Alex Proyas Biography
Born: September 23, 1963
Date of Birth: September 23, 1963
Born in Egypt, Alex Proyas' family moved to Sydney, Australia when he was just three. At the age of 17, he was accepted to the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, where his first short film, Groping (1980), won numerous international awards, including Best Short at the London Film Festival.
After filming several more shorts, Proyas directed, wrote and produced his first full length feature, Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1989), which was nominated for two Australian Film Institute Awards. His American directorial debut was The Crow (1994), based on the comic book and starring Brandon Lee (Bruce Lee's son). Made on a budget of $15 million, it grossed over $94 million at the worldwide box office. Unfortunately, it is perhaps best remembered, however, for an accident on set involving a cap gun that caused Lee's death.
Next, Proyas wrote and directed Dark City (1998), filmed in Australia and California and starring Kiefer Sutherland and William Hurt. The film was a critical hit, winning a Silver Scream Award at the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival, a Bram Stoker Award for Best Screenplay and a Pegasus Audience Award at the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film. His next project, Garage Days (2002), was a small budget film, but even without the benefit of any big name talent and a limited theatrical release, it still managed to bring in a profit at the box office.
With I, Robot (2004), starring Will Smith and based on an Isaac Asimov story, Proyas stepped back into the big time. Made on a budget of $105 million, the film, or rather the trailer for the film, was nominated for two Golden Trailer awards before it even opened.
Proyas lives and works in Sydney, Australia, where his production company, Mystery Clock Cinema is developing numerous projects for both film and television.
Filmography:
Knowing (2009)I, Robot (2004)
Garage Days (2002)
Dark City (1998)
The Crow (1994)
Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1989)