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 is an American filmmaker and producer. He was born on March 26, 1971. He first became known for directing music videos and commercials. Later, he started directing movies.

His first big movie was the superhero thriller Constantine in 2005. He also directed the exciting film I Am Legend (2007). You might know him best for directing four of the five movies in The Hunger Games film series. He also directed the spy movie Red Sparrow in 2018.

Early Life and Education

Francis Lawrence was born in Vienna, Austria. 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. Before going to college, Lawrence worked on a movie called Pump Up the Volume. He then studied film production at Loyola Marymount University.

Starting His Career in Film

In 1993, Francis Lawrence worked as an assistant director on the movie Marching Out of Time. After that, he teamed up with a former classmate, Michael Jason Rosen. They started directing music videos together.

They made their first music videos for a band called A Western Front. They also made a video for the band Tidal Force. Soon, Francis Lawrence became known for his creative ideas and unique visual style in music videos.

Directing Music Videos and Commercials

Francis Lawrence joined a big production company. He became a very successful music video director. He worked with many famous music stars.

Some of the artists he directed videos for include:

• Rihanna
• Green Day
• Britney Spears
• Black Eyed Peas
• Jay-Z
• Lady Gaga
• Justin Timberlake
• Backstreet Boys

In 2002, he won a Latin Grammy Award for directing Shakira's "Suerte" music video. He also directed many commercials for well-known brands. These brands include Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, McDonald's, and Disneyland.

In 2011, he won a Grammy Award for directing Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" music video.

Directing Major Movies

Francis Lawrence made his first big movie, Constantine, in 2005. It was based on a comic book.

In 2007, he directed I Am Legend, starring Will Smith. This movie was based on a famous novel. In 2011, he directed the romantic drama Water for Elephants.

The Hunger Games Series

In 2012, Lionsgate announced that Francis Lawrence would direct The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. This movie was the sequel to the very popular The Hunger Games. The first Hunger Games movie was directed by Gary Ross. Both books were written by Suzanne Collins.

Francis Lawrence was officially confirmed as the director for Catching Fire in May 2012. He then directed the last two parts of the series:

• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014)
• Part 2 (2015)

He returned to the Hunger Games world again. In April 2020, he signed on to direct The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. This movie is a prequel to the original series. It was released on November 17, 2023.

Other Recent Projects

Francis Lawrence directed Red Sparrow, which came out on March 2, 2018. It starred Jennifer Lawrence (who is not related to him) and Joel Edgerton.

In March 2021, his production company, about:blank, made a deal with New Republic Pictures. They plan to adapt the novel Vulcan's Hammer. In March 2022, it was announced that Lawrence would direct a movie called Stalag-X. He is also an executive producer for the Apple TV+ series Chief of War.

In August 2022, it was reported that Lawrence signed with Netflix to direct a movie based on the BioShock video game series. In September 2022, it was also announced that he would direct a sequel to his first movie, Constantine.

In November 2023, Lionsgate announced that Francis Lawrence would direct and produce The Long Walk. This movie is based on a novel by Stephen King. Filming for The Long Walk began in July 2024.

Movies Directed by Francis Lawrence

Here is a list of movies Francis Lawrence has directed:

See also

In Spanish: Francis Lawrence para niños