Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. (Dutch pronunciation: [mɑˈtɛis fɑn ˈɦɛinɪŋə(n)],[1] born 26 July 1965 in Amsterdam[2]) is a Dutch director, writer and producer best known for directing The Thing (2011).
Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 July 1965 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Occupation(s) | Director, producer, writer |
| Years active | 1983–present |
Career
Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. began directing at an early age with promotional trailers for Toyota, Peugeot, Renault, Stella Artois, Pepsi, and Bud Light.[3]
In 1996, van Heijningen made his film directing debut with the Dutch short-film thriller Red Rain.[4] In 2011, he directed The Thing, a prequel to John Carpenter's The Thing.[5] Van Heijningen was due to direct Army of the Dead,[6] but the project ended up being directed by Zack Snyder after lingering in development hell for a number of years.
In 2020, van Heijningen directed his second feature The Forgotten Battle, a Netflix original war film depicting the Battle of the Scheldt. Netflix's first ever original Dutch film.
Filmography
Director
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Red Rain (short film) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2011 | The Thing | Yes | No | No |
| 2020 | The Forgotten Battle | Yes | Yes | No |
Producer
- Dada (1994)
- Witness (1994)
- En Route (1994)
Other credits
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | De Lift | Set Decorator |
| 1984 | Ciske de Rat | Assistant lighting technician |
| 1991 | Saudade | Cinematographer |
| 1992 | Voor een verloren soldaat | Assistant editor |
Personal life
He is the son of Dutch film producer Matthijs van Heijningen Sr.[7]