Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | director, producer |
Danny Boyle (born 20 October, 1956) is an English director and film producer, best known for his work on films such as Trainspotting, 28 Days Later and Sunshine.
Early life and career
Boyle was born in Radcliffe, Lancashire into a working-class Irish Catholic family. His mother was from Ballinasloe, Co Galway, and his father was born in England, but to an Irish family.[1] For a while, Boyle seriously contemplated the priesthood and attended religious school as a teenager.[2] Instead, he studied at Thornleigh Salesian College in Bolton, and at the University of Wales, Bangor. While at university, Boyle dated the actress Frances Barber.
He began his career in the theatre, first with the Joint Stock Theatre Company and then with the Royal Court Theatre, where he was Artistic Director from 1982 until 1985 and Deputy Director between 1985 and 1987. His productions during this period included Howard Barker's Victory, Howard Brenton's The Genius and Edward Bond's Saved, which won the Time Out Award. Boyle also directed five productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company.[3]
In 1980, Boyle started working in television as a producer for BBC Northern Ireland, where he produced, amongst other TV films, Alan Clarke's controversial Elephant before becoming a director on shows such as Arise And Go Now, Not Even God Is Wise Enough, For The Greater Good, Scout and two episodes of Inspector Morse ("Masonic Mysteries" and "Cherubim and Seraphim"). He was also responsible for the highly acclaimed BBC2 series, Mr. Wroe's Virgins.
Road to Success
Boyle made his feature film directorial debut with Shallow Grave, an instant commercial and critical success. Next followed the film Trainspotting, based on the novel by Irvine Welsh. Besides being quite successful, the film is considered among the most influential and iconic British films of the 1990s.
Previously known to work with writer John Hodge, producer Andrew Macdonald and actor Ewan McGregor, in the internationally acclaimed Trainspotting, Boyle relocated to Hollywood to seek a production deal with a major US studio. He declined an offer to direct the fourth film of the Alien franchise, instead making A Life Less Ordinary using British finance.
Boyle's next project was an adaptation of the cult novel The Beach. He then collaborated with author Alex Garland on the post-apocalyptic zombie film 28 Days Later.
In between the films The Beach and 28 Days Later, Boyle directed two TV movies for the BBC in 2001 - Vacuuming Completely Nude In Paradise and Strumpet. He also directed a short film Alien Love Triangle (starring Kenneth Branagh), and was intended to be one of three shorts within a feature film. However, the project was canceled after the two other shorts were made into feature films: Mimic starring Mira Sorvino and Impostor starring Gary Sinise.
In 2004, Boyle directed the Frank Cottrell Boyce scripted Millions. His science-fiction film Sunshine, starring 28 Days Later star Cillian Murphy, was released in 2007.
Boyle produced the sequel to 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, released on May 11, 2007.
Selected filmography
- Shallow Grave (1994)
- Trainspotting (1996)
- A Life Less Ordinary (1997)
- The Beach (2000)
- 28 Days Later (2002)
- Millions (2004)
- Sunshine (2007)
- 28 Weeks Later (2007) [Producer]
- Slumdog Millionaire (2009)
Boyle has also hinted in interviews that he would be heading up a final sequel to the 28 Days Later franchise (popularly believed to be titled '28 Months Later' following previous logic) which would be released in 2009.
Quotes
- On having been discouraged by a priest from joining the clergy: "I don't know if he was trying to save me or the priesthood."
- "Once you've had anything like a hit in the movie business it's so easy to get lost. All these people are scuttling around trying to get you to make things, suggesting things and offering deals. The pressure of what to do next is horrible."
References
- ^ Sarah Caden, "The man who could have been pope", Sunday Independent, 22 May 2005
- ^ washingtonpost.com
- ^ prideofmanchester.com