M. J. Bassett

M. J. Bassett is an English director, writer, and producer of film and television. She began her career directing the cult horror films Deathwatch and Wilderness, the dark fantasy Solomon Kane, and the video game adaptation Silent Hill: Revelation. Since 2012, she has worked as a director and writer on high-profile television series like Strike Back, Ash vs Evil Dead, Power, and Altered Carbon. She is openly trans.

M. J. Bassett
Born
Michael Bassett

Newport, Shropshire, England
OccupationDirector, screenwriter, producer
Children1

Early life

Bassett grew up in Newport, Shropshire, in the West Midlands, where she was educated at Adams Grammar School. Here, she enjoyed a life which she has described as a "safe, unremarkable childhood." Here she developed an obsession with wildlife and nature, Bassett's fascination with films would not arise until much later. Bassett's childhood aspirations were of being a wildlife veterinarian in Africa. With less than ideal grades in school, a veterinary career slowly became out of the question and at the age of 16, Bassett left school and became a wildlife film maker's assistant, where she would spend 18 months learning photography and film making.

Career

After her time as an assistant, Bassett decided to go back to school to do A-Levels in the hopes of getting a Zoology degree. Once back in school, Bassett wrote to a variety of TV producers, looking for work as a nature presenter. Eventually, Bassett was contacted by Janet Street Porter, shortly after which she began working as a presenter on the children's show Get Fresh,[1] where she presented the science and nature segments. She left to work on other programs, but as work stopped coming in, she was losing interest. At this point, Bassett realized that she wanted to make films. Since moving into film-making would entail substantial risk, Bassett worked for a year animating and voicing the puppet Scally the Dog on Children's ITV while she thought things over.

After putting Scally the Dog to rest, Bassett produced several short films, as well as a 16 mm piece for broadcast television. All the while, Bassett worked on feature scripts which she used to try to catch producers' attention. After a period of years, Bassett finally got some notice with a screenplay titled No Man's Land. Many studios offered to purchase the script, but Bassett was determined to direct the film of her screenplay. Eventually, one production company consented to this and the film was retitled Deathwatch.[2] Bassett works currently on the $10 million project The Unblinking Eye,[3] a serial killer film with Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the lead as detective John Calisto.[4]

Personal life

In 2016, Bassett came out as trans.[5] She has one daughter, Isabel.[6]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
2002 Deathwatch Yes Yes Associate Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in Silver
Nominated- International Fantasy Film Award for Best Film
Nominated- Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in Gold
Nominated- Molodist Festival Award for Best Feature Fiction Film
Nominated- Neuchâtel Narcisse Award for Best Feature Film
Nominated- Sitges Maria Award for Best Film
The Abduction Club 2nd unit No No
2006 Wilderness Yes Yes No
2009 Solomon Kane Yes Yes No Fantasporto Audience Jury Award
2012 Silent Hill: Revelation Yes Yes No Nominated- Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Film
2019 Inside Man: Most Wanted Yes No No
2020 Rogue Yes Yes Yes Wrote the screenplay with her daughter, Isabel

As a film crew

Television
Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1998 Bugs No Yes No 3 episodes
2012-18 Strike Back Yes Yes Executive 15 episodes
2013 Da Vinci's Demons Yes No No 2 episodes
2015 The Player Yes No No 2 episodes
2015-16 Ash vs Evil Dead Yes Yes No 4 episodes
2015-18 Power Yes No No 4 episodes
2018 Taken Yes No No Episode: "Imperium"
Iron Fist Yes No No Episode: "Target: Iron Fist"
Nightflyers Yes No No Episode: "Greywing"
2019 Altered Carbon Yes No No 2 episodes
2020 Motherland: Fort Salem Yes No No Episode: "Bellweather Season"

References
  1. Biography Archived 30 November 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "EAT MY BRAINS! - Interview with M.J. Bassett, Director of Wilderness - Feature Article". www.eatmybrains.com.
  3. "Jeffrey Dean Morgan Focuses The Unblinking Eye on Terror". DreadCentral. 28 July 2012.
  4. "'The Unblinking Eye', New Serial Killer Thriller from 'Solomon Kane' Director". BloodyDisgusting. 12 February 2010.
  5. "MJ Bassett". Independent Talent. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  6. Collis, Clark (20 July 2020). "Megan Fox's mercenary takes on a lethal lion in trailer for action movie Rogue". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
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