers

Menace II Society is a 1993 American teen drama film directed by the Hughes Brothers in their directorial debut. The film is set in Watts and Crenshaw neighborhoods of Los Angeles, and follows the life of Caine Lawson and his close friends. It gained notoriety for its scenes of violence, profanity, and drug-related content, and also received critical acclaim for the performances of Turner, Jada Pinkett, and Larenz Tate, the direction, and its realistic portrayal of urban violence and powerful underlying messages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoine Fuqua</span> American film director

Antoine Fuqua is an American film director known for his work in the action and thriller genres. He was originally known as a director of music videos, and made his film debut in 1998 with The Replacement Killers. His critical breakthrough was the 2001 crime thriller Training Day, winning the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hit 'Em Up</span> 1996 song by 2Pac featuring the Outlawz

"Hit 'Em Up" is a diss track by American rapper 2Pac, featuring the Outlawz. It is the B-side to the single "How Do U Want It", released on June 4, 1996. The song's lyrics contain vicious insults to several East Coast rappers, chiefly Shakur's former friend turned rival, The Notorious B.I.G.. The song was recorded at Can Am Studios in 1996. A previous version of the song was recorded in October 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenda's Got a Baby</span> 1991 single by 2Pac

"Brenda's Got a Baby" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his debut album, 2Pacalypse Now (1991). The song was first released as a promotional CD single a month prior to album's release and then, in February 1992, it was re-released as a double A-side single with the song "If My Homie Calls". The song, which features R&B singer Dave Hollister singing background vocals with Roniece Levias, is about a 12-year-old girl named Brenda who lives in a ghetto and has a baby she can't support. The song explores the issue of teen pregnancy and its effect on young mothers and their families. Like many of Shakur's songs, "Brenda's Got a Baby" draws from the plight of the impoverished. Using Brenda to represent young mothers in general, Shakur criticises the low level of support from the baby's father, the government, and society in general. Shakur wrote the song while filming the feature film Juice, after reading a newspaper article about a 12-year-old girl who became pregnant by her cousin and threw the baby into a trash compactor.

<i>American Pimp</i> 1999 film

American Pimp is a 1999 documentary that examines the pimp subculture in the United States. It was directed by the Hughes Brothers, the filmmakers behind Menace II Society and Dead Presidents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quincy Jones III</span> Music and documentary film producer

Quincy Delight Jones III, better known as QDIII, QD3 and Snoopy, is a Swedish-American music producer and documentary film producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bokeem Woodbine</span> American actor (born 1973)

Bokeem Woodbine is an American actor. In 1994, he portrayed Joshua, Jason's troubled brother, in Jason's Lyric. He won a Black Reel Award and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award for his role as Kansas City mob enforcer Mike Milligan in the second season of Fargo. Woodbine also portrayed Daniel in season 2 of the WGN series Underground, Herman Schultz/Shocker in the film Spider-Man: Homecoming, and saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman in the Oscar-winning Ray Charles biopic Ray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temptations (song)</span> 1995 single by 2Pac

"Temptations" is a song by American rapper Tupac Shakur (2Pac) from his third studio album, Me Against the World (1995). It was released as a single in the US on August 29, 1995, and was released as a CD, cassette, and 12" promo. While rapping is solely performed by Shakur, Erick Sermon and producer Easy Mo Bee are also featured in the song primarily as background vocalists. The song uses the bassline from the "Computer Love", and the theme focuses on relationship and infidelity issues. Debuting at number sixty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100, the song did fairly well in the United States. It was also well received by critics, with many writers commenting on its romantic tone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ Fuze</span>

DJ Fuze, is an American Hip-Hop DJ and record producer, who is most known for his work in the 1990s with the multi-platinum, P-Funk-inspired rap group Digital Underground.

<i>The Book of Eli</i> 2010 film by the Hughes Brothers

The Book of Eli is a 2010 American post-apocalyptic neo-Western action film directed by the Hughes Brothers, written by Gary Whitta, and starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, and Jennifer Beals. The story revolves around Eli, a nomad in a post-apocalyptic world who seeks to deliver his copy of a mysterious book to a safe location on the West Coast of the United States. Filming began in February 2009 and took place in New Mexico.

<i>Broken City</i> 2013 American thriller film by Allen Hughes

Broken City is a 2013 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Allen Hughes and written by Brian Tucker. Mark Wahlberg stars as a police officer turned private investigator and Russell Crowe as the mayor of New York City who hires the private detective to investigate his wife. The film also stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Barry Pepper, Kyle Chandler, Natalie Martinez, and Jeffrey Wright

Karolyn Ali was an American film and music video producer, best known for her documentary Tupac: Resurrection. She started her career in the music industry, producing music and commercials. Ali worked for over 30 years on films, documentaries, music videos and commercials.

<i>All Eyez on Me</i> (film) 2017 film by Benny Boom

All Eyez on Me is a 2017 American biographical drama film directed by Benny Boom. Titled after the 1996 studio album, as well as the song of the same name, it is based on the life and death of the titular American rapper Tupac Shakur. The film stars Demetrius Shipp Jr. as Tupac, with Kat Graham, Lauren Cohan, Hill Harper, and Danai Gurira. Jamal Woolard reprises his role as Christopher "Biggie Smalls" Wallace / The Notorious B.I.G. from Notorious (2009).

The Black Reel Award for Outstanding Director is an award presented annually by the Black Reel Awards (BRA). It is given in honor of a film director who has exhibited outstanding directing while working in the film industry.

<i>Dear Mama</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur is an American television documentary miniseries directed by Allen Hughes, about Tupac Shakur and his mother Afeni Shakur. It premiered on FX on April 21, 2023. It received critical acclaim.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Johnson, Quendrith (July–August 1995). "Born II Direct: The Hughes Brothers Interview". 20 (3). Archived from the original on June 27, 2007. Retrieved August 31, 2007.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ↑ Smith, Krista (January 15, 2010). "The Hughes Brothers on The Book of Eli, Dethroning Avatar, and Tiger Woods". Vanity Fair. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Wloszczyna, Susan (October 18, 2001). "The brothers Hughes". USA Today. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  4. ↑ "Nine Years Later, Hughes Brothers Picture Apocalypse (audio)". NPR.org. NPR. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  5. 1 2 Vartanian, Hrag (April 1, 2005). "Albert Hughes Forges His Own Art". Armenian General Benevolent Union. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  6. ↑ Cagle, Jess (October 22, 2001). "Blood Brothers". Time. Archived from the original on March 26, 2007. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  7. ↑ "Sugar Daddies". Filmmaker Magazine. 1999. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  8. ↑ Morales, Ed (April 2000). "Mack Daddy Maestros – Allen and Albert Hughes – Interview". Brant Publications, Inc. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  9. ↑ "Hughes v. Hughes". Justia Law. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 Donadoni, Serena (October 17, 2001). "Character studies: The Hughes Brothers". The Metro Times. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  11. ↑ Schultz, Steve (November 16, 2001). "The Squeaky Reel: Brothers in Film". The San Francisco Gate. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  12. 1 2 Fleming, Michael (May 21, 2001). "Hughes brothers set for 'Book of Eli'". Variety. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  13. ↑ Fleming, Michael (November 1, 2006). "'Kung Fu' has brotherly love". Variety. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  14. ↑ Westbrook, Logan (February 10, 2010). "Akira Movie to Be Directed By Hughes Brothers". The Escapist. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  15. ↑ "'Akira' Soured By Warners Lack of Taste". Bloody Disgusting. May 27, 2011.
  16. ↑ Phillips, Michael (October 16, 2009). ""New York, I Love You" review: Movie stars Natalie Portman, Bradley Cooper, Shia LaBeouf, Julie Christie". Chicago Tribune.
  17. ↑ "Mark Wahlberg Signed Onto Broken City". November 30, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Russell Crowe to star opposite Mark Wahlberg in 'Broken City'". Digital Spy . August 8, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Albert Hughes producing Crysis 3 video series". 3 News NZ. December 6, 2012. Archived from the original on February 22, 2013.
  20. ↑ L'Official, Peter (October 13, 2004). ""And It Don't Stop" edited by Raquel Cepeda". Salon.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  21. ↑ Randall Sullivan, Labyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G... page 80
  22. ↑ "Black History Month, Albert and Allen Hughes: filmmakers". CNN.com. Archived from the original on June 20, 2007. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  23. ↑ Ito, Robert (January 13, 2013). "Recalibrating A Directing Brotherhood". The New York Times.
  24. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr (September 15, 2022). "Allen Hughes On TIFF Premiere Of Tupac Shakur Docuseries Dear Mama; How Filmmaker Confronts Own Beat Down At Hands Of Tupac & Entourage Onscreen". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Media Corporation.
  25. ↑ Kit, Borys (November 9, 2022). "Snoop Dogg Biopic in the Works at Universal With Director Allen Hughes and 'Wakanda Forever' Writer Joe Robert Cole". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.