Greg and Colin Strause
Twin brothers who fused a background in cutting-edge visual effects with a director's ambition, creating their own brand of high-concept sci-fi spectacle.
Born 1976 (age 50)·American brother film directors·Birthday: November 8·Generation X
Biography
Greg and Colin Strause, identical twins known as the Brothers Strause, built a unique bridge between Hollywood's technical and directorial realms. They first made their mark by founding Hydraulx, a visual effects company that contributed groundbreaking work to films like 'The Day After Tomorrow' and '300.' Leveraging this technical mastery, they stepped into the director's chair with 'Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem,' embracing its R-rated, creature-feature chaos. They followed with 'Skyline,' a self-financed alien invasion thriller notable for its independent production model and effects created in-house. While their films polarized critics, the Strause brothers embody a DIY, effects-driven approach to genre filmmaking, controlling the process from concept to final pixel.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Greg was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Greg Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Greg's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded Hydraulx, a major visual effects studio responsible for work on over 100 feature films.
- Directed the 2007 sci-fi horror film 'Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem.'
- Independently financed and directed the 2010 extraterrestrial thriller 'Skyline.'
Did You Know?
They began their careers creating visual effects for music videos, including work for bands like Limp Bizkit and Megadeth.
The brothers are former competitive paintball players.
They directed the controversial, critically panned 'Battle of Los Angeles' music video for the band Muse.
“We build the worlds you see on screen, from the ground up.”
