Australian filmmaker Alex Proyas is most recognized for his work as director on the movies The Crow (1994), Dark City (1998), I, Robot (2004), Knowing (2009), and Gods of Egypt (2016).
Proyas was born to Greek parents in Alexandria, Egypt. His family on his father’s side had been living in Egypt for several generations, while his mother’s family originated from Cyprus. When he was three years old, he relocated to Sydney.
At the age of 17, Alexander Proyas enrolled in the Australian Film, Television, and Radio School. Soon after, he started directing music videos. He later moved to the United States, specifically Los Angeles, to advance his career, where he directed music videos for MTV and commercials for television.
Alex Proyas Most Notable Movies
The Crow
Alex Proyas directed The Crow, a 1994 American superhero movie written by David J. Schow and John Shirley. The story is based on James O’Barr’s comic book series from 1989.
The film features Brandon Lee in his last role as Eric Draven, a musician who is brought back to life to seek revenge on the gang who killed him and his fiancée.
The movie’s triumph resulted in an entire media franchise, consisting of follow-up films such as The Crow: City of Angels (1996), The Crow: Salvation (2000), and The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005). Despite featuring new characters and none of the original actors, the sequels failed to reach the same level of success. A reboot is scheduled to come out in 2024.
Knowing
In 2009, Alex Proyas directed and co-produced the American science fiction thriller film Knowing, which featured Nicolas Cage as the lead. The movie was shot in Docklands Studios Melbourne, Australia, with different spots chosen to depict the setting of Boston in the film.
The focus of the film is the unearthing of a peculiar document containing numerical figures and the potential that they foretell the specifics of different catastrophes leading up to the end of the world.
I, Robot
The 2004 American sci-fi blockbuster, I, Robot, was directed by Alex Proyas and features Will Smith in the lead role. Other notable actors include Bridget Moynahan, Bruce Greenwood, James Cromwell, Chi McBride, and Alan Tudyk.
The story takes place in Chicago in the year 2035, where advanced robots are employed in various public service roles worldwide. These robots are bound by three laws that prioritize the safety of humans.
Detective Del Spooner (played by Smith) is tasked with investigating the supposed suicide of Alfred Lanning (played by Cromwell), the founder of U.S. Robotics. Spooner suspects that a humanoid robot named Sonny (played by Tudyk) is responsible for Lanning’s death.
Dark City
In 1998, Alex Proyas directed a neo-noir sci-fi film called Dark City, featuring Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, Richard O’Brien, and Ian Richardson. The script was co-written by Proyas, Lem Dobbs, and David S. Goyer.
Sewell portrays a character in the movie who suffers from amnesia. As he is accused of murder, he strives to uncover his real identity and prove his innocence while evading both law enforcement and a cryptic organization called the “Strangers”.
Gods of Egypt
Alex Proyas directed Gods of Egypt in 2016, a fantasy action movie that fantastically portrays ancient Egyptian deities. The cast includes Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Brenton Thwaites, Chadwick Boseman, Élodie Yung, Courtney Eaton, Rufus Sewell, Gerard Butler, and Geoffrey Rush.
The story revolves around Horus, a god, who teams up with a human thief to save his beloved and protect the world from Set.
