Breakthrough and the 1990s

After the success of A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Harlin was set to direct Alien 3. He was attached in the project for a little over a year, but in the end, he was forced to leave the project due to creative differences with the producers.[5]

The Adventures of Ford Fairlane and Die Hard 2 were edited simultaneously and released a week apart in 1990. The former flopped, but the latter was a commercial success. Harlin achieved critical acclaim the following year when he produced Rambling Rose through his own Midnight Sun Pictures for director Martha Coolidge. The film won Best Feature at the 1992 Independent Spirit Awards and earned its star and Harlin's then-partner Laura Dern a Best Actress Oscar nomination at the 1992 Academy Awards.

1993's Cliffhanger had Harlin work for the first time with Sylvester Stallone. Harlin's career suffered a blow with the pirate adventure film Cutthroat Island in 1995. He followed Cutthroat Island with Long Kiss Goodnight starring Samuel L Jackson and Geena Davis in 1996 and Deep Blue Sea, starring Samuel L Jackson, LLCoolJ, Saffron Burrows, Jacqueline McKenzie and Thomas Jane.

2000s

Harlin wanted to direct a movie based on Formula One, but unable to secure the rights, he instead produced the film Driven in 2001, based on the American Champ Car series. Harlin's next project after Driven was to be a movie adaptation of the Ray Bradbury short story A Sound of Thunder, but Harlin left the project after a disagreement with Bradbury.[6] Although the director was changed, Harlin was credited as a producer when the finished film was released in 2005.

Harlin took over directing the action mystery film Mindhunters when the original director Peter Howitt dropped out, but the release was delayed by studio conflicts. Harlin went on to re-shoot a more traditional horror version of Exorcist: The Beginning (2014), after the studio was unhappy with the version cut by director Paul Schrader, which was more of a psychological drama.[7] Mindhunters was released in the U.S. in 2015. Both films were moderate successes.[citation needed]

In 2006, Harlin collaborated with Markus Selin to direct a biopic of the Finnish President and Marshall of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, but budget constraints put the project on hold. Instead, Harlin made another foray into low-budget horror with The Covenant, which was another moderate commercial success. In 2007, the Mannerheim film project resumed temporarily, and Harlin returned to Finland. Production began in 2008 with Mikko Nousiainen starring as Mannerheim. However, 30% of the funding was cut by one of the financiers due to the global economic recession, and the delay meant that the time window for shooting the winter scenes during the spring of 2009 passed. Pre-production finally commenced in 2010, and the project was assigned to Dome Karukoski in August 2011.[8]

In 2007, it was announced that Harlin would direct an adaptation of the comic-book series Brodie's Law.[9] Harlin directed the WWE Studios action movie 12 Rounds, starring John Cena. It was released in March 2009.[10] In 2009, Harlin directed an independent war film in Georgia. The film, 5 Days of War, was a story about the 2008 war between Georgia and Russia in the region of South Ossetia. In the film, President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili was played by Cuban-American actor Andy García.[11]

2010s and move to China

In 2011, it was reported that Harlin was planning a sequel to The Long Kiss Goodnight.[12] In April 2012, it was announced that Harlin would direct Devil's Pass, set in Russia’s Ural Mountains. The fact-based film dealt with the Dyatlov Pass incident in 1959, when nine experienced hikers were found dead. The film was released in 2013.[13] On February 4, 2013, it was announced that Harlin would direct The Legend of Hercules, which opened in theatres on January 10, 2014.[14]

On May 19, 2014, Harlin was set to direct the action comedy film Skiptrace, with Jackie Chan set to star along with Seann William Scott and Fan Bingbing.[15] However, on September 3, 2014, it was reported that Johnny Knoxville would fill the role previously thought to be played by Scott.[16] The film and his work in China promise new success for Harlin.[17]

Future projects

On June 2016, it was announced Harlin will direct Legend of the Ancient Sword at Alibaba Pictures, based on a Chinese role-playing video game.[18] On June 16, 2017, it was announced Harlin will direct Hanging Coffins for Shanghai Film Group and Shanghai New Wave Films.[19] On June 18, 2017, it was announced Harlin will direct Operation Somalia. The film's story, based on true events, revolves around a rescue operation against Somali pirates mounted by Chinese special forces.[20] On May 8, 2018, it was announced Harlin will direct Solara, a Chinese sci-fi epic revolving around an international team that must work together to save Earth from a global catastrophe.[21] On June 18, 2018, it was announced Harlin will direct Operation Wild.[22]

Unproduced films

Harlin's next project after Driven was to be a movie adaptation of the Ray Bradbury short story A Sound of Thunder, but Harlin left the project after a disagreement with Bradbury.[23] Although the director was changed, Harlin was credited as a producer when the finished film was released in 2005.

In 2006, Harlin collaborated with Markus Selin to direct a biopic of the Finnish President and Marshall of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, but budget constraints put the project on hold. Instead, Harlin made another foray into low-budget horror with The Covenant, which was another moderate commercial success. In 2007 the Mannerheim film project resumed temporarily and Harlin returned to Finland. Production began in 2008 with Mikko Nousiainen starring as Mannerheim. However, 30% of the funding was cut by one of the financiers due to the global economic recession, and the delay meant that the time window for shooting the winter scenes during the spring of 2009 passed. Pre-production finally commenced in 2010, and the project was assigned to Dome Karukoski in August 2011.[24]

In 2007, it was announced that Harlin would direct an adaptation of the comic-book series Brodie's Law.[25]

In 2011 it was reported that he was planning a sequel to The Long Kiss Goodnight.[26]

Personal life

Harlin was married to actress Geena Davis from 1993 to 1998. He has one child, from a relationship with Tiffany Browne.

Filmography

Films

Year	Film	Notes
1986	Born American
1987	Prison
1988	A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master	Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Director
1990	The Adventures of Ford Fairlane	Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director
	Die Hard 2
1993	Cliffhanger
1995	Cutthroat Island	Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director
1996	The Long Kiss Goodnight
1999	Deep Blue Sea
2001	Driven	Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director
2004	Mindhunters
	Exorcist: The Beginning	Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director
2006	The Covenant
2007	Cleaner
2009	12 Rounds
2011	5 Days of War
2013	Devil's Pass
2014	The Legend of Hercules	Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director
2016	Skiptrace
2018	Legend of the Ancient Sword
2018	Bodies at Rest
TBA	Hanging Coffins
TBA	Operation Somalia
TBA	Operation Wild
TBA	Solara

Short films

• Custody (1979) under his birth name Lauri Harjola

Television

• Kohtauspaikka 33 (1981) under the name Lauri Harjola
• T.R.A.X. (2000)
• Burn Notice (Season 5, Episodes 514 & 518, 2011, and Season 6, Episodes 606 & 610, 2012)
• White Collar (Season 4, Episode 409, 2012)
• Covert Affairs (Season 3, Episode 316, 2012)
• Graceland (Season 1, Episodes 103, 105 & 108, 2013)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]