James Watkins

Actor, Screenwriter

Birthdate: May 20, 1973 (53 Years Old)

Birthplace: Nottingham, England, United Kingdom

James Watkins (birthname: James Thomas Watkins) is a British screenwriter and director who has specialized in the horror genre since debuting in features as screenwriter of the Marc Evans-directed horror movie, My Little Eye (2002), produced by Universal Pictures/Studio Canal/Working Title Films. Watkins was the screenwriter of the UK/Australia psychological horror movie set in the Australian outback, Gone (2007), directed by Ringan Ledwidge and co-starring Shaun Evans, Scott Mechlowicz, and Amelia Warner, and released by Universal Pictures.

Watkins debuted his directing-writing feature with the horror-thriller, Eden Lake (2008), co-starring Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, and Jack O’Connell, and released by Optimum Releasing after premiering at Fantasy Filmfest. Watkins was then both a co-screenwriter (with credited co-writers James McCarthy and J Blakeson) and a second-unit director of the British-made sequel, The Descent: Part 2 (2009), directed by Jon Harris and featuring Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, and Douglas Hodge, which grossed $7 million for Warner Bros.

James Watkins was director only of the hit Gothic horror movie, The Woman in Black (2012), based on Susan Hill’s 1983 Gothic novel, and starring Daniel Radcliffe (in one of his first post-Harry Potter starring roles), Ciaran Hinds, Janet McTeer, and Liz White, and which was produced in part by Hammer Films (whose classic horror style was closely modeled by the movie) and released to great returns ($129 million gross against $17 million expenses) by CBS Films in the U.S. and other distributors in various territories.

Watkins took on his second movie as director/writer (with co-writer Andrew Baldwin) in a rare detour into the action genre with the Paris-set international production, The Take (2016), starring Idris Elba, Richard Madden, Charlotte Le Bon, Eriq Ebouaney, and Jose Garcia, released by High Top Releasing/StudioCanal to a $15 million box office result.

Watkins returned as director/writer of the psychological horror movie Speak No Evil (2024), an English-language remake of director/co-writer Christian Tafdrup’s 2022 Danish original produced by Jason Blum and Paul Ritchie, starring James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scott McNary, and Aisling Franciosi, and released by Universal Pictures.

Watkins was director of the
DC Universe body horror movie, Clayface (2026), with Naomi Ackie, Tom Rhys
Harries, David Dencik, Max Minghella, and Eddie Marsan, co-written by Mike
Flanagan and Hossen Amini, produced in part by Matt Reeves and James Gunn, and
released wide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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Personal Life
Movies
Facts

James Watkins Photos and Videos

Speak No Evil (2024) | Official Trailer 2

James Watkins Discusses the American Adaptation of "Speak No Evil"

Speak No Evil: writer/director James Watkins world premiere soundbites

Personal life

James Watkins was born and raised in Nottingham, England, by his parents.

Known For

Clayface

Director (2026)

Speak No Evil

Director (2024)

The Take

Director (2016)

The Woman in Black

Director (2012)

James Watkins Movies

Director

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Previous (4)

2026 |
Clayface
Clayface
2026
Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rising Hollywood star Matt Hagen descends into a horrifying revenge-filled monster when scientific ambition strips him of his identity and humanity.
More Info Watch Now
2024 |
Speak No Evil
Speak No Evil
2024
Drama, Horror, Thriller
A family is invited to spend a whole weekend in a lonely home in the countryside, but as the weekend progresses, they realize that a dark side lies within the family who invited them.
More Info Watch Now
2016 |
The Take
The Take
2016
Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A young pickpocket and an unruly CIA agent team up on an anti-terrorist mission in France.
More Info Watch Now
2012 |
The Woman in Black
The Woman in Black
2012
Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A young solicitor travels to a remote village where he discovers that the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals.
More Info Watch Now

Facts About James Watkins

Intentions: James Watkins commented that his intention in remaking the Danish movie, Speak No Evil, was to change character reactions, emphasize satire, and note that “people come out of (the movie) absolutely rinsed, like you would on a great roller coaster ride. I wanted to make a film that is tense and has people screaming at the screen.”

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