Antoine Fuqua
Antoine Fuqua | |
---|---|
![]() Fuqua at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival | |
Born | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | January 19, 1966
Occupation |
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Years active | 1992–present |
Spouse(s) | |
Children | 3 |
Family | Harvey Fuqua (uncle) |
Antoine Fuqua (born January 19, 1966) is an American filmmaker and comic artist. He was originally known for directing music videos for Toni Braxton, Coolio, Stevie Wonder and Prince including the music video for "Gangsta's Paradise" (1995). He started his film career in 1998 and earned a name in Hollywood after directing the 2001 crime thriller Training Day.
Fuqua has since made action, crime, thriller and drama films including the Equalizer films and the remake of The Magnificent Seven.
Early life[]
Fuqua was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Carlos and Mary Fuqua. He is the nephew of record producer and executive Harvey Fuqua of the Moonglows. Fuqua paid tribute to screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto, a frequent collaborator of Akira Kurosawa's, saying his writing "affected a boy from Pittsburgh living in the ghetto."
[Shinobu Hashimoto's writing] was so beautiful and poetic and powerful and heartbreaking. It was all about justice, it was all about sacrifice, and it made me want to be one of those guys. I came from a rough area, and I had my own version of watching poor people getting pushed down – whoever the person was who had the power, they would come in and take from other people.[1]
Fuqua explained how his experience of violence shaped his adolescence, and played a role in his eventual choice of career.
My first big break was when I got shot when I was fifteen. It changed my life and it made me not hang out in the streets as much, and go to the movies more. Those sort of things are wake up calls to have a better appreciation for life, and a better appreciation for the people around you. From that moment in my life I put all my energy into what I believed in, and at that time it was playing basketball and sports. That led me to a scholarship ... after that a professor said that I should take an art class ... I fell in love with an artist by the name of Caravaggio.[2]
Before turning to filmmaking and music videos, Fuqua studied electrical engineering, with the hope of going on to fly jets in the military.[3]
Career[]
Fuqua began his career directing music videos for popular artists such as Toni Braxton, Stevie Wonder, and Prince. He directed Michelle Pfeiffer in the video Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio which was used to promote Jerry Bruckheimer's successful film Dangerous Minds.
The movie became a big hit and Jerry Bruckheimer was kind enough to give me a lot of credit for it because they used my music video ... the irony was people thought I was the new French film director. No one had any idea was I was this guy from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. So I used to walk in the room and people would literally ask me to get coffee. And I would say, "No, no, I'm the director", and I loved watching their faces. That was fun.[2]
From 1998 onwards, Fuqua began working primarily as a feature film director. In a tribute article for Time magazine, Fuqua expressed his early respect for Kurosawa as a filmmaker and how Kurosawa influenced his own perspective on filmmaking stating: "[screen writer Hashimoto's] ... working with Akira Kurosawa and Hideo Oguni, was so beautiful and poetic and powerful and heartbreaking. It was all about justice, it was all about sacrifice, and it made me want to be one of those guys".[1]
His first feature films were the John Woo-produced action film The Replacement Killers (1998), starring Chow Yun Fat and the action comedy Bait starring Jamie Foxx. He then directed the crime thriller Training Day (2001), for which star Denzel Washington won an Academy Award for Best Actor. His next films were the action war drama Tears of the Sun (2003), the Arthurian legend film King Arthur (2004), the conspiracy action thriller Shooter (2007), the crime film Brooklyn's Finest (2009), and the action thrillers Olympus Has Fallen (2013) and The Equalizer (2014), the latter of which again pairs Fuqua with Denzel Washington. In 2011, he directed CIA procedural Fox pilot Exit Strategy starring Ethan Hawke.[4][5]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Antoine_Fuqua_%2829146083673%29.jpg/170px-Antoine_Fuqua_%2829146083673%29.jpg)
He co-created the comic-book miniseries After Dark with Wesley Snipes, which was written by Peter Milligan and illustrated by Jeff Nentrup.[6] He was slated to direct Tupac Shakur's official biopic[7] but the project was postponed to allow Fuqua to direct rapper Eminem's second feature film, Southpaw.[8] Eminem later left Southpaw to focus on his music,[9] and was replaced with Jake Gyllenhaal.[10]
His 2016 film was a remake of the 1960 Western The Magnificent Seven which itself was an American remake of Kurosawa's 1954 film Seven Samurai. Denzel Washington plays the lead role of Sam Chisolm.[11]
In early 2018, Fuqua worked as one of the executive producers on the Fox medical drama series The Resident. In the summer of 2018, his thriller sequel The Equalizer 2 (2018) was released with Denzel Washington returning in the main role. In June 2021, Fuqua's sci-fi film Infinite, starring Mark Wahlberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor was released.
In 2021, Fuqua and actor Will Smith announced that their upcoming film, Emancipation, will not be filmed in Georgia because of the recent passage of Georgia's restrictive voting law. Smith and Fuqua released the joint statement: "We cannot in good conscience provide economic support to a government that enacts regressive voting laws that are designed to restrict voter access".[12]
Personal life[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Antoine_Fuqua_Lela_Rochon_crop.jpg/220px-Antoine_Fuqua_Lela_Rochon_crop.jpg)
In 1998, actress Lela Rochon and Fuqua were engaged, and they married on April 9, 1999. Daughter Asia Rochon Fuqua was born on July 28, 2002, and son Brando in May 2004. Fuqua has a son, Zachary, from a previous relationship. He also has two granddaughters.
When asked by the BBC in September 2014 whether he believes in God, Fuqua said: "Absolutely. I believe in God, absolutely."[13]
Filmography[]
Feature films[]
Year | Title | ||
---|---|---|---|
Director | Producer | ||
1998 | The Replacement Killers | Yes | No |
2000 | Bait | Yes | No |
2001 | Training Day | Yes | No |
2003 | Tears of the Sun | Yes | No |
2004 | King Arthur | Yes | No |
2007 | Shooter | Yes | No |
2009 | Brooklyn's Finest | Yes | Executive |
2013 | Olympus Has Fallen | Yes | Yes |
2014 | The Equalizer | Yes | No |
2015 | Southpaw | Yes | Yes |
2016 | The Magnificent Seven | Yes | Executive |
2018 | The Equalizer 2 | Yes | Yes |
2021 | Infinite | Yes | Executive |
The Guilty | Yes | Yes | |
TBA | Emancipation | Yes | No |
Producer only
- Rob Peace (2020)
- Bullet Train (2022)
Documentary films[]
Year | Title | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Director | Producer | Notes | ||
2004 | Lightning in a Bottle | Yes | No | |
2005 | Bastards of the Party | No | Yes | |
2016 | Forever Brothers: The '71 Pittsburgh Pirates Story | No | Executive | TV movie |
2018 | American Dream/American Knightmare | Yes | Executive | |
2019 | What's My Name: Muhammad Ali | Yes | Executive | |
2021 | The Day Sports Stood Still | Yes | Yes |
Television[]
Year | Title | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Director | Executive producer |
Notes | ||
2016–17 | Ice | Yes | Yes | Episode "Hyenas" |
2021 | Mayor of Kingstown | Yes | Yes | Pilot |
TBA | The Terminal List | Yes | Yes |
Executive producer only
- Shooter (2016–2018)
- Training Day (2017)
- The Resident (2018–present)
- FreeRayshawn (2020)
Music videos[]
Year | Title | Artist | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | "I Like the Girls" | Mr. Lee | [14] |
1992 | "Love's Taken Over" | Chanté Moore | [15] |
"It's Alright" | |||
"All I See" | Christopher Williams | ||
"Saving Forever for You" | Shanice | ||
1993 | "Another Sad Love Song" | Toni Braxton | [14] |
"The Morning After" | Maze featuring Frankie Beverly | ||
"Nobody Does It Betta" | Mint Condition | [16] | |
1994 | "Ain't Nobody" | Jaki Graham | |
"Somewhere" | Shanice | ||
"I'm in the Mood" | CeCe Peniston | ||
"Deep Down" | Ladae | [17] | |
"The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" | Prince | [14] | |
"Sending My Love" | Zhané | [18] | |
"United Front" | Arrested Development | [14] | |
1995 | "For Your Love" | Stevie Wonder | [19] |
"Freedom" | Various Artists | [20] | |
"Gangsta's Paradise" | Coolio | [21] | |
1996 | "Someday" | All-4-One | [22] |
1998 | "Bedtime (Version 2)" | Usher Raymond | |
1999 | "Blue Angels" | Pras | |
2007 | "Citizen/Soldier" | 3 Doors Down | [23] |
2011 | "Mirror" | Lil Wayne | [24] |
Commercials[]
- Pirelli Tires – "The Call" (2006), featuring Naomi Campbell and John Malkovich
Reception[]
Critical, commercial, and audience reception to films Fuqua has directed:
Film | Rotten Tomatoes[25] | Metacritic[26] | CinemaScore[27] | Budget | Box office[28] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Replacement Killers | 35% | 42 | B- | $30 million | $19.2 million |
Bait | 26% | 39 | A- | $51 million | $15.47 million |
Training Day | 72% | 69 | B+ | $45 million | $104.9 million |
Tears of the Sun | 33% | 48 | A- | $75 million | $86.5 million |
King Arthur | 31% | 46 | B | $120 million | $203.6 million |
Shooter | 47% | 53 | B+ | $61 million | $95.7 million |
Brooklyn's Finest | 43% | 43 | C | $17 million | $36.4 million |
Olympus Has Fallen | 48% | 41 | A- | $70 million | $170.3 million |
The Equalizer | 60% | 57 | A- | $55 million | $192.3 million |
Southpaw | 59% | 57 | A | $25 million | $92 million |
The Magnificent Seven | 63% | 54 | A- | $90 million | $162.4 million |
The Equalizer 2 | 51% | 50 | A | $62 million | $190.2 million |
Infinite | 16% | 28 | N/A | – | – |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Antoine Fuqua Remembers the Storytelling Genius of Shinobu Hashimoto". Time.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Video on YouTube
- ^ nthWORD Archived May 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, April, 2010
- ^ "Antoine Fuqua To Direct Fox Pilot 'Exit Strategy' Starring Ethan Hawke". IndieWire. January 22, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- ^ Nellie Andreeva (January 21, 2011). "Fox Picks Up 'Exit Strategy' Pilot Starring Ethan Hawke; Antoine Fuqua To Direct". Deadline. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- ^ "Cover Artwork for After Dark Comic Issues No. 0 and #1". DreadCentral.
- ^ Production On Tupac Film To Begin This Spring Archived September 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine AllHipHop.
- ^ "Eminem's boxing movie may delay the Tupac Shakur biopic yet again". AV Club. June 7, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
- ^ "Eminem cancels Southpaw". Archived from the original on May 13, 2012.
- ^ Toro, Gabe (March 11, 2013). "Antoine Fuqua Says '24' Movie Is Dead, Still Waiting On The Script For Tupac Shakur Biopic". Indiewire.
- ^ "'Magnificent Seven' Director On Staying True To The Original Film's Message" (Interview with Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air). Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- ^ Sperling, Nicole (April 12, 2021). "Will Smith's production pulls out of Georgia, citing the state's voting law". New York Times.
- ^ Hennigan, Adrian (September 24, 2014). "Calling The Shots: Antoine Fuqua". BBC. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Checkoway, Laura (March 2007). "Shot in the Dark". Vibe. p. 108. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ "Straight from video". Boston.com. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ Fuqua, Antoine. "Mint Condition - "Nobody Does It Betta"". music video. mvdbase.com. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- ^ "Ladae - "Deep Down"". music video credits. mvdbase.com. Retrieved April 20, 2013.
- ^ Ducreay, Safra (July 25, 2018). "How Naughty By Nature Played a Key Role in the Success of Zhane's 'Sending My Love'". The Boombox. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ "Music Video - Production Notes". Billboard. New York, New York: BPI Communications. April 8, 1995. p. 53. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ Burgess, Omar (July 21, 2011). "Throwback Thursday Revisits "Freedom (Theme From 'Panther')"". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ Epstein, Dan (August 7, 2015). "Coolio's 'Gangsta's Paradise': The Oral History of 1995's Pop-Rap Smash". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ McCormick, Moira (May 25, 1996). "'Hunchback' Soundtrack Tie-Ins Abound". Billboard. p. 10. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ Champagne, Christine (October 28, 2007). "Filmmaker on Guard with Citizen Soldier". SHOOTonline. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ Osei, Anthony (November 3, 2011). "Lil Wayne Taps Antoine Fuqua for "Mirror" Video". Complex. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ "Antoine Fuqua". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
- ^ "Antoine Fuqua". Metacritic. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
- ^ "Cinemascore". Cinemascore.com. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
- ^ "Antoine Fuqua Movie Box Office". boxofficemojo.com. Amazon.com. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Antoine Fuqua. |
- Antoine Fuqua at IMDb
- Hollywood Reporter story on upcoming the Notorious B.I.G. film (from 2005)
- On Directing with Antoine Fuqua nthWORD Interview by Gina Ponce, April 2010
- Nicole Murphy Apologizes for Kissing Married Director Antoine Fuqua
- Nicole Murphy Apologizes to Antoine Fuqua's Wife After Kissing Pics Surface
- 1966 births
- African-American film directors
- Film directors from Pennsylvania
- American music video directors
- Living people
- Businesspeople from Pittsburgh
- Television commercial directors
- Taylor Allderdice High School alumni