Harlin, Renny 1959- (Lauri Harjola)

PERSONAL

Original name, Renny Lauri Mauritz Harjola; born March 15, 1959, in Riihimaeki, Finland; son of a physician and a nurse; married Geena Davis (an actress, producer, and writer), September 18, 1993 (divorced, June 21, 1998); children: (with Tiffany Bowne) one son. Education: Studied film at University of Helsinki.

Addresses:

Office—Midnight Sun Pictures, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90024. Agent—International Creative Management, 10250 Constellation Way, 9th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067. Manager—Greenlit, 506 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 210, Santa Monica, CA 90401.

Career:

Director, producer, actor, and writer. Larmark Productions, Finland, founder (with Marcus Selin); Larmark Productions, Los Angeles, CA, partner; The Forge (a production company), cofounder (with Geena Davis), later known as Midnight Sun Pictures, Los Angeles, CA, president; also directed more than 100 commercials as well as short films and documentaries.

Awards, Honors:

Finnish Film Board Award, best short subject, 1982, for Hold On; International Fantasy Film Award nomination, best film, Fantasporto, 1989, Saturn Award nomination, best director, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films, 1990, both for A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master; International Fantasy Film Award nomination, best film, 1990, for Prison; Lifetime Achievement Jussi Award, 1991; Independent Spirit Award, best feature, Independents Features Project, 1992, for Rambling Rose; Kultainen ansiomerkki, 2004.

CREDITS

Film Director:

(As Lauri Harjola) Director, Huostaanotto (also known as Custody), 1980.

Cinematographer, Posliinikissa, 1981.

(As Lauri Harjola) Cinematographer, Jos mina olisini aikuinen, 1981.

(Uncredited) Executive producer, Prinsessa joka nukkui 100 vuotta (also known as Prinsessan som sov hundra ar), 1981.

Director, Hold On (short documentary), 1982.

Director and (uncredited) stunt double, Born American (also known as Arctic Heat and Jaatava polte), Concorde, 1986.

Director, Prison, Empire, 1988.

Director, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, New Line, 1988.

Director, Die Hard 2 (also known as Die Harder and Die Hard 2: Die Harder), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1990.

Director, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1990.

Producer, Rambling Rose, Seven Arts, 1991.

Director and producer, Cliffhanger (also known as Cliffhanger 'ultima sfida and Cliffhanger, traque au sommet), 1993.

Producer, Speechless, 1994.

Executive producer, The Foot Shooting Party, 1994.

Director and producer, Cutthroat Island (also known as Corsari, L'ile aux pirates, and Die Piratenbraut), 1995.

Producer and director, The Long Kiss Goodnight, New Line Cinema, 1996.

Director, Deep Blue Sea, Warner Bros., 1999.

Producer, Blast from the Past, New Line Cinema, 1999.

Director and producer, Driven (also known as A toute vitesse), Warner Bros., 2001.

Director and executive producer, Mindhunters, Dimension Films, 2004.

Director, Exorcist: The Beginning, Warner Bros., 2004.

Director, The Covenant, Screen Gems, 2006.

Director, The Cleaner, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2007.

Film Appearances:

(As Lauri Harjola) Police, Lapimurto (also known as The Breakthrough), 1981.

(Uncredited) Man's voice from ship's loudspeakers, Born American (also known as Arctic Heat and Jaatava polte), Concorde, 1986.

Student in classroom, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Masters, New Line Cinema, 1988.

(Scenes deleted) The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, 1990.

(Uncredited) Pirate with rifle, Cutthroat Island (also known as Corsari, L'ile aux pirates, and Die Piratenbraut), 1995.

Himself, Johtaja Uuno Turhapuro—Pisnismies, Buena Vista International Finland, 1998.

(Uncredited) Worker, Deep Blue Sea, 1999.

Himself, Sharks of the Deep Blue Sea, 1999.

Himself, A Personal Introduction from Renny Harlin, 2000.

Replacement driver, Driven (also known as A toute vitesse), Warner Bros., 2001.

Himself, The Making of "Alien 3" (documentary), Twentieth Century-Fox, 2003.

Himself, Breaking the Silence: Exposing the Covenant (documentary short), 2007.

Television Work; Series:

Producer, Gladiaattorit, 1993.

Television Work; Movies:

Producer, Mistrial, HBO, 1996.

Director, T.R.A.X., Fox, 2000.

Television Director; Episodic:

Freddy's Nightmares, 1988.

Gladiaattorit, 1993.

Making the Video, MTV, 1999.

Television Appearances; Series:

Himself, Ruutulippu, 2000-2005.

Television Appearances; Specials:

The Making of "Nightmare on Elm Street IV" (also known as Elm Street USA: A Halloween Nightmare), 1989.

Die Harder: The Making of "Die Hard 2," 1990.

Luonteita: Renny Harlin, 1990.

Stallone on the Edge: The Making of "Cliffhanger," 1993.

A Night to Die For, 1995.

When Sharks Attack (also known as When Sharks Attack! The Making of Deep Blue Sea), 1999.

MTV3 Live: Kiitoksen paikka-Konsertti, 2004.

Curse of the Exorcist: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 2004.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

TV—uutiset ja saa (also known as TV-uutiset), 1986.

Naked Hollywood (also known as A&E Premieres), Arts and Entertainment, 1991.

"Mein Kampf," Hyvat herrat, 1992.

"Miniature Pyrotechnics: Baby Blasts," Movie Magic, 1994.

"Acton Effects: Ultimate Action," Movie Magic, 1996.

The Entertainment Business, 1998.

"LL Cool J: Deepest Bluest," Making the Video, MTV, 1999.

Sen kvall med Luuk, 1999.

Etsiva Multanen, "Negativea," Susi rajalla, 2000.

Etsiva Multanen, "Kuolet vain kahdesti," Susi rajalla, 2000.

Himself, "Ihana Kamala Amerikka," Kirvesmiehet, 2001.

Himself, "The Rasmus Goes Movies," 4Pop, 2003.

Himself, "TV-tyrkyt," 4Pop, 2004.

Voice of himself, Yokotai, 2004.

Hypponen Enbuske Experience, 2004.

RECORDINGS

Music Videos (As Director):

LL Cool J's "Deepest Bluest (Shark's Fin)," 1999.

Also directed "S.O.P.H.I.A./I want you to stay"; "Wild Force."

WRITINGS

Screenplays:

(As Lauri Harjola) Huostaanotto (also known as Custody), 1980.

(With Marcus Selin) Born American (also known as Arctic Heat and Jaatava polte), Concorde, 1986.

(Uncredited) Prison, 1988.

Television Episodes:

Gladiaattorit, 1993.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

Interview, June, 1990, p. 61.

People Weekly, September 10, 1991, pp. 102-04; October 14, 1996, p. 29; June 30, 1997, p. 52; July 21, 1997, p. 55; November 10, 1997, p. 55.

Time, June 23, 1997, p. 85.

Electronic:

Renny Harlin Website,http://www.rennyharlin.com, August 17, 2007.