Lance Hool

Lance Hool is a film producer with a uniquely multifaceted background in the industry, having also worked as an actor, writer, director, executive producer, distribution company chairman, and now studio chief. Over the last four decades he has produced twenty-five major motion pictures, two of which have reached number one at the US box-office: Missing in Action (1984) and Man on Fire (2004). He currently heads Silver Lion Films, an independent film finance and production company, which he established in 1987 with his brother Conrad, and Santa Fe Studios, the world's first "green" film and television production facility, which he developed with his son Jason in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Born and raised in Mexico City in 1948, Lance grew up within a family environment of international politics and art. His mother Constanza was an internationally renowned ballerina and choreographer, his father Alan an American diplomat and health innovator; his grandmother Marión de Lagos was a playwright, journalist, and actress, and his uncle the great muralist Siqueiros. His grandfather Domingo Kamffer, a tough Italian-immigrated rancher, hosted and acted in Howard Hawks' Viva Villa! (1934) on his ranch outside of Mexico City. Twenty-six years later, Lance would begin his own film career acting alongside John Wayne in Hawks' final film, Rio Lobo (1970). After earning a BA and MBA from La Universidad de las Americas, and serving as press coordinator for the 1968 Olympic Summer Games in Mexico City, Lance spent his formative years within the film industry working as an actor on films such as Soldier Blue (1970) and Lawman (1971). In 1975 he relocated to Los Angeles, guest-starring on shows like Hawaii Five-O and McCloud, and soon stepped behind the camera. From 1977 to 1980, Lance headed the US operations of Pelmex, the Mexican national film distribution company. Under his management, the company co-produced more than 20 films and released upwards of 100 theatrical releases per year. Soon he was developing and producing films of his own: Wolf Lake (1980) and Caboblanco (1980), starring the likes of Rod Steiger, Jason Robards, and Charles Bronson. His relationship with Bronson lasted several more years with films such as 10 to Midnight (1983) and The Evil That Men Do (1984). After writing and producing Missing in Action (1984) he had his first bona fide hit on his hands, and went on to direct the sequel, as well as cult favorite Steel Dawn (1987) with a budding Patrick Swayze. In the 1990s Lance produced several family-oriented pictures, including Pure Luck (1991) with Martin Short and Danny Glover, The Air Up There (1994) with Kevin Bacon, and Flipper (1996) with Elijah Wood and Paul Hogan. At the end of the decade Lance produced and directed his most personally important film, One Man's Hero (1998). It took 25 years to gather the resources to tell the true story of a band of Irish immigrants, enlisted into the American army after fleeing the Great Famine of 1845, who encountered extreme religious persecution and deserted to Mexico, only to be swept up in the Mexican-American War. Heroes to the Mexicans, traitors to the Americans, the film was deemed too controversial to be commercial and its distribution was severely cut, but it received high critical praise, drawing comparisons to Lance's heroes John Ford and David Lean. When the film was released in Ireland, Lance and star Tom Berenger traveled to Belfast for the premiere. The film had found its way to Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams and the mayor of Belfast. On a hot summer night in a sold-out theater, the two long-time enemies in Ireland's Troubles came together publicly for the first time. The film's portrayal of suffering by both Catholics and Protestants so moved both men that afterward they hugged like brothers. In the early 2000s, Lance went on to produce several high profile films including the third installment of the Crocodile Dundee (2001) franchise with Paul Hogan, and Man on Fire (2004) with Denzel Washington and director Tony Scott. Because of his wide-ranging aptitude for the intricacies of every stage of the filmmaking process-from acting to physical production to directing-Lance is known for his exceptional knack for managing a film's schedule and budget, while simultaneously facilitating the magic of the creative process. He enjoys an unrivaled reputation for successfully shepherding a story from the page to the screen, and for delivering films on time and on budget. Investors have always received their investment back, with a return. Utilizing these skills, in 2007 Lance realized another dream and began developing a world-class filmmaking facility in New Mexico. Santa Fe Studios opened its doors in late 2011 as the world's first "green" film studio. Recent productions include Fox's hit TV series Cosmos (2014) and Seth McFarlane's A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014). Lance holds a BA and MBA from La Universidad de las Americas, and is a member of the Directors Guild of America, the Screen Actors Guild of America, the Screenwriters Guild, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.