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 works in the action and thriller film genres, including the James Bond films GoldenEye (1995) and Casino Royale (2006), The Mask of Zorro (1998) and its sequel The Legend of Zorro (2005), Vertical Limit (2000), and The Foreigner (2017).
Earlier in his career, he directed the critically acclaimed BBC drama serial Edge of Darkness (1985), which earned him a British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series. He later directed the 2010 theatrical film adaptation of the serial.
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Life and career
Born in Hastings, New Zealand, Campbell moved to London in 1966, to pursue his career as a cinematographer. He began his career as a director with 1973's The Sex Thief. He went on to direct two James Bond films, 1995's GoldenEye, starring Pierce Brosnan, and 2006's Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig. At 62 years old, Campbell was the oldest director in the series' history, beating the previous record set by Lewis Gilbert. Campbell stated that he was offered the opportunity to direct further James Bond films after GoldenEye; however, he found the plots to be limiting and only considered directing further films if working with a new Bond actor – as he subsequently did with Daniel Craig on Casino Royale.
