Francis Lawrence facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Francis Lawrence
Lawrence at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	(1971-03-26) March 26, 1971 (age 54) Vienna, Austria
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Loyola Marymount University
Occupation	Film director film producer
Years active	1993–present

Francis Lawrence (born March 26, 1971) is an American filmmaker and producer. He is known for directing many popular movies and music videos. He started his career directing music videos for famous singers and commercials. Later, he became a successful film director.

Some of his most well-known movies include Constantine (2005) and I Am Legend (2007). He also directed four of the five films in The Hunger Games series. These films are very popular with young audiences.

Early Life and Education

Francis Lawrence was born in Vienna, Austria, on March 26, 1971. His parents were American. His father was a physics professor, and his mother worked in public relations.

When he was four years old, his family moved to Los Angeles, California. He studied film production at Loyola Marymount University. Before becoming a director, he worked on film sets, learning how movies are made.

Directing Music Videos and Commercials

Francis Lawrence began his career by directing music videos. He worked with a classmate, Michael Jason Rosen, to create early videos. Soon, he became known for his creative and unique visual style.

He directed music videos for many famous artists. These include Rihanna, Green Day, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, and Justin Timberlake. In 22, he won a Latin Grammy Award for a music video he directed for Shakira. In 2011, he won a Grammy Award for directing Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" music video.

Lawrence also directed many commercials for big companies. Some of these clients were Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, McDonald's, and Disneyland.

Directing Major Films

Francis Lawrence made his first feature film, Constantine, in 2005. It was a superhero thriller based on a comic book. In 2007, he directed I Am Legend, a movie about a world after a disaster. This film starred Will Smith.

In 2011, he directed Water for Elephants, a romantic drama. He also directed the pilot episode for the TV series Touch.

The Hunger Games Series

In 2012, Lawrence was chosen to direct The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. This was the second movie in The Hunger Games series. The books were written by Suzanne Collins. He then directed the final two parts of the series: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015). These films were very successful and popular worldwide.

In 2020, it was announced that Lawrence would direct The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. This movie is a prequel to The Hunger Games series. It tells a story that happened before the main events. The film was released in November 2023.

Other Recent Projects

In 2018, Lawrence directed Red Sparrow. This was a spy thriller starring Jennifer Lawrence, who also starred in The Hunger Games films.

Francis Lawrence is also involved in producing new projects. His production company is working on adapting a novel called Vulcan's Hammer. He is also an executive producer for the Apple TV+ series Chief of War. In 2022, he signed a deal with Netflix to direct a movie based on the BioShock video game series. He is also set to direct a sequel to his first film, Constantine.

In 2023, it was announced that Lawrence would direct and produce The Long Walk. This film is based on a novel by Stephen King. Production for this movie began in July 2024.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Francis Lawrence para niños

• Francis Lawrence's unrealized projects