As a self-proclaimed video game junkie, it’s no surprise that director Paul W.S. Anderson’s biggest success came from adapting a popular game for the big screen. With “Mortal Kombat” (1995), Anderson ventured into the video game realm for the first time and came away with a box office success. Based on the controversial and violent video game series, “Mortal Kombat” raked in over $70 million and further opened the door for the development of video games by a creatively bankrupt Hollywood system. But more importantly, the movie allowed Anderson to cement his hallmark style of interesting visual settings and rapid-fire editing. Born and raised in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in northern England, Anderson attended Warwick University where he earned his film degree with honors. After graduation, he set-up a film cooperative in his hometown and trained aspiring filmmakers in all aspects of the craft. Meanwhile, Anderson made his film debut with the violent low-budget independent, “Shopping” (1996), starring first-time actor Jude Law (who won the part over a then-equally unknown Ewan McGregor). Based on true events, the story told of two local kids who steal cars, smash them into storefront windows, loot what they can and wait for the cops to arrive—all for the thrill. So violent was “Shopping” that it was banned in the UK, and in the US a slightly trimmed version appeared on video. But the film garnished enough attention for Anderson to get hired to do “Mortal Kombat”.
After “Mortal Kombat”, Anderson directed “Event Horizon” (1997), a futuristic sci-fi horror movie starring Laurence Fishbourne and Sam Neill. Though his visual flair and penchant for violence seemed like a perfect fit for the project, Anderson made a movie that was panned by both critics and audiences alike. Anderson blamed studio meddling for its failure, but some critics pointed to a weak story and derivative script. Anderson moved on from this debacle to another with “Soldier” (1998), another futuristic sci-fi action flick starring Kurt Russell as a “Shane”-like soldier genetically engineered to be the ultimate warrior. The movie failed to please critics and audiences stayed away from theaters in droves. By all accounts, “Soldier” faired worse than “Event Horizon”, striking a serious blow to Anderson’s career. It would be another four years until he’d make another film.
In between features, Anderson ventured into television, albeit briefly, with the supernatural MOW “The Sight” (FX, 2000). Shot in London, “The Sight” turned out to be a minor success for Anderson. This led Anderson to return to the feature world with “Resident Evil” (2002), his second adaptation of a popular video game. After losing six weeks of his life to non-stop play, Anderson decided to turn the game into a movie. But his efforts proved to be for naught—the movie was a resounding flop. However, Anderson didn’t come away from “Resident Evil” empty-handed: he fell in love with star Milla Jovovich (He also wrote the screenplay for the 2004 sequel, "Resident Evil: Apocalypse").
Typically, most careers end on the three-strikes-and-you’re-out rule. But Anderson returned to the director’s chair yet again with the highly anticipated “Alien vs. Predator” (2004)—his third foray into the video game realm. And true to form, Anderson made a movie that was blasted by most critics for its over-the-top action and thin storyline. However, “Alien vs. Predator” opened number one at the box office, taking in over $38 million. It was enough to warrant Anderson making another film—just hopefully not “Soldier 2”.
