Tommy Wirkola (born 6 December 1979)[1] is a Norwegian film director, screenwriter, editor and producer. He is known for his film work in hybrid thrillers that combine horror, action and satire.
Tommy Wirkola | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 6 December 1979 Alta, Norway |
| Education | Bond University |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter, producer, actor |
For his hybrid genre-focused work, he has won numerous awards and nominations. Dead Snow (2009) and Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (2014) were both selected by the Sundance Film Festival.[2] Dead Snow won the Toronto Dark Film Festival Audience Award and was nominated for four Scream Awards including Best Horror Film. Dead Snow 2 won him Best Film at the Horror Film Festival, Best Director at the International Fantastic Film Festival and Best Screenplay as well as Best Film at Alamo Drafthouse's Fantastic Festival in 2014. What Happened to Monday was nominated for Variety's Piazza Grande Award at the Locarno International Film Festival in 2017. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) was nominated for the People's Choice Award for Best Horror Film. Violent Night (2022) was nominated for Most Outstanding Stunt Performance at the ACTRA Awards as well as for Best Original Score at the International Film Music Critics Awards and at the Reel Music Film Festival.
Career
editWirkola is of Sami-Finnish ancestry.[3]
His first film was 2007's Kill Buljo, which he co-wrote with Stig Frode Henriksen.[4] They later made the 2009 horror comedy Dead Snow.[5] In 2010 they again collaborated on the film Kurt Josef Wagle and the Legend of the Fjord Witch.[6] In 2012 a television series directed & produced by Wirkola called Hellfjord premiered, consisting of seven 30-minute episodes.[7] Wirkola's first English-language film, which was also his first large-budget film, was Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. It was co-written by Dante Harper and released in 2013.[8] In 2014 a sequel to Dead Snow, named Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead, was released.[9][10] What Happened to Monday, a science fiction film starring Noomi Rapace and Willem Dafoe, and The Trip, also starring Rapace, were released in 2017 and 2021 respectively. Wirkola's next film, Violent Night, was released in December 2022.[11]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Remake | Yes | No | No |
| 2007 | Kill Buljo | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2009 | Dead Snow | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2010 | Kurt Josef Wagle and the Legend of the Fjord Witch[12] | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2013 | Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2014 | Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2017 | What Happened to Monday | Yes | No | No |
| 2021 | The Trip | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2022 | Violent Night | Yes | No | No |
| 2024 | Spermageddon | Yes[a] | Yes | No |
| 2026 | Shiver | Yes | Yes | No |
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Remake | Attendant 2 |
| 2007 | Kill Buljo | Sid Wisløff |
| 2009 | Dead Snow | Dying Zombie |
| Tomme Tønner | Gjørme-Knut | |
| 2013 | Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters | Deputy #4 |
Accolades
edit• Audience Award for Best Film at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival for Dead Snow 2 (2009).
• Queensland & Northern Territory Bronze Award for Best Feature Film at the Australian Cinematographers Society Awards in 2009.
• Best Innovation: Nominated at the Kanonprisen in 2010 for Dead Snow acknowledging his innovative approach to this horror-satire film.
• Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) won him a nomination for the People's Choice Award for Best Horror Film.
• Audience Award for Best Film at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival for Dead Snow 2 (2014).
• Best Film to Watch with a Crowd, awarded by Toronto After Dark Film Festival for Dead Snow 2 (2014).
• Best Feature Film at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival for Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead in 2014.
Wirkola's personal awards, where he is directly recognized for his directorial or writing contributions, are as follows:
• Best Director at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival for Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead in 2014.
• Best Screenplay: Won at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival in 2014 for Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead shared with co-writers for their work on this satiric horror sequel.
• Best Screenplay at Alamo Drafthouse's Fantastic Fest in 2014, along with co-writers Geir Vegar Hoel and Stig Frode Henriksen, won for their screenplay.
• Best Director: Won at the Fantasporto Film Festival in 2017 for What Happened to Monday recognizing his direction of this dystopian thriller.
• Best Screenplay: Also won at the Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival in 2014 for Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead again shared, highlighting his writing contribution.
Notes
edit- ^ Co-directed with Rasmus A. Sivertsen
References
edit- ^ "Nå hopper Wirkola av". DN.no. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ^ Fouché, Gwladys (2 February 2009). "Dead Snow cashes in on the vogue for film Nazis, with added snow". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
- ^ Kautto, Hanne (5 September 2012). "Pihla Viitalalla iso rooli Hollywood-leffassa". yle.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ Kill Buljo – Dimension Extreme Archived 14 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "DØD SNØ – crossingEurope". Crossingeurope.at. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ^ Juan of the Dead (26 February 2010). "The Director Of DEAD SNOW And KILL BULJO Takes The Piss Out Of First-Person Horror With KURT JOSEF WAGLE AND THE LEGEND OF THE FJORD WITCH". Twitchfilm.net. Archived from the original on 1 March 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ^ "Hellfjord". fantasticfest.com. 26 February 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ New Scribe to Sweeten 'Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters'
- ^ "Director Tommy Wirkola Talk HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS and DEAD SNOW". Collider. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ^ Kevin Melrose (12 February 2013). "Wirkola Plans Dead Snow Sequel « Spinoff Online – TV, Film, and Entertainment News Daily". Spinoff.comicbookresources.com. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- ^ McCall, Kevin (14 September 2022). "David Harbour's Holiday Flick 'Violent Night' to Screen at NYCC". Collider. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ Ryan Turek (26 February 2010). "Dead Snow Director Returns With Fjord Witch". Shocktillyoudrop.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
External links
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