Olivier Schneider

Olivier Schneider? The dude’s basically a legend when it comes to action in movies. Started out literally throwing himself into more than a hundred films as a stuntman. Yeah, a hundred. After beating himself up on camera that many times, he switched gears and started designing the fight scenes himself. Ever seen “Taken”? The one with Liam Neeson running around, breaking bones and looking intense? That was Schneider’s handiwork. Not even kidding, his fight choreography in that film basically redefined movie brawls for a while. Because “Taken” blew up (especially in the US—go figure), Hollywood wanted more of his style. So he got roped into helping out with “Unknown,” “Safe House,” “Fast and Furious 6,” and even the Bond flick “Spectre.” Not too shabby. And then, when he started working as a second unit director for “Child 44,” it was like, okay, this guy’s not just about the punches—he can handle the big picture, too. But he didn’t just stay in Hollywood. Back in France, directors like Jacques Audiard kept calling. Audiard wanted him for “A Prophet,” “Rust and Bone,” and later on “Sisters Brothers.” That’s some serious range, right? In 2016, Schneider co-directed the series “Playground,” which had ten episodes, all shot in English with an international cast. It dropped in 2017 on Blackpills, a new streaming platform back then. Bottom line? If there’s a brutal, realistic fight scene you remember, there’s a solid chance Schneider had something to do with it.