Timur Bekmambetov
Encyclopedia
Timur Nuruakhitovich Bekmambetov is a Kazakh
-born (ethnic kazakh) director
, producer
and screenwriter
who has worked on film
s and commercial
s. He is mostly popular for the Russian film Night Watch
(2004) and its sequel Day Watch (2006), and the American film Wanted (2008).
, Kazakhstan. At the age of 19, he moved to Tashkent
, in the former Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, to study at the A. N. Ostrovsky Theatrical and Artistic Institute with a degree in theater and cinema set designing, which he graduated from in 1987.
commercials. In 1994 he founded Bazelevs Group, an advertising and film production, distribution and marketing company.
Bekmambetov's first feature, Peshavar Waltz (1994) aka Escape from Afghanistan (English title) was a violent and realistic look at the war between Russia and Afghanistan. The film was dubbed in English and released direct-to-video
by Roger Corman
in 2002. Bekmambetov next produced and directed an eight-part miniseries for television entitled Our '90s. Bekmambetov then returned to directing features, with the Roger Corman-produced The Arena
(2001), which starred Karen McDougal
and Lisa Dergan. The film was a remake
of the 1974 film of the same name. In 2002, Bekmambetov directed and co-produced (with Bahyt Kilibayev) the film GAZ--Russian Cars.
In 2004, Bekmambetov wrote and directed Night Watch
(2004), a popular Russian fantasy film based on the book
by Sergey Lukyanenko
. The film was extremely successful in Russia, and at the time became its highest-grossing release ever, making US$
16.7 million in Russia alone, more money than The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The sequel to Night Watch, Day Watch
(2006), was likewise written and directed by Bekmambetov. The two films attracted the attention of Fox Searchlight Pictures
, which paid $4 million to acquire worldwide distribution rights (excluding Russia
and the Baltic states
).
Bekmambetov followed up Day Watch with the smash hit The Irony of Fate 2
(2007). This sequel to the famous Soviet film The Irony of Fate (1971) is one of the most successful in Russian history, second only to Avatar for total box office receipts.
Bekmambetov's Hollywood directorial debut, Wanted (2008), an action blockbuster about a secret society of assassins, was based on a comic-book miniseries
of the same name created by Mark Millar
and J.G. Jones.
Bekmambetov has also produced a number of films in the US and Russia. 9 (2009), the story of a rag doll in a post-apocalyptic world, was directed by Shane Acker
and produced by Bekmambetov, Tim Burton
and Jim Lemley
. Bekmambetov also produced the Russian language action movie Black Lightning (2009) with Universal Pictures.
In 2010, Bekmambetov produced and was one of the directors of Yolki a.k.a. "The Six Degrees to Celebration" (English title) which became the second highest grossing Russian movie in Russian box office history. In February 2011 Bazelevs will release the Bekmambetov-produced Vykrutasy
(a.k.a. "Lucky Trouble" (English title) starring Milla Jovovich
and Konstantin Khabensky
.
Bekmambetov is also producing Apollo 18
, along with The Weinstein Company, a found footage science fiction thriller set for release in Spring 2011 and The Darkest Hour
, a science fiction film set in Moscow and produced by New Regency.
Bekmambetov is currently directing and producing the live action adaption of the Seth Grahame-Smith
novel Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
, also produced by Tim Burton
and Jim Lemley
.
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
-born (ethnic kazakh) director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
who has worked on film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s and commercial
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
s. He is mostly popular for the Russian film Night Watch
Night Watch (2004 film)
Night Watch is a 2004 Russian supernatural thriller film directed by Timur Bekmambetov. It is loosely based on the novel The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko, and is the first part of a trilogy, followed by Day Watch and ending supposedly with Twilight Watch .-Plot:In the prologue, which...
(2004) and its sequel Day Watch (2006), and the American film Wanted (2008).
Early life
Bekmambetov was born on June 25, 1961 in the city of GuryevAtyrau
Atyrau , known as Guryev until 1991, is a city in Kazakhstan, and the capital of Atyrau Province. It is located at the mouth of the Ural River, 2700 kilometers west of Almaty and 350 kilometers east of the Russian city of Astrakhan. Other transliterations include Aterau, Atirau, Atyraw, Atyraou,...
, Kazakhstan. At the age of 19, he moved to Tashkent
Tashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
, in the former Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, to study at the A. N. Ostrovsky Theatrical and Artistic Institute with a degree in theater and cinema set designing, which he graduated from in 1987.
Film and television career
Between 1992 and 1997, Bekmambetov was one of the directors of Bank Imperial's popular World HistoryWorld History. Bank Imperial
World History. Bank Imperial was a Russian television commercial series, advertising the now defunct Russian Bank Imperial and aired in 1992—1997. Directed and produced by Timur Bekmambetov, it consisted of 18 history-themed spots with an average running time of one minute...
commercials. In 1994 he founded Bazelevs Group, an advertising and film production, distribution and marketing company.
Bekmambetov's first feature, Peshavar Waltz (1994) aka Escape from Afghanistan (English title) was a violent and realistic look at the war between Russia and Afghanistan. The film was dubbed in English and released direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
by Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
in 2002. Bekmambetov next produced and directed an eight-part miniseries for television entitled Our '90s. Bekmambetov then returned to directing features, with the Roger Corman-produced The Arena
The Arena (1974 film)
The Arena is a 1974 gladiator exploitation film, starring Margaret Markov and Pam Grier, and directed by Steve Carver and an uncredited Joe D'Amato. Grier and Markov portray female gladiators in ancient Rome, who have been enslaved and must fight for their freedom...
(2001), which starred Karen McDougal
Karen McDougal
Karen McDougal is an American model and actress. She is known for her appearances in Playboy magazine as Playmate of the Month for December 1997 and Playmate of the Year of 1998. In 2001, the readers of Playboy voted McDougal "No...
and Lisa Dergan. The film was a remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
of the 1974 film of the same name. In 2002, Bekmambetov directed and co-produced (with Bahyt Kilibayev) the film GAZ--Russian Cars.
In 2004, Bekmambetov wrote and directed Night Watch
Night Watch (2004 film)
Night Watch is a 2004 Russian supernatural thriller film directed by Timur Bekmambetov. It is loosely based on the novel The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko, and is the first part of a trilogy, followed by Day Watch and ending supposedly with Twilight Watch .-Plot:In the prologue, which...
(2004), a popular Russian fantasy film based on the book
Night Watch (Russian novel)
Night Watch is a fantasy novel by Russian writer Sergei Lukyanenko published in 1998...
by Sergey Lukyanenko
Sergey Lukyanenko
Sergei Vasilievich Lukyanenko is a science fiction and fantasy author, writing in Russian, and is arguably the most popular contemporary Russian sci-fi writer...
. The film was extremely successful in Russia, and at the time became its highest-grossing release ever, making US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
16.7 million in Russia alone, more money than The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The sequel to Night Watch, Day Watch
Day Watch
Day Watch , is a 2006 Russian dark fantasy action film marketed as "the first film of the year", opened in theatres across Russia on January 1, 2006, the U.S. on June 1, 2007 and the UK on October 5, 2007. It is a sequel to the 2004 film Night Watch, featuring the same cast...
(2006), was likewise written and directed by Bekmambetov. The two films attracted the attention of Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures, established in 1998, is a film division of Fox Filmed Entertainment alongside the larger Fox studio 20th Century Fox...
, which paid $4 million to acquire worldwide distribution rights (excluding Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the Baltic states
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
).
Bekmambetov followed up Day Watch with the smash hit The Irony of Fate 2
The Irony of Fate 2
The Irony of Fate 2 or The Irony of Fate: Continuation is a 2007 Russian romantic comedy film directed by Timur Bekmambetov based on a screenplay by Alexey Slapovskiy produced by Channel One and released by Mosfilm...
(2007). This sequel to the famous Soviet film The Irony of Fate (1971) is one of the most successful in Russian history, second only to Avatar for total box office receipts.
Bekmambetov's Hollywood directorial debut, Wanted (2008), an action blockbuster about a secret society of assassins, was based on a comic-book miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
of the same name created by Mark Millar
Mark Millar
Mark Millar is a Scottish comic book writer, known for his work on books such as The Authority, The Ultimates, Marvel Knights Spider-Man, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Civil War, Wanted, and Kick-Ass, the latter two of which have been adapted into feature films...
and J.G. Jones.
Bekmambetov has also produced a number of films in the US and Russia. 9 (2009), the story of a rag doll in a post-apocalyptic world, was directed by Shane Acker
Shane Acker
Shane Acker is an American film-maker known for directing 9, which is based on his 2005 Academy Award-nominated film, 9. He is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles.- Background :...
and produced by Bekmambetov, Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
and Jim Lemley
Jim Lemley
Jim Lemley is an American film and television producer based in Paris and Los Angeles. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with leading directors, actors, and producers to create both feature films and television across various genres.-Early life:Born March 9, 1965, Lemley is the son of...
. Bekmambetov also produced the Russian language action movie Black Lightning (2009) with Universal Pictures.
In 2010, Bekmambetov produced and was one of the directors of Yolki a.k.a. "The Six Degrees to Celebration" (English title) which became the second highest grossing Russian movie in Russian box office history. In February 2011 Bazelevs will release the Bekmambetov-produced Vykrutasy
Vykrutasy
Vykrutasy is a comedy film with Milla Jovovich in the title role. The premiere was held on February 14, 2011. The film's director was Levan Gabriadze.- Cast :* Milla Jovovich — Nadya* Konstantin Khabensky — Slava Kolotilov...
(a.k.a. "Lucky Trouble" (English title) starring Milla Jovovich
Milla Jovovich
Milla Jovovich December 17, 1975)is an American model, actress, musician, and fashion designer. Over her career, she has appeared in a number of science fiction and action-themed films, for which music channel VH1 has referred to her as the "reigning queen of kick-butt".Milla Jovovich began...
and Konstantin Khabensky
Konstantin Khabensky
Konstantin Khabensky is a Russian actor best known in the West for starring in the films Night Watch and Day Watch as the lead character Anton Gorodetsky....
.
Bekmambetov is also producing Apollo 18
Apollo 18 (film)
Apollo 18 is a 2011 American science fiction horror film directed by Gonzalo López-Gallego and produced by Timur Bekmambetov and Ron Schmidt. The film's premise is that the officially canceled Apollo 18 mission was actually launched in December 1973 but never returned, and as a result the United...
, along with The Weinstein Company, a found footage science fiction thriller set for release in Spring 2011 and The Darkest Hour
The Darkest Hour (film)
The Darkest Hour is an upcoming 3D science-fiction film directed by Chris Gorak and produced by Timur Bekmambetov. The American-based production depicts an alien invasion in Russia and stars Olivia Thirlby and Emile Hirsch as young people caught in the invasion...
, a science fiction film set in Moscow and produced by New Regency.
Bekmambetov is currently directing and producing the live action adaption of the Seth Grahame-Smith
Seth Grahame-Smith
Seth Grahame-Smith is an American best-selling author, screenwriter, and producer of film and television. He is best known as the author of The New York Times best-selling novels Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, both of which are being adapted as feature films...
novel Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter is a 2010 mashup novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, released on March 2, 2010.-Plot summary:The epistolary-style book is written as a biography of Abraham Lincoln, based on "secret diaries" kept by the 16th President and given to the author by a vampire named Henry...
, also produced by Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
and Jim Lemley
Jim Lemley
Jim Lemley is an American film and television producer based in Paris and Los Angeles. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with leading directors, actors, and producers to create both feature films and television across various genres.-Early life:Born March 9, 1965, Lemley is the son of...
.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Credited as | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... |
Producer Film producer A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The... |
Screenwriter Screenwriter Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:... |
||
| 1994 | Peshavar Waltz | |||
| 2001 | The Arena The Arena (2001 film) The Arena is a direct-to-video film from producer Roger Corman on the subject of female gladiators. It is a remake of the 1974 The Arena with Pam Grier... |
|||
| 2004 | Night Watch Night Watch (2004 film) Night Watch is a 2004 Russian supernatural thriller film directed by Timur Bekmambetov. It is loosely based on the novel The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko, and is the first part of a trilogy, followed by Day Watch and ending supposedly with Twilight Watch .-Plot:In the prologue, which... |
|||
| 2006 | Day Watch | |||
| 2007 | The Irony of Fate 2 The Irony of Fate 2 The Irony of Fate 2 or The Irony of Fate: Continuation is a 2007 Russian romantic comedy film directed by Timur Bekmambetov based on a screenplay by Alexey Slapovskiy produced by Channel One and released by Mosfilm... |
|||
| 2008 | Wanted | |||
| 2009 | 9 | |||
| 2009 | Black Lightning Black Lightning (film) Black Lightning is a 2009 Russian action-adventure sci-fi film directed by Alexandr Voitinsky and Dmitry Kiseliov, and produced by Timur Bekmambetov.- Plot :... |
|||
| 2010 | Six Degrees of Celebration | |||
| 2011 | Lucky Trouble | |||
| 2011 | Apollo 18 Apollo 18 (film) Apollo 18 is a 2011 American science fiction horror film directed by Gonzalo López-Gallego and produced by Timur Bekmambetov and Ron Schmidt. The film's premise is that the officially canceled Apollo 18 mission was actually launched in December 1973 but never returned, and as a result the United... |
|||
| 2011 | The Darkest Hour The Darkest Hour (film) The Darkest Hour is an upcoming 3D science-fiction film directed by Chris Gorak and produced by Timur Bekmambetov. The American-based production depicts an alien invasion in Russia and stars Olivia Thirlby and Emile Hirsch as young people caught in the invasion... |
|||
| 2011 | Kikoriki the Movie Kikoriki the Movie Kikoriki the Movie is a first feature film of Kikoriki. The film will release in Russia December 22th, 2011, in cinemas. In United Kingdom it will release in February or later. This film is based on the original animated series Kikoriki.-Plot:... |
|||
| 2012 | Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter | |||