John Hyams is an American screenwriter, director and
cinematographer
The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...
, best known for his involvement in the ''
Universal Soldier'' series, for which he has directed two installments. Hyams is the son of director
Peter Hyams.
Career
Hyams graduated from
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
School of Visual and Performing Arts, becoming a noted painter and sculptor exhibiting and selling work in New York and Los Angeles.
He became known in Hollywood in 1997 after writing, producing, and directing the critically acclaimed ''One Dog Day''. The film debuted at the Taos Talking Picture Film Festival. After that, Hyams directed several documentaries, most notably ''
The Smashing Machine'', which follows the life of fighter
Mark Kerr. Hyams also directed several episodes of ABC Television's ''
NYPD Blue
''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble c ...
''.
In 2009, Hyams took over the ''
Universal Soldier'' franchise, directing the film ''
Regeneration
Regeneration may refer to:
Science and technology
* Regeneration (biology), the ability to recreate lost or damaged cells, tissues, organs and limbs
* Regeneration (ecology), the ability of ecosystems to regenerate biomass, using photosynthesis
...
'', starring
Jean-Claude Van Damme and
Dolph Lundgren. It was shot mostly in
Bulgaria on a budget of $9 million.
Then, in 2012, he wrote and produced a sequel called ''
Day of Reckoning __NOTOC__
Day of reckoning refers to the Last Judgment of God in Christian and Islamic belief during which everyone after death is called to account for their actions committed in life.
Day of Reckoning may also refer to:
Music
* ''Day of Reckoni ...
'',
which also featured Van Damme and Lundgren. It was shot in
3D with a budget of $8 million.
Over the course of 2014 and 2015, Hyams directed several episodes of the horror series ''
Z Nation'', including the pilot. Hyams has also directed for numerous other TV series, including ''
Chicago P.D.'', ''
Chicago Fire'', and ''
Chucky'', and acted as showrunner for the ''Z Nation'' spin-off ''
Black Summer''. In 2018 he returned to feature work with the independent comedy-drama ''
All Square'', starring
Michael Kelly. In 2020 he directed the thriller ''
Alone
ALONE is a charity organization in Ireland which was set-up to highlight the issues facing older people living alone. Founded in 1977 by Willie Bermingham, the charity seeks to help elderly people living on their own who may feel isolated and lone ...
'', and in 2022 the
Kevin Williamson-scripted,
Blumhouse-produced horror film ''Sick''.
Filmography
Films
Television
The numbers in directing and writing credits refer to the number of episodes.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hyams, John
Living people
American film directors
Film producers from New York (state)
American male screenwriters
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
American television directors
Jewish American screenwriters
Syracuse University alumni
Year of birth missing (living people)
Place of birth missing (living people)
Screenwriters from New York (state)
21st-century American Jews