1. Biography
    Early life  Television  Screenwriter  Directing  Capricorn One  MGM  Jean-Claude Van Damme  Reunion with Van Damme 

2. Personal life

3. Trademark

4. Filmography

5. References

6. External links

Peter Hyams (born July 26, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter and cinematographer known for directing Capricorn One, the 1981 science fiction-thriller Outland, the 1984 science fiction film, The Year We Make Contact, a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, the 1986 action/comedy Running Scared, the comic book adaptation Timecop, the action film Sudden Death (both starring Jean-Claude Van Damme), and the horror films The Relic and End of Days.

Biography

Early life

Hyams was born in New York City, New York, the son of Ruth Hurok and Barry Hyams, who was a theatrical producer and publicist on Broadway. His maternal grandfather was Sol Hurok, the Russian Jewish impresario. His stepfather was blacklisted conductor Arthur Lief. His sister is casting director Nessa Hyams.^[1] His son John Hyams is also a film director. His nephew is Stephen Hyams.

In 1958 he took part in a youth forum.^[2]

Television

Hyams studied art and music at Hunter College and Syracuse University, before working as a producer/anchorman for WHDH-TV. During 1966 while working for a CBS owned station in New York, he served three months as a news correspondent in Vietnam. He worked in Boston then in January 1968 he joined WBBM-TV as an anchorman and reporter to replace Fahey Flynn.^[3] A contemporary report described him as a "glamor type".^[4]

During his time with CBS (where he worked from 1964 to 1970), he began to shoot documentary films.

Screenwriter

Hyams moved to Los Angeles in 1970 where he sold his first screenplay, T.R. Baskin, to Paramount Pictures in 1971. Herbert Ross directed the film and Hyams produced.^[1][5][6]

Directing

Hyams made his directorial debut with an ABC Movie of the Week for Aaron Spelling, Rolling Man (1972) starring Dennis Weaver. Hymans worked on it solely as director, with the script being written by the producers.^[7]

Hyams followed it directing another TV movie which he also wrote, Goodnight, My Love (1972), about a private eye and a dwarf. The film was very acclaimed.^[8]

Hyams optioned a novel Going All the Way which he intended to adapt and direct but it was not made.^[9]

The praise for Goodnight My Love meant Hyams was able to get finance for his debut feature as writer-director, Busting (1974), a buddy cop movie starring Elliott Gould and Robert Blake. He followed it with Our Time (1974), a romance with Pamela Sue Martin, which he directed only.

Hyams made Peeper (1975), for the producers of Busting with Michael Caine and Natalie Wood. which was a financial failure and Hyams' career was at a low ebb. He wrote a script Hanover Street which people wanted to buy but Hyams insisted on directing. He wrote the screenplay for the Charles Bronson thriller, Telefon (1977), doing a draft for Richard Lester (who ended up not directing the film). It was rewritten by other people but Hyams got credit.^[10]

Capricorn One

Hyams had written the script for Capricorn One (1977), a number of years earlier. It was a conspiracy thriller about a faked mission to Mars. Paul Lazarus managed to raise finance with Hyams as director and the film was his first hit.

This was followed by the less successful Hanover Street (1979) which starred Harrison Ford.

Hyams did a rewrite of Ted Leighton's screenplay for the Steve McQueen film The Hunter (1980) which he was to direct. However he dropped out after clashes with McQueen.^[11]

He wanted to do a Western but was unable to get finance so he then wrote and directed the science fiction cult classic Outland (1981), which starred Sean Connery in a 'High Noon' scenario set on Io, one of Jupiter's moons.

Hyams directed the thriller 'The Star Chamber (1983), starring Michael Douglas, also rewriting the script.

MGM

For MGM Hyams produced, directed, and wrote the screenplay for 2010 (1984), collaborating closely with author Arthur C. Clarke (2010).

Hyams also co-authored with Clarke The Odyssey File: The Making of 2010, published 1985, a collection of their email correspondence which illustrates their fascination with the then pioneering medium, and its use for them to communicate on an almost daily basis while planning and producing the film.

Hyams directed an episode of Amazing Stories, "The Amazing Falsworth".

Hymans had a hit with a buddy cop film, Running Scared (1986) at MGM with Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal.

He followed it with The Presidio (1988) another buddy action film, starring Sean Connery and Mark Harmon. In between he executive produced the 1980s cult kids movie, The Monster Squad (1987).

Less popular was Narrow Margin (1990), a remake of the 1952 film, and the comedy Stay Tuned (1992).

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Hyams had a big hit with the Jean-Claude Van Damme film Timecop (1994). The director and actor subsequently reteamed on Sudden Death (1995) which did less well. Hyams did The Relic (1997).

The blockbuster End of Days (1999) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is the highest-grossing film in Hyams' career, grossing over $200 million at the worldwide box-office but met with negative reception.

Hyams followed with The Musketeer (2001), a new version of the famous novel by Alexandre Dumas, which was a minor box office success in the United States.

However, his next film, A Sound of Thunder (2005), a science-fiction movie which faced troubles during its production (including the bankruptcy of the original production company during post-production), performed particularly badly at the box office worldwide and was poorly received by critics.

He directed an episode of the series Threshold (2005).

In 2007, it was reported that he would direct the remake of his own Capricorn One;^[12][13] instead he directed the remake of the 1956 film noir Beyond a Reasonable Doubt^[14] starring Michael Douglas, which was released in 2009, was a box office flop, and panned by critics.

Reunion with Van Damme

He also contributed the cinematography to his son John's effort, Regeneration, the third official Universal Soldier sequel starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren.

Hyams directed the thriller Enemies Closer which began filming in late 2012. It marked his fourth (third directorial) collaboration with Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Personal life

On December 19, 1964, he married George-Ann Spota, with whom he has three children.^[15] His son John Hyams is also a film director; Peter performed cinematography duties on his son's film Regeneration. His son Chris Hyams is the current president of the job search website Indeed. His son Nick Hyams works as a battle rap promoter and host under the name Lush One.^[16]

Trademark

Hyams is known for being his own cinematographer on the movies he directs since 1984.

As a reference to his wife's family, there's a minor character named Spota in many of his films, including those which he only wrote (such as 1980's The Hunter); the exceptions being A Sound of Thunder (although there was a market called "Spotas"), End of Days (although there was a bar called "Spotas"), Narrow Margin, Running Scared, 2010, Hanover Street and Peeper.^[17]

Filmography

The following is a list of all movies with Hyams acting as director.^[18] Additional credits (as writer, cinematographer and producer) on these movies are indicated. Only domestic box office figures are given. Inflation-adjusted box office results are as of 2014.

• {{note|producer}} Also producer^[18]
• {{note|writer}} Also screenwriter^[18]
• {{note|DP}} Also director of photography^[18]
• {{note|executive producer}} Also executive producer^[18]

References

External links

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• {{Amg name|95306}}

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