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IMDbPro

Peter Hyams

  • Director
  • Cinematographer
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Peter Hyams at an event for Présumé coupable (2009)
War stories and life lessons from the film industry's top writers.
Play trailer2:23
Tales from the Script (2009)
1 Video
5 Photos
Peter Hyams was born in New York on July 26, 1943, and attended Hunter College Elementary School. He studied art and music at the Art Students League and the High School of Music and Art as well as at Syracuse University, where he majored in music and art. Before he became a CBS News news anchor in New York at the age of 21 he had been a drummer with such important jazz musicians as Bill Evans and Maynard Ferguson and had played at Birdland, Small's Paradise and the Newport Jazz Festival. His paintings have hung in such prestigious galleries as the Whitney Museum of American Art. Hyams brought to film direction essential elements of music and painting. From music comes a special sensitivity to structure and rhythm; from painting a heightened sense of light and color. These important insights help Hyams to achieve his goal of creating films which "reach people's emotions, not their minds." Peter Hyams is 6'1" and lives in Brentwood, California, with his wife George-Ann. He has three sons: Chris, John and Nick.
BornJuly 26, 1943
  • More at IMDbProContact info & Agent info
  • BornJuly 26, 1943
    IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • IMDbProContact info & Agent info
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 7 nominations

    Photos

    Sean Connery and Peter Hyams in Outland... Loin de la Terre (1981)
    Peter Hyams in Mort subite (1995)
    Peter Hyams in Le seul témoin (1990)
    Peter Hyams in D'Artagnan (2001)

    Known for:

    2010 - L'année du premier contact (L'odyssée continue) (1984)
    2010 - L'année du premier contact (L'odyssée continue)
    6.7
    • Director
    • 1984
    Sean Connery in Outland... Loin de la Terre (1981)
    Outland... Loin de la Terre
    6.6
    • Director(directed by)
    • 1981
    Jean-Claude Van Damme in Timecop (1994)
    Timecop
    5.9
    • Director
    • 1994
    Relic (1997)
    Relic
    5.8
    • Director
    • 1997

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Director

    • Jean-Claude Van Damme in Enemies Closer (2013)
      Enemies Closer
      5.1
      • Director
      • 2013
    • Michael Douglas, Jesse Metcalfe, and Amber Tamblyn in Présumé coupable (2009)
      Présumé coupable
      5.8
      • Director
      • 2009
    • Brent Spiner, Charles S. Dutton, Carla Gugino, Rob Benedict, Peter Dinklage, and Brian Van Holt in Threshold - Premier contact (2005)
      Threshold - Premier contact
      7.2
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2005
    • Un coup de tonnerre (2005)
      Un coup de tonnerre
      4.2
      • Director
      • 2005
    • D'Artagnan (2001)
      D'Artagnan
      4.7
      • Director
      • 2001
    • Arnold Schwarzenegger in La fin des temps (1999)
      La fin des temps
      5.8
      • Director
      • 1999
    • Black Sabbath: Time Machine
      Short
      • Director (filmed sequences)
      • 1999
    • Relic (1997)
      Relic
      5.8
      • Director
      • 1997
    • Jean-Claude Van Damme in Mort subite (1995)
      Mort subite
      5.8
      • Director
      • 1995
    • Jean-Claude Van Damme in Timecop (1994)
      Timecop
      5.9
      • Director
      • 1994
    • John Ritter, Pam Dawber, David Tom, and Heather McComb in Télémaniacs (1992)
      Télémaniacs
      6.3
      • Director
      • 1992
    • Le seul témoin (1990)
      Le seul témoin
      6.6
      • Director
      • 1990
    • Sean Connery, Meg Ryan, and Mark Harmon in Presidio: Base militaire, San Francisco (1988)
      Presidio: Base militaire, San Francisco
      5.9
      • Director
      • 1988
    • Deux flics à Chicago (1986)
      Deux flics à Chicago
      6.5
      • Director
      • 1986
    • Histoires fantastiques (1985)
      Histoires fantastiques
      7.4
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 1985

    Cinematographer

    • Jean-Claude Van Damme in Enemies Closer (2013)
      Enemies Closer
      5.1
      • Cinematographer
      • 2013
    • Universal Soldier: Régénération (2009)
      Universal Soldier: Régénération
      5.3
      • director of photography
      • 2009
    • Michael Douglas, Jesse Metcalfe, and Amber Tamblyn in Présumé coupable (2009)
      Présumé coupable
      5.8
      • director of photography
      • 2009
    • Un coup de tonnerre (2005)
      Un coup de tonnerre
      4.2
      • director of photography
      • 2005
    • D'Artagnan (2001)
      D'Artagnan
      4.7
      • director of photography
      • 2001
    • Arnold Schwarzenegger in La fin des temps (1999)
      La fin des temps
      5.8
      • director of photography
      • 1999
    • Relic (1997)
      Relic
      5.8
      • director of photography
      • 1997
    • Jean-Claude Van Damme in Mort subite (1995)
      Mort subite
      5.8
      • director of photography
      • 1995
    • Jean-Claude Van Damme in Timecop (1994)
      Timecop
      5.9
      • director of photography
      • 1994
    • John Ritter, Pam Dawber, David Tom, and Heather McComb in Télémaniacs (1992)
      Télémaniacs
      6.3
      • director of photography
      • 1992
    • Le seul témoin (1990)
      Le seul témoin
      6.6
      • director of photography
      • 1990
    • Sean Connery, Meg Ryan, and Mark Harmon in Presidio: Base militaire, San Francisco (1988)
      Presidio: Base militaire, San Francisco
      5.9
      • director of photography
      • 1988
    • Deux flics à Chicago (1986)
      Deux flics à Chicago
      6.5
      • director of photography
      • 1986
    • 2010 - L'année du premier contact (L'odyssée continue) (1984)
      2010 - L'année du premier contact (L'odyssée continue)
      6.7
      • director of photography
      • 1984

    Writer

    • Michael Douglas, Jesse Metcalfe, and Amber Tamblyn in Présumé coupable (2009)
      Présumé coupable
      5.8
      • screenplay
      • 2009
    • Le seul témoin (1990)
      Le seul témoin
      6.6
      • screenplay
      • 1990
    • 2010 - L'année du premier contact (L'odyssée continue) (1984)
      2010 - L'année du premier contact (L'odyssée continue)
      6.7
      • screenplay
      • 1984
    • La Nuit des juges (1983)
      La Nuit des juges
      6.3
      • screenplay
      • 1983
    • Sean Connery in Outland... Loin de la Terre (1981)
      Outland... Loin de la Terre
      6.6
      • written by
      • 1981
    • Le Chasseur (1980)
      Le Chasseur
      6.2
      • screenplay
      • 1980
    • Guerre et passion (1979)
      Guerre et passion
      6.0
      • written by
      • 1979
    • Charles Bronson and Lee Remick in Un espion de trop (1977)
      Un espion de trop
      6.5
      • screenplay
      • 1977
    • James Brolin and Telly Savalas in Capricorn One (1977)
      Capricorn One
      6.8
      • written by
      • 1977
    • Les casseurs de gang (1974)
      Les casseurs de gang
      6.4
      • written by
      • 1974
    • Goodnight, My Love (1972)
      Goodnight, My Love
      6.7
      TV Movie
      • Writer
      • 1972
    • Candice Bergen and Peter Boyle in T.R. Baskin (1971)
      T.R. Baskin
      6.4
      • written by
      • 1971

    Videos1

    Tales from the Script
    Trailer 2:23
    Tales from the Script

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Height
      • 1.85 m
    • Born
      • July 26, 1943
      • New York City, New York, USA
    • Spouse
      • George-Ann SpotaDecember 19, 1964 - present (3 children)
    • Publicity listings
      • 4 Interviews

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Claims that he has never been invited to join the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) because they "don't like" him and are biased against directors who shoot their own films. In 1996, he said this to Conrad L. Hall, who didn't believe him. After Hall and Haskell Wexler offered to sign recommendations on an application letter for him, the ASC summoned him for a 90-minute interview. Two days later he received a rejection letter in the mail. He keeps it framed on his office wall.
    • Quotes
      I've never done anything that's totally worked for me. It has always been very painful to watch what I've done. Filmmaking, by definition, is a process of failure and because of that I always seem to be looking for the blemishes in my work.
    • Trademarks
        All his movies have a character (usually a minor one) named "Spota."

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