Harald Zwart
Directed 'The Karate Kid' (2010) to a $359 million global box office, reviving the franchise with a production shot entirely in China.
Born 1965 (age 61)·Dutch-Norwegian film director·Birthday: July 1·Generation X
Biography
Harald Zwart's 2010 remake of 'The Karate Kid' earned $359 million worldwide against a $40 million budget. The film, starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, was the first major Hollywood production filmed entirely on location in mainland China with full state cooperation. Zwart, born in 1965 and raised in Norway, began his career directing over 100 music videos and commercials in Europe before his feature debut 'Hamilton' in 1998. His fluency in cinematic craft, honed at the Dutch Film Academy, attracted producers seeking a director who could manage a complex intercultural production under a tight schedule. The film's success demonstrated the commercial viability of U.S.-China co-productions aimed at both markets. Zwart later directed 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones' (2013) and the Norwegian disaster film 'The Last King' (2016). His career operationalized a pragmatic, director-for-hire model that navigated Hollywood studios, Chinese censors, and European financing, proving a globally mobile filmmaker could deliver a studio tentpole without losing logistical control.
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.
Harald was born in 1965, 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 Harald Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Harald's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
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
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
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 40
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 50
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 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Directed the highest-grossing film of Jackie Chan's career ('The Karate Kid', 2010).
- His film 'One Night at McCool's' (2001) premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival.
- Directed the first Hollywood feature film shot entirely in Beijing and the surrounding region.
Did You Know?
He is an avid motorcycle collector and restorer, with a particular focus on vintage European models.
He directed the music video for A-ha's 2000 single "Velvet."
He served as the chairman of the Norwegian Film Institute from 2017 to 2020.
“The story is the compass; the location is the treasure.”
