Martin Campbell (born 24 October 1943) is a New Zealand film and television director and producer, long based in the United Kingdom. He is best known for his work in the action and thriller genres, most notably for directing two James Bond films—GoldenEye (1995) and Casino Royale (2006)—as well as The Mask of Zorro (1998), Vertical Limit (2000), and The Foreigner (2017).
Early Life and Career
Campbell was born in Hastings, New Zealand. He moved to London in 1966 to pursue a career as a cinematographer. He began directing with the 1973 film The Sex Thief and subsequently worked on British television, directing episodes of series such as The Professionals (1978–1980), Minder (1980), and Bergerac (1981).
Breakthrough and Notable Works
Campbell's critical breakthrough came with the BBC drama serial Edge of Darkness (1985), for which he won the British Academy Television Award for Best Director in 1986. He later directed a 2010 theatrical film adaptation of the same serial, starring Mel Gibson.
He is credited with revitalising the James Bond franchise twice: first with GoldenEye (1995), which introduced Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, and again with Casino Royale (2006), which marked Daniel Craig's debut as the character. At 62, Campbell became the oldest director in the series' history at the time. He stated that he was offered further Bond films after GoldenEye but found the plots limiting and would only return to direct a new Bond actor—as he did with Craig.
Campbell directed two Zorro films: The Mask of Zorro (1998) and The Legend of Zorro (2005), both starring Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. He also directed the superhero film Green Lantern (2011), based on the DC Comics character.
Later Work
His later films include The Foreigner (2017) starring Jackie Chan, The Protégé (2021), Memory (2022) starring Liam Neeson, and Dirty Angels (2024). His upcoming film Cleaner is set for release in 2025.
Personal Life
Campbell has been married to Sol E. Romero since 2006. He was previously married to Valarie Trapp from 2002 to 2006.
Selected Filmography
Films:
- GoldenEye (1995)
- The Mask of Zorro (1998)
- Vertical Limit (2000)
- Beyond Borders (2003)
- The Legend of Zorro (2005)
- Casino Royale (2006) – Nominated for BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film
- Edge of Darkness (2010)
- Green Lantern (2011)
- The Foreigner (2017)
- The Protégé (2021)
- Memory (2022)
- Dirty Angels (2024)
- Cleaner (2025)
Television:
- Edge of Darkness (1985) – BAFTA TV Award for Best Drama Series/Serial
- Cast a Deadly Spell (1991, TV movie)
- Last Resort (2012, episode "Captain")
