Jan de Bont facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jan de Bont
De Bont in 1973
Born	(1943-10-22) 22 October 1943 (age 81) Eindhoven, Netherlands
Occupation	Film director producer cinematographer
Years active	1965–2012
Notable work	Speed Twister
Spouse(s)	Monique van de Ven ​ ​ (m. 1973; div. 1988)​ Trish Reeves
Children	2

Jan de Bont (born October 22, 1943) is a Dutch filmmaker who is famous for his work in Hollywood. He is best known for directing the exciting action movies Speed (1994) and Twister (1996).

Before he became a director, de Bont was a talented cinematographer. A cinematographer, or director of photography, is in charge of how a movie looks, including the camera work and lighting. He worked on many blockbuster films, including Cujo (1983), Die Hard (1988), The Hunt for Red October (1990), and Lethal Weapon 3 (1992).

Early Life and Career

Jan de Bont was born in Eindhoven, Netherlands, into a large family with 16 siblings. He studied at the Amsterdam Film Academy, where he learned how to make movies.

In the early 1980s, de Bont moved to the United States to work in Hollywood. He quickly became known for his skill as a cinematographer. He often worked with famous directors like Paul Verhoeven and John McTiernan.

While filming the movie Roar in 1981, which featured many wild animals, de Bont was seriously injured by a lion on set. After recovering, he continued his work and filmed the 1983 horror movie Cujo, based on a novel by Stephen King.

In 1988, he was the director of photography for the hit action film Die Hard. His work helped make the movie look thrilling and realistic.

Becoming a Famous Director

Making His First Movie

In 1994, Jan de Bont directed his first movie, the action thriller Speed. The film, about a bus that cannot slow down, was a huge surprise hit with audiences and critics. It made stars out of its actors, Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.

Success with Twister

Two years later, in 1996, de Bont directed Twister. This movie was about storm chasers who try to get close to powerful tornadoes. It was famous for its amazing special effects and became another big box office success.

Later Films

De Bont's later films had mixed results. In 1997, he directed Speed 2: Cruise Control, the sequel to Speed. Unfortunately, it was not as popular as the first film.

In 1999, he directed The Haunting, a remake of a classic horror movie. While it made a lot of money, many critics did not like it. His last film as a director was Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (2003), starring Angelina Jolie as the famous video game hero.

Canceled Movie Projects

Over the years, de Bont was connected to several big movie projects that were never made. For a while, he was set to direct an American Godzilla movie. However, he left the project because the studio would not agree to his budget. The movie was later made by a different director.

He was also attached to direct other movies, including an early version of Minority Report, which was later directed by Steven Spielberg.

Personal Life

From 1973 to 1988, Jan de Bont was married to Dutch actress Monique van de Ven. He later married Trish Reeves, and they have two children together.

Besides making movies, de Bont is a passionate collector of photographs. He owns hundreds of prints from famous photographers.

Filmography

This is a list of some of the most well-known films Jan de Bont has directed or produced.

As Cinematographer This is a list of some of the famous movies where de Bont was the director of photography.

See also

In Spanish: Jan de Bont para niños

• 1997 Golden Raspberry Awards