Noam Murro

Noam Murro
נועם מורו
Noam Murro at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	(1961-08-16) August 16, 1961 (age 63) Jerusalem, Israel
Nationality	Israeli
Alma mater	Bezalel Academy of Art and Design
Occupation(s)	Film director, film producer
Years active	2005–present

Noam Murro (Hebrew: נועם מורו; born (1961-08-16)August 16, 1961) is an Israeli film director and film producer. He is best known for directing the films Smart People, 300: Rise of an Empire, and the BBC miniseries Watership Down.

Early and personal life

Murro was born and raised in Jerusalem, Israel,[1][2] to a family of Jewish background.[3]

In the early 1990s, after completing his studies in design and architecture at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, Murro left Israel for New York.[1] Although he never received a formal education in film, Murro decided his dream was to become a filmmaker.[1] "As a boy I worked for Lia van Leer at the Jerusalem Cinematheque. I got my film education there, watching films. I worked as an usher, I replaced reels, I cleaned the theater, whatever needed doing, and I got to see two movies a day. I did this for two years, without pay, just so I could see movies."[1]

He resides in Los Angeles with his wife and children.[1]

Career

After studying architecture and establishing himself over the years as an advertising director, he was nominated six times for the DGA Awards, winning the award in 2005.[4] Along with Shawn Lacy Tessaro, he founded the production company Biscuit Films, which has produced many successful advertising campaigns.[5] In 2004, he was originally set to direct The Ring Two but left the film due to "creative differences".[6] In 2012, he directed advertising campaigns for well-known brands such as Adidas, Nike, eBay, Volkswagen, Land Rover, Toshiba, Stella Artois and many others.[5] In 2008, Murro made his directorial debut with Smart People, a comedy presented at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.[7] In 2011, he was chosen to direct A Good Day to Die Hard but left production in August 2011, to direct the 300 sequel, 300: Rise of an Empire. John Moore was subsequently drafted in to replace him.[8][9]

Filmography

Film

• Smart People (2008)
• 300: Rise of an Empire (2014)

Miniseries

• Watership Down (2018) (Also executive producer)

References

1. "A smart move". Haaretz.
2. Kamin, Debra. "300: Rise of an Israeli director". www.timesofisrael.com.
3. Roberta Bernstein (23 March 2001). "Special Report: Directors Noam Murro". shootonline.com.
4. "Nothing is Impossible - Nothing is Impossible". Archived from the original on 2013-08-08. Retrieved 2014-08-30.
5. "Commercial Director Spotlight: Noam Murro - /Film". slashfilm.com. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 2014-08-30.
6. "Parting Ways: Director Leaves 'Ring 2' -". bloody-disgusting.com. Retrieved 2014-08-30.
7. "Sundance Movie Review: Smart People - /Film". slashfilm.com. 21 January 2008. Retrieved 2014-08-30.
8. "Noam Murro To Direct 'Die Hard 5'". Deadline Hollywood. 12 February 2011. Retrieved 2014-08-30.
9. "REELZ: Movie News". reelz.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2014-08-30.

External links

• Noam Murro at IMDb