Ajay Kumar at 06:07, 20 August 2023

2023-08-20T06:07:38Z

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{{short description|American film director}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{BLP sources|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| other_names =
| birth_name = Charles Russell
| name = Chuck Russell
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|5|9}}
| birth_place = [[Park Ridge, Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_cause =
| resting_place =
| nationality = American
| citizenship =
| education =
| occupation = {{hlist|Film director|producer|screenwriter|actor}}
| yearsactive = 1973–present
| known_for =
| notable_works =
| spouse =
| partner =
| children =
}}

'''Charles Russell''' (born May 9, 1958) is an American filmmaker and actor known for his work on several [[Genre fiction|genre films]].

Some of Russell's best known films include the slasher fantasy film ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors]]'', the [[The Blob (1988 film)|1988 remake]]<ref name="NYT">{{cite web|author=Maslin, Janet|date=August 5, 1988|title=Review/Film; 'The Blob,' Modernized|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=940DE1D9113AF936A3575BC0A96E948260|work=[[The New York Times]]|authorlink=Janet Maslin}}</ref> of the 1958 monster horror film ''[[The Blob]]'', the fantasy superhero comedy film ''[[The Mask (1994 film)|The Mask]]'', the action film ''[[Eraser (film)|Eraser]]'', and the action-adventure ''[[The Scorpion King]]''. Russell also executive produced the critically acclaimed [[Michael Mann]]-directed neo-noir action thriller ''[[Collateral (film)|Collateral]]''.

== Early life ==
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=October 2021}}
Russell was born in [[Park Ridge, Illinois]] and grew up in [[Chicago]]. He attended Maine South High School and was a graduate of the 1976 class. While attending the [[University of Illinois]], Russell became fascinated with Chicago's active theater scene and began writing, acting and directing one act plays. Chicago's famous Second City Theater was an inspiration for Russell, where he saw such comedians as [[John Belushi]] and [[Dan Aykroyd]] get their start. Russell became fascinated with comedy improv, studying techniques he later applied in the development of such films as ''[[Back to School]]'' and ''[[The Mask (1994 film)|The Mask]]''.

After graduating from the University of Illinois, Russell left Chicago to begin work in film production in Los Angeles. He worked his way up, assistant directing and production managing independent films while writing screenplays.

== Career ==
Russell made his directorial debut in 1987 with ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors]]''. At that time, [[New Line Cinema]] was uncertain about the future of the Elm Street franchise. Russell convinced them that the series could take a step further into [[Freddy Krueger|Freddy]]'s nightmare world through advanced visual effects and dramatize the bond among Freddy's youthful victims with the concept of ''Dream Warriors''. The success of the film redefined the franchise for New Line, earning more at the box office than the first two films put together.

Russell went on to write and direct the cult horror film, ''[[The Blob (1988 film)|The Blob]]'' in 1988,<ref name=NYT /> once again stretching the boundaries of visual effects on a limited budget. He then found international acclaim with the blockbuster ''[[The Mask (1994 film)|The Mask]]'' about a bank clerk who discovers an ancient mask that transforms him into a malicious prankster who uses practical jokes to fight crime. Russell created groundbreaking digital technologies for ''The Mask'' with [[George Lucas]]'s [[Industrial Light and Magic]], combining live action performance with radically new concepts in visual effects. Russell's work earned the film an [[Academy Award]] nomination for Best Visual Effects. ''The Mask'' also created international stardom for both [[Jim Carrey]] and [[Cameron Diaz]]. With a production budget of $18 million, ''The Mask'' earned more than $350 million in worldwide box office.

Russell then went on to direct the action films ''[[Eraser (film)|Eraser]]'' with [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], which grossed over $240 million internationally, and ''[[The Scorpion King]]'', which was the first leading role for [[WWE]] star [[Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson]]. Both films were #1 box office hits upon their release.

Fourteen years after directing ''The Scorpion King'', Russell's next film was 2016's ''[[I Am Wrath]]'' starring [[John Travolta]]. In 2019, he directed ''[[Junglee (2019 film)|Junglee]]'', an Indian action-adventure film that released on March 29, 2019. For ''Junglee'', the 60-year-old director worked with elephants and the song-and-dance tradition unique to Indian cinema for the first time. Both were inspiring, he told [[Scroll.in]] during a recent visit to Mumbai.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scroll.in/reel/917166/happy-elephants-equals-happy-performances-hollywood-director-chuck-russell-on-junglee|title = Happy elephants equals happy performances: Hollywood director Chuck Russell on 'Junglee'}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
! Year
! Title
! width="65"|Director
! width="65"|Writer
! Producer
|-
|1984
|''[[Dreamscape (1984 film)|Dreamscape]]''
|{{No}}
|{{Yes}}
|{{yes|Associate}}
|-
|1987
|''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{Yes}}
|{{no}}
|-
|1988
|''[[The Blob (1988 film)|The Blob]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{Yes}}
|{{no}}
|-
|1994
|''[[The Mask (1994 film)|The Mask]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{No}}
|{{yes|Executive}}
|-
|1996
|''[[Eraser (film)|Eraser]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{No}}
|{{yes|Executive}}
|-
|2000
|''[[Bless the Child]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{No}}
|{{no}}
|-
|2002
|''[[The Scorpion King]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{No}}
|{{no}}
|-
|2016
|''[[I Am Wrath]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{No}}
|{{no}}
|-
|2019
|''[[Junglee (2019 film)|Junglee]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{no}}
|-
|2022
| ''[[Paradise City (film)|Paradise City]]''
|{{Yes}}
|{{Yes}}
|{{no}}
|-
|2024
|''[[Witchboard (2024 film)|Witchboard]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|}

'''Producer only'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Notes
|-
|1980
|''[[The Hearse]]''
|[[Line producer]]
|-
|1981
|''[[Hell Night]]''
|rowspan=2|Executive producer
|-
|1982
|''[[The Seduction (film)|The Seduction]]''
|-
|1984
|''[[Body Rock]]''
|
|-
|1985
|''[[Girls Just Want to Have Fun (film)|Girls Just Want to Have Fun]]''
|
|-
|1986
|''[[Back to School]]''
|
|-
|2004
|''[[Collateral (film)|Collateral]]''
|Executive producer
|-
|}

===Television ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
! Year
! Title
! Notes
|-
|2010
|''[[Fringe (TV series)|Fringe]]''
|Episode "[[The Abducted]]"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sfscope.com/2010/12/candy-manfringes-the-abducted.html |title=Candy Man—Fringe's "The Abducted" |date=2010-12-03 |access-date=2022-09-14 |publisher=[[SFScope]] |first=Sarah |last=Stegall |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514230222/http://sfscope.com/2010/12/candy-manfringes-the-abducted.html |archive-date=2012-05-14 }}</ref>
|-
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb name|0751080}}
* {{AllRovi person|109327}}

{{Chuck Russell}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Chuck}}
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:Film producers from Illinois]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male screenwriters]]
[[Category:Horror film directors]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Actors from Park Ridge, Illinois]]
[[Category:Artists from Park Ridge, Illinois]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:Film directors from Illinois]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Illinois]]

Chuck Russell - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 06:07, 20 August 2023