Neil Corbould
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Neil Corbould (; born 24 December 1962) is a British special effects supervisor best known for his work on major blockbuster films such as ''
Gladiator A gladiator ( , ) was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their ...
'', ''
Saving Private Ryan ''Saving Private Ryan'' is a 1998 American epic war film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat. Set in 1944 in Normandy, France, during World War II, it follows a group of soldiers, led by Captain John Miller ( Tom Hanks) ...
'', '' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' and '' Black Hawk Down''. He is the brother of fellow special effects supervisors Chris Corbould, Paul Corbould and Ian Corbould.


Life and career

Corbould was born in London. He started his career in special effects in 1978 on '' Superman: The Movie''. This was followed by work on '' Saturn 3'', ''
The Elephant Man Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890) was an English man known for his severe physical deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "The Elephant Man", and then went to live at the London Hospital, ...
'', ''
An American Werewolf in London ''An American Werewolf in London'' is a 1981 comedy horror film written and directed by John Landis. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, the film stars David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne and ...
'', ''
Victor/Victoria ''Victor/Victoria'' is a 1982 musical comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards and starring Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston, Lesley Ann Warren, Alex Karras, and John Rhys-Davies. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Maye ...
'', ''
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'' and '' Amadeus''. In 1985, he started work on his first of three Bond films, as a technician on ''
A View to a Kill ''A View to a Kill'' is a 1985 spy film, the fourteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the seventh and final appearance of Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Although the title is adapted from ...
'' and '' The Living Daylights''. He was then given the opportunity of supervising the floor effects on ''
Licence to Kill ''Licence to Kill'' is a 1989 spy film, the sixteenth in the List of James Bond films, ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the second and final film to star Timothy Dalton as the MI6 agent James Bond (literary character), J ...
''. From 1990 to 1996 he worked on many films that included '' Highlander II: The Quickening'', ''
City of Joy ''City of Joy'' () is a 1985 novel by Dominique Lapierre. It was adapted as City of Joy (1992 film), a film by Roland Joffé in 1992. Calcutta is nicknamed "the City of Joy" after this novel, although the slum was based on an area in its twin c ...
'', ''
Cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious situation, facing a difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction or bef ...
'', ''
Leon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...
'' and ''
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''. In 1995, he started on ''
The Fifth Element ''The Fifth Element'' () is a 1997 English-language French science-fiction action film conceived and directed by Luc Besson, and co-written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, an ...
'' which was his first film in the role of special effects supervisor for which he received a
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
. He went on to supervise the science fiction thriller ''
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'' which was followed by
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
's ''Saving Private Ryan'', for which he received a second BAFTA. This was followed by ''
Entrapment Entrapment is a practice in which a law enforcement agent or an agent of the state induces a person to commit a crime that the person would have otherwise been unlikely or unwilling to commit.''Sloane'' (1990) 49 A Crim R 270. See also agent prov ...
'' and the
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epic ''Gladiator'' for which he won an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
. He also received double BAFTA nominations for ''Gladiator'' and for ''
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'' in the same year. This was followed by work on ''
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'' and then a second collaboration with
Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is an English film director and producer. He directs films in the Science fiction film, science fiction, Crime film, crime, and historical drama, historical epic genres, with an atmospheric and highly co ...
on ''Black Hawk Down'', which was filmed in Morocco. In 2002, he worked on
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's ''
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'' in Montreal, which earned him his third BAFTA. ''
King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...
'' and '' Kingdom of Heaven'' followed and, in 2005, he travelled to Australia to start work on ''
Superman Returns ''Superman Returns'' is a 2006 American superhero film directed by Bryan Singer, and written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris from a story by Singer, Dougherty and Harris, based on the DC Comics character Superman. It serves as a homage ...
''. For their work on ''Superman Returns'' the Special Effects team received both
Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
and
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
Nominations for their work. He also collaborated with
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on ''
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'' and '' Defiance''. In May 2007, he made his directorial debut filming the pop promo "The Price Ya Gotta Pay" for band Saints of Eden. In 2012, Corbould supervised the special effects on '' Red 2'', directed by
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and starting
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,
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,
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,
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,
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and
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. Also in 2012, Corbould produced his first movie, ''The Coward'', directed by David Roddham. Coward is a drama that takes us from the idyllic pastures of Ireland to the brutal and senseless trenches of the First World War. In 2013, Corbould was nominated for an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
for the third time for the special visual effects for ''
Snow White and the Huntsman ''Snow White & the Huntsman'' is a 2012 American fantasy film, fantasy action film, action-adventure film, adventure film based on the German fairy tale "Snow White" compiled by the Brothers Grimm. Produced by Roth/Kirschenbaum Films, Roth Films ...
''. Also in 2013, Corbould supervised the special effects on '' Hercules: The Thracian Wars'', directed by
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followed by '' Exodus'', which reunited him for the fourth time with director
Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is an English film director and producer. He directs films in the Science fiction film, science fiction, Crime film, crime, and historical drama, historical epic genres, with an atmospheric and highly co ...
. ''
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'', directed by
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was released in 2013. Corbould was part of the visual effects team that supervised the practical effects element of the movie and was instrumental in the process of getting ''
Gravity In physics, gravity (), also known as gravitation or a gravitational interaction, is a fundamental interaction, a mutual attraction between all massive particles. On Earth, gravity takes a slightly different meaning: the observed force b ...
'' from script to screen. He worked closely with Tim Webber, the visual effects supervisor, in creating the visual effects for the movie. Due to the success of ''
Gravity In physics, gravity (), also known as gravitation or a gravitational interaction, is a fundamental interaction, a mutual attraction between all massive particles. On Earth, gravity takes a slightly different meaning: the observed force b ...
'', Corbould received his fourth BAFTA award (8th
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
nomination) and his second Academy Award (4th
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nomination). In 2016 he worked on '' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' as Head of Special Effects. In 2023, he was honored a rare trifecta of Best Visual Effects nominations in a single year, for his work on '' The Creator'', ''
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
'' and '' Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One''. Many speculated that the former would win in that category, but ultimately ended up losing to ''
Godzilla Minus One is a 2023 Japanese Epic film, epic ''kaiju'' film written, directed, and with visual effects by Takashi Yamazaki. It is the 37th film in the Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' franchise, Toho's 33rd ''Godzilla'' film, and the fifth installme ...
.''


Selected filmography


Special effects supervisor/coordinator

* ''
The Fifth Element ''The Fifth Element'' () is a 1997 English-language French science-fiction action film conceived and directed by Luc Besson, and co-written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, an ...
'' (1997) * ''
Saving Private Ryan ''Saving Private Ryan'' is a 1998 American epic war film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat. Set in 1944 in Normandy, France, during World War II, it follows a group of soldiers, led by Captain John Miller ( Tom Hanks) ...
'' (1998) * ''
Gladiator A gladiator ( , ) was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their ...
'' (2000) * ''
The Mummy Returns ''The Mummy Returns'' is a 2001 American fantasy action-adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers. It is the sequel to the 1999 film ''The Mummy'', and the second in ''The Mummy'' film series. Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Jo ...
'' (2001) * '' Black Hawk Down'' (2001) * '' The Four Feathers'' (2002) * '' Beyond Borders'' (2003) * ''
Timeline A timeline is a list of events displayed in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events. Timelines can use any suitable scale representing t ...
'' (2003) * ''
The Day After Tomorrow ''The Day After Tomorrow'' is a 2004 American science fiction disaster film conceived, co-written, co-produced, and directed by Roland Emmerich, based on the 1999 book '' The Coming Global Superstorm'' by Art Bell and Whitley Strieber, and ...
'' (2004) (special effects director) * ''
King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...
'' (2004) * '' Kingdom of Heaven'' (2005) * ''
Superman Returns ''Superman Returns'' is a 2006 American superhero film directed by Bryan Singer, and written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris from a story by Singer, Dougherty and Harris, based on the DC Comics character Superman. It serves as a homage ...
'' (2006) * ''
Blood Diamond Blood diamonds (also called conflict diamonds, brown diamonds, hot diamonds, or red diamonds) are diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, an invading army's war efforts, terrorism, or a warlord's activity. The term is u ...
'' (2006) * ''
Fred Claus ''Fred Claus'' is a 2007 American Christmas comedy film directed by David Dobkin, written by Dan Fogelman from a story by Fogelman and Jessie Nelson, and starring Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Miranda Richardson, John Michael Higgins, Eliz ...
'' (2007) * '' National Treasure: Book of Secrets'' (2007) * '' Defiance'' (2008) * '' Clash of the Titans'' (2010) * '' Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'' (2011) * ''
War Horse The first evidence of horses in warfare dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of equine pulling wagons. By 1600 BC, improved harness and chariot design ...
'' (2011) * ''
Wrath of the Titans ''Wrath of the Titans'' is a 2012 action fantasy film and a sequel to the 2010 film '' Clash of the Titans''. The film stars Sam Worthington, Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, Édgar Ramírez, Toby Kebbell, Danny Huston, Ralph Fiennes, and Liam Ne ...
'' (2012) * ''
Snow White and the Huntsman ''Snow White & the Huntsman'' is a 2012 American fantasy film, fantasy action film, action-adventure film, adventure film based on the German fairy tale "Snow White" compiled by the Brothers Grimm. Produced by Roth/Kirschenbaum Films, Roth Films ...
'' (2012) * ''
World War Z ''World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War'' is a 2006 zombie apocalyptic horror novel written by American author Max Brooks. The novel is broken into eight chapters: “Warnings”, “Blame”, “The Great Panic”, “Turning the Tid ...
'' (2013) * '' Red 2'' (2013) * ''
Gravity In physics, gravity (), also known as gravitation or a gravitational interaction, is a fundamental interaction, a mutual attraction between all massive particles. On Earth, gravity takes a slightly different meaning: the observed force b ...
'' (2013) * ''
Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...
'' (2014) * '' Exodus: Gods and Kings'' (2014) * '' The Martian'' (2015) * '' Alice Through the Looking Glass'' (2016) * '' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (2016) * '' Alien: Covenant'' (2017) * '' Ready Player One'' (2018) * '' Terminator: Dark Fate'' (2019) * '' Mission: Impossible – Fallout'' (2018) * ''
Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard ''Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard'' is a 2021 American action comedy film directed by Patrick Hughes and written by Tom O'Connor and Brandon and Phillip Murphy. The film is a sequel to the 2017 film ''The Hitman's Bodyguard'' and features Ryan Reynold ...
'' (2021) * '' Eternals'' (2021) * '' Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One'' (2023) * '' The Creator'' (2023) * ''
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
'' (2023) * ''
Gladiator II ''Gladiator II'' is a 2024 historical drama, historical epic film directed and produced by Ridley Scott that is a sequel to Gladiator (2000 film), ''Gladiator'' (2000). Written by David Scarpa based on a story he wrote with Peter Craig, the fi ...
'' (2024)


Special effects consultant

* '' Kingsman: The Secret Service'' (2014) * ''
Criminal In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...
'' (2016) * '' Venom: Let There Be Carnage'' (2021) * ''
Morbius Morbius (born Michael Morbius, also known as Morgan Michaels, Morbius the Living Vampire and Nikos Michaels) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and originally designed by pen ...
'' (2022)


References


External links

* * http://oscar.go.com/nominees/visual-effects/snow-white-and-the-huntsman

* http://www.blogtalkradio.com/123-film/2013/03/20/proflieneil-corbouldsfx-superoscar-wingladiator {{DEFAULTSORT:Corbould, Neil Living people 1962 births Special effects coordinators Best Visual Effects Academy Award winners Best Visual Effects BAFTA Award winners Film people from London