Xavier Gens
Xavier Gens | |
|---|---|
 Gens at the Teatro Victoria Eugenia in 2011 | |
| Born | 27 April 1975 Dunkirk, France |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter, producer |
| Years active | 1996–present |
Xavier Gens (French: [ɡzavje ʒɑ̃s]; born on 27 April 1975) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer.[1]
Career
[edit]Gens directed three short films in his native language, BTK – Born to Kast (2000), Au petit matin (2005) and Sable noir (2006), before being hired by 20th Century Fox to direct his debut English-language film, Hitman (2007). The same year, he directed his first French-language feature, Frontier(s).[2][3]
In October 2007, a few weeks before the film's release, reports came in that Fox had turned down the version that Gens submitted to them. Nicolas de Toth was brought in to edit the film for commercial purposes and the studio ordered reshoots.[4] While the studio denied claims that Gens had been fired due to the extreme violence in his cut, and insisted that he was still on the project, some reports stated that Gens was not even in the country as these reshoots were being made.[5] Despite being critically panned,[6] Hitman was a success with a gross of $92 million, Gens' most successful film.[7]
He narrated and produced the French zombie film La Horde,[8] directed by Yannick Dahan and Benjamin Rocher.[9] The film was released in 2009 and distributed by IFC Films.[10] Gens directed The Divide (initially titled The Fallout), his second English-language film,[11] which features Michael Biehn in the lead role.[12]
On television, he has directed episodes of Crossing Lines (2014), Gangs of London (2020),[13] Mortel (2021) and Lupin (2023).[14]
In 2024, his Netflix shark-themed film, Under Paris,[15] became what was described as "the popcorn film of the summer".[16] The same year, alongside Vincent Roget and Eric Lavaine's banner Sameplayer, Gens launched a new production company called Good Players.[17]
Filmography
[edit]Short films
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | BTK – Born to Kast | Yes | Yes | [18] |
| 2005 | Au petit matin | Yes | Yes | |
| 2006 | Sable noir | Yes | Yes | |
| 2012 | X Is for XXL | Yes | No | Segment of The ABCs of Death |
Feature films
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Frontier(s) | Yes | Yes |
| Hitman | Yes | No | |
| 2011 | The Divide | Yes | No |
| 2017 | Cold Skin | Yes | No |
| The Crucifixion | Yes | No | |
| Budapest | Yes | No | |
| 2023 | Farang | Yes | Yes |
| 2024 | Under Paris | Yes | Yes |
Acting roles
- Le Bon, la Brute et les Zombies (2004)
- Lady Blood (2008)
- La Horde (2009, voice only)
Television
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Sable noir | Episode "Fotografik" |
| 2014 | Crossing Lines | 3 episodes |
| 2020 | Gangs of London | 3 episodes |
| 2021 | Mortel | 3 episodes |
| 2023 | Lupin | 3 episodes |
Other credits
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Maximum Risk | Production assistant |
| Never Ever | ||
| 1997 | Double Team | |
| Madame Jacques sur la Croisette | ||
| Le Bossu | Production manager | |
| Les Kidnappeurs | ||
| 1999 | The Secret Laughter of Women | Production assistant |
| 2000 | 30 Ans | Casting director |
| Cramps | Production assistant | |
| 2009 | La Horde | |
| 2016 | Cell |
References
[edit]- ^ "Xavier Gens". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2007. Archived from the original on 3 December 2007.
- ^ Amner, Darren (24 October 2007). "Eye For Film: Xavier Gens interview about Frontiere(s)/Frontier(s)". Eye for Film.
- ^ Thomas, Gabriel (17 December 2022). "A Face Full of Glass: Examining "FRONTIER(S)" Fifteen Years Later". Rue Morgue.
- ^ Brevet, Brad (11 October 2007). "'Hitman' Will Be Rated R and De Toth is Just a Consultant". ComingSoon.
- ^ Giles, Jeff (6 November 2007). "Timothy Olyphant Addresses Hitman Rumors". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 15 September 2013.
- ^ Blevins, Adam (12 December 2024). "Timothy Olyphant's 16% Rotten Tomatoes Video Game Adaptation Just Landed on a Free Streaming Service". Collider.
- ^ Miska, Brad (5 February 2010). "Xavier Gens' Post-Apocalyptic Thriller Drops Title". BloodyDisgusting.
- ^ "The Horde – New International One-Sheet". DreadCentral. 11 July 2012.
- ^ "New International One Sheet for 'The Horde'". BloodyDisgusting. 9 January 2010.
- ^ "The Horde – The Dead Bring the Violence in Latest Clip". DreadCentral. 12 July 2012.
- ^ "First Look at a Badass Michael Biehn in 'The Divide'". BloodyDisgusting. 17 May 2010.
- ^ "OMFG of the Day: Early Teaser for 'The Divide' Promises Everlasting Battle of Man vs Man!". BloodyDisgusting. 22 May 2010.
- ^ "Xavier Gens | GANGS OF LONDON". STARBURST Magazine.
- ^ Hamman, Cody (9 April 2024). "Under Paris trailer: Xavier Gens shark thriller reaches Netflix in June". JoBlo.
- ^ Heritage, Stuart (6 June 2024). "Under Paris: Netflix has delivered one of the best shark movies ever made". The Guardian.
- ^ Barber, Nicholas (7 June 2024). "Under Paris: Why a French film about a killer shark in the Seine is the popcorn movie of the summer so far". www.bbc.com.
- ^ Keslassy, Elsa (21 May 2024). "Mayhem! Director Xavier Gens Launches Banner Good Players With French Producers; Develops Netflix Series Malin Fors (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
- ^ "AFM 09: Promo Art for Xavier Gens' 'The Fallout'". BloodyDisgusting. 2 November 2009.
External links
[edit]
- Xavier Gens at IMDb
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
