Francis Lawrence
Biography
Francis Lawrence, born March 26 1971 in Vienna, Austria, is an American filmmaker and producer. He first established himself directing music videos and commercials before moving into feature films. His feature‑length directorial debut was the superhero thriller Constantine (2005). He later directed the post‑apocalyptic horror I Am Legend (2007), the romantic drama Water for Elephants (2011), four of the five films in The Hunger Games series, and the spy thriller Red Sparrow (2018). TMDB records list him as a male director with 40 known credits and a content score of 100. He is also known by the Korean transliteration 프란시스 로렌스.
Career overview
Francis Lawrence was born on March 26, 1971 in Vienna, Austria, and is identified as an American filmmaker and producer. He began his career directing music videos and commercials, building a reputation in short‑form visual storytelling before moving into feature‑length cinema. Lawrence’s first full‑length directing credit was the superhero thriller Constantine, released in 2005. He followed that debut with the post‑apocalyptic horror film I Am Legend in 2007, and then shifted to a romantic drama with Water for Elephants in 2011.
After establishing himself across several genres, Lawrence became closely associated with the The Hunger Games film series, directing four of the five installments. He continued to work in the thriller arena with the spy film Red Sparrow, which premiered in 2018. Throughout his career, his work has been catalogued under the directing category on major film databases, where he is listed with forty known credits. Lawrence is also known by the Korean transliteration 프란시스 로렌스. His body of work reflects a progression from short‑form music and commercial projects to high‑profile feature films spanning superhero, horror, romance, dystopian, and espionage themes.
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Career timeline
Full filmography
- The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (2026) Director
- The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (2026) Producer
- The Long Walk (2025) Director
- The Long Walk (2025) Producer
- Chief of War (2025) Executive Producer
- A Look Through His Lens (2024) as Self
- Predator or Prey: Making The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2024) as Self - Director
- The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) Producer
- The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) Director
- The Serpent Queen (2022) Executive Producer
- Slumberland (2022) Producer
- Slumberland (2022) Director
- The Kelly Clarkson Show (2019) as Self
- See (2019) Director
- See (2019) Executive Producer
- Red Sparrow (2018) Director
- Pawns No More: The Making of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2016) as Self - Director
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015) Director
- The Mockingjay Lives: The Making of the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2015) as Self - Director
- Straight from the Heart: A Tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman (2015) as Self
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) Director
- Surviving the Game: Making The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2014) as Self - Director
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) Director
- Touch (2012) Director
- Touch (2012) Executive Producer
- Water for Elephants (2011) Director
- Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics (2010) as Self (archive footage)
- Kings (2009) Director
- Kings (2009) Executive Producer
- The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style (2009) as Self
- North by Northwest: One for the Ages (2009) as Self
- Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman (2009) as Self
- I Am Legend: Awakening - Story 2: Isolation (2008) Thanks
- I Am Legend (2007) Director
- Constantine (2005) Director
- Unscripted (2005) as Francis Lawrence
- Britney Spears: Greatest Hits - My Prerogative (2004) Director
- Janet Jackson: From Janet. To Damita Jo: The Videos (2004) Director
- Green Day: International Supervideos! (2001) Director
- Jennifer Lopez | Feelin' So Good (2000) Director
- Marching Out of Time (1993) Assistant Director
- Pump Up the Volume (1990) Second Assistant Camera
- Constantine 2 Director
- BioShock Director
- BioShock Producer
- Steel Director
- Untitled Sublime Biopic Executive Producer
- Carry Me to My Grave Director
- Carry Me to My Grave Producer