James Watkins (director)
English filmmaker (born 1973)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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).
James Watkins | |
|---|---|
Watkins in 2017 | |
| Born | 20 May 1973 Nottingham, England |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
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 | Executive | 8 episodes |
| 2022 | The Ipcress File | Yes | No | No | Executive | 6 episodes |