Christopher Menaul
Director
Film, TV & Theatre
Christopher Menaul is an award-winning director with 40 years experience. He started in documentaries in British television and, after moving over to drama, the first film he directed to be shown in the United States was PRECIOUS BANE, starring Clive Owen. He then made the original PRIME SUSPECT. Starring Helen Mirren it was intended as a one-off policier, but ended up spinning off seven subsequent productions. She won a BAFTA for her portrayal of DI Jane Tennison, as did Menaul for the film. Ralph Fiennes made his first appearance in front of a camera in one scene; six months later he was playing the lead, as T.E. Lawrence, in Menaul’s A DANGEROUS MAN, LAWRENCE AFTER ARABIA, for Producer David Puttnam. The film won an international Emmy.
After directing two episodes in the first series of HOMICIDE, LIFE ON THE STREETS, for producers Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson in Baltimore, Menaul went to Prague to create Berlin under the Nazis for FATHERLAND, an HBO film godfathered into existence by Mike Nicholls. Starring Rutger Hauer and Miranda Richardson, it secured a Golden Globe for the latter. A feature, FEAST OF JULY, produced by the legendary Ismael Merchant, followed. Then another film with Helen Mirren for Showtime, THE PASSION OF AYN RAND. It premiered at Sundance and won Helen an Emmy for her performance in the title role. A second film for Showtime, produced by Joel Rice, ONE KILL, starred Sam Shepherd and Ann Heche. Back in England Menaul directed the first three 90 minute episodes of THE FORSYTE SAGA, starring Damian Lewis. Two more films for Granada followed: WALL OF SILENCE (Shortlisted for the Prix Italia 2004) and PLANESPOTTING (nominated for the Grierson award, best dramatised documentary 2005). He also directed BELONGING for ITV, with Brenda Blethyn and Rosemary Harris, shown in competition at the Biarritz International Festival in January 2005, where it won three Golden FIPAS including best actress for Brenda Blethyn. Brenda was also nominated for a BAFTA.
Menaul secured his second BAFTA with SEE NO EVIL, also for Granada, then directed two more features, FIRST NIGHT and SUMMER IN FEBRUARY, the latter starring Emily Browning, Dominic Cooper and Dan Stevens. It was released in 2013. His most recent film, KILLING JESUS, aired in March 2015 and won National Geographic the biggest viewing figures they have ever had for any production ever. It was nominated last year for both a Critics Circle and Emmy Award as Best Movie made for Television .
Film
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
ANOTHER MOTHER'S SON 2017 | Bill Kenwright Films | Written by Jenny Lecoat |
SUMMER IN FEBRUARY 2013 | CrossDay Films | Starring Dominic Cooper and Hattie Morahan |
FIRST NIGHT 2011 | Britannia Film & TV | Starring Mia Maestro and Richard E. Grant |
Television
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
KILLING JESUS 2015 | Scott Free US/NGC | Adaptation by Walon Green from book by Bill O' Reilly & Martin Duggard. Starring Kelsey Grammer and Stephen Moyer. Nominated for Best Television Movie at the 2015 Emmy Awards |
CHASING SHADOWS 2014 | ITVS | Written by Rob Williams |
RIPPER STREET (Series 2) 2013 | Tiger Aspect/Element Pictures | Episodes 203 & 204 |
THE SUSPICIONS OF MR WHICHER: THE MURDER IN ANGEL LANE 2013 | Hat Trick/ITV | Starring Paddy Considine and Olivia Colman |
ZEN 2011 | Left Bank Pictures | Episode 102 |
COMBAT HOSPITAL 2011 | Artists Studio/ABC Studios | Episodes 103, 104, 107 & 108 |
ABOVE SUSPICION 2009 | La Plante Productions/ITV | Starring Kelly Reilly |
SADDAM'S TRIBE 2007 | World Productions/ C4 | Written by Ryan Craig |
SEE NO EVIL: THE MOORS MURDERS 2006 | Granada | Written by Neil McKay. Winner of Best Drama Serial, Broadcast Awards 2007; Best Drama, South Bank Awards, 2007; Best Drama and Best Actress for Maxine Peake at Royal Television Society North Awards, 2007; Nominated for Best Single Drama at Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, 2007; Winner of Best Drama Serial at BAFTA TV Awards, 2007; Winner of Best Drama Serial at BANFF TV Festival Awards, Canada, 2007; Nominated for Best Original Drama, Writer's Guild of Great Britain, 2007 |
PLANESPOTTING 2004 | Granada | Written by Neil McKay |
BELONGING 2004 | The Producers | Written by Alan Plater. Brenda Blethyn nominated for Best Actress, BAFTA Television Awards, 2005. Accepted into Reims TV Festival 2006 |
WALL OF SILENCE 2004 | Granada | Starring James Nesbitt, Phil Davis and Stephanie Leonidas |
STATE OF MIND 2003 | Monogram | Written by Paula Milne |
THE FORSYTE SAGA 2002 | Granada | Starring Damian Lewis, Ioan Gruffud, Rupert Graves |
ONE KILL 2000 | Showtime/CBS | Starring Anne Heche, Sam Shepard and Eric Stoltz |
RIVER OF DARKNESS 1999 | Yorkshire Television | Adapted from the novel by Rennie Airth |
THE PASSION OF AYN RAND 1999 | Showtime | Starring Helen Mirren, Eric Stoltz, Julie Delpy and Peter Fonda. Selected for Premiere Section, Sundance Film Festival, January 1999; Seattle Film Festival 1999. Helen Mirren won an Emmy as best actress in mini-series/movie 1999; Peter Fonda was nominated as best supporting actor in mini-series/movie 1999; Helen Mirren was nominated for Golden Globe as best actress in mini-series/movie 1999. Nominated for Producers' Guild of America Golden Laurel for best longform television 1999. Helen Mirren nominated for SAG Award as best actress in mini-series/movie 1999. Peter Fonda nominated for SAG Award as Best Supporting Actor in mini-series/movie 1999 |
BRIGHT HAIR 1997 | Monogram/BBC | Starring Emilia Fox, James Purefoy |
VOLCANO 1996 | Twentieth Century Fox | |
THE BRIDESMAID 1996 | Renaissance Films | Wrote commissioned feature screenplay |
FEAST OF JULY 1995 | Merchant Ivory/Buena Vista | Starring Embeth Davidtz and Ben Chaplin. Opening film at Montreal Film Festival September 1995 |
FATHERLAND 1994 | HBO | Starring Roger Hauer and Miranda Richardson. Nominated for GOLDEN GLOBE Best Television Film 1994. Miranda Richardson won GOLDEN GLOBE for Best Actress |
HOMICIDE 1993 | Baltimore Pictures | |
A DANGEROUS MAN - T E LAWRENCE AFTER ARABIA 1991 | Enigma | Starring Ralph Fiennes and Dennis Quilley. Received International Emmy for Best Drama 1992; Grand Award and Gold Medal at the 35th New York Film and Television Festival 1993 |
PRIME SUSPECT 1 1990 | Granada Television | Starring Helen Mirren. Winner of four 1991 Awards from British Academy of British Television including Best Drama Serial and Best Actress (Helen Mirren); Winner of two Broadcasting Press Guild Awards 1991: Best Drama and Best Actress; Winner of three Royal Television Society Awards 1991 Drama Serial |
NICE WORK 1989 | BBC | Starring Warren Clarke and Haydn Gwynne. Winner of Royal Television Society Award 1989 for Best Drama Serial. |
PRECIOUS BANE 1988 | Starring Janet McTeer and John McEnery. Winner of two Awards at Rencontres Européennes de Tèlévision de Reims 1990: Public Jury Prize, Best Fiction Film and Professional Jury Prize, Best Actress (Janet McTeer). Nominated for Royal Television Society Award 1989: Best Single Drama |