David Twohy
A writer-director who carved out a gritty, darkly imaginative corner of sci-fi cinema with the enduring antihero Riddick.
Born 1955 (age 71)·American film director and screenwriter·Birthday: October 18·Baby Boomers
Biography
David Twohy built his career in the shadows of Hollywood, first as a screenwriter for high-concept thrillers before stepping behind the camera to create his own stark universe. He cut his teeth on taut scripts like 'The Fugitive' and 'Waterworld,' learning the mechanics of large-scale storytelling. But his true passion project emerged with 'Pitch Black,' a low-budget 2000 film that introduced Vin Diesel's Richard B. Riddick. Twohy's vision was key: a stripped-down, survival-horror tale in space that favored atmospheric dread over glossy effects. He expanded that world into the baroque, epic-scale 'Chronicles of Riddick,' creating a unique mythology. Despite mixed commercial fortunes, Twohy's work is defined by a commitment to practical effects, morally ambiguous characters, and a distinctive, rain-slicked visual style that gives his sci-fi a tangible, worn-in feel.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
David was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created the 'Riddick' film franchise, writing and directing 'Pitch Black,' 'The Chronicles of Riddick,' and 'Riddick.'
- Wrote the screenplay for the critically acclaimed thriller 'The Fugitive,' adapted from the television series.
- Directed the underwater science fiction horror film 'The Arrival' and the psychological thriller 'A Perfect Getaway.'
Did You Know?
He began his career working in visual effects at Robert Abel and Associates.
The famous one-armed man plot in his 'The Fugitive' screenplay was his invention, not present in the original TV series.
He is a licensed pilot and has flown his own plane to film locations.
“I like the idea of taking a genre and twisting it a little bit, making it something you haven't quite seen before.”
