Personal details
- Birth Date: 1965-12-04
- Birth Location: Bilbao, Vizcaya, País Vasco, Spain
- Children: (2 children) Rebeca de la Iglesia
- Children: (divorced, 2 children) Rebeca de la Iglesia
- Professions: Producer, Director, Writer
Álex de la Iglesia—man, what a wild ride his career’s been. Born in Bilbao, kicked things off in the comics world (which totally explains his taste for the bizarre), and then just dove headfirst into movies that basically blew up the Spanish genre scene. “Mutant Action” and “The Day of the Beast” weren’t just films, they were like grenades tossed into the middle of Spanish cinema. After that, he just kept cranking out these insane, unforgettable flicks: “The Last Circus” (even The New York Times lost its mind over it), “Ferpect Crime,” “Witching and Bitching,” “My Big Night,” and “The Bar.” Dude’s got a filmography that’s all over the map, but somehow, it’s all totally him. He’s not just a director who sticks to his own lane, either. With his wife, Carolina Bang, he cooked up Pokeepsie Films—a production company that’s been a launchpad for a bunch of new Spanish filmmakers who are just as weird and ambitious as he is. They’ve backed stuff like “70 Big Ones,” “Perfect Strangers,” and recently “Veneciafrenia.” And yeah, “Four’s a Crowd” is his latest directorial trip, while he’s also producing wild stuff like “Venus” and “La Pietà.” Even now, the guy’s everywhere: season two of “30 Coins” just wrapped, “Headless Chickens” landed on HBO Max, and “My Fault” managed to turn into Prime Video’s most-watched non-English movie ever. Oh, and he’s behind the camera for Netflix’s “1992.” Not slowing down, not getting less weird—just how he likes it.
You know, Alien: Resurrection (1997) almost had a totally different vibe, since a major director actually said “nope” to helming it. Kinda wild, right? The movie eventually landed with Jean-Pierre Jeunet in the director’s chair, but before him, other big names were approached and turned it down for various reasons—maybe they weren’t feeling the script, or maybe the pressure of following up such an iconic sci-fi series was just too much. The film itself is a bizarre mix—some fans dig the weirdness, others can’t stand it. Ripley’s back (sort of), the xenomorphs are weirder than ever, and honestly, the tone is all over the place. It’s got this whole grungy space-pirate thing going on, and Winona Ryder’s there for the ride too. Still, it’s one of those sequels where you can’t help but wonder how different it could have been if someone else had taken the wheel.
You know, there’s something about movies that dodge the whole “trend” game that really hits different. Some filmmakers just aren’t interested in chasing what’s popular or doing whatever everyone else is doing. They’d rather make something weird or personal, something that probably won’t land on a bunch of TikTok edits or become a Halloween costume next year. Honestly, there’s a kind of stubborn freedom in that. When you watch these movies, you can feel it—they’re not trying to fit in or get applause from the crowd. They're just doing their own thing, even if it means half the audience doesn’t get it. Maybe you walk out a little confused, maybe you’re obsessed for days, but you know it’s not some cookie-cutter blockbuster. It’s almost like the film is giving you a sly wink, daring you to keep up, and not caring if you don’t. That’s the vibe, and honestly? It’s kind of refreshing.
December 4, 1965
Konidela Ram Charan
Bilbao, Vizcaya, País Vasco, Spain
Yes, Rebeca de la Iglesia
59 years old