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Lance Hool is a Mexican film director, film producer, and actor. He directed the action films Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1985) and Steel Dawn (1987), the war film One Man's Hero (1999), and the romantic drama film 2 Hearts (2020). He also founded the Santa Fe-based film studio Santa Fe Studios in 2011.

Early life

Hool was born in Mexico and grew up in Mexico City in a family largely involved in the film industry. According to him, his great-grandfather worked as a financier for Charlie Chaplin. Hool and his brother were childhood friends of Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011.

Hool attended the Universidad de las Américas Puebla, graduating with a B.A. and an M.B.A.

Career

Hool made his acting debut in the Howard Hawks film Rio Lobo, which was released in 1970 and was Hawks's last film before his death. He worked in the Mexican film industry for 20 years, and was the US representative for the Mexican national film distribution company Pelmex between 1977 and 1980.

He produced the thriller films Wolf Lake (1978), 10 to Midnight (1983), and The Evil That Men Do (1984), the adventure film Flipper (1996), and the comedy films Pure Luck (1991) with Sean Daniel and McHale's Navy (1997). Hool directed the Chuck Norris–starring action film Missing in Action 2: The Beginning, which was released in 1985. He also directed the 1987 science fiction action film Steel Dawn. It starred Patrick Swayze and was produced by Hool with his brother, Conrad Hool. Walter Goodman of The New York Times wrote, "Steel Dawn, ... has been directed by Lance Hool to emphasize Mr. Swayze's biceps," and Los Angeles Times critic Michael Wilmington wrote, "Hool directs all this so lethargically you might suspect he's gone missing in action himself." Hool directed and produced the historical war film One Man's Hero, about John Riley and the Saint Patrick's Battalion's role in the Mexican–American War, which was released in 1999. Hool cast his sons Brett and Jason in the film. For the Los Angeles Times, Kevin Thomas wrote in a review of the film that it was "directed with vigor and passion by Hool", while Paul Cullum of LA Weekly called his direction "flaccid". Hool then executive produced the Simon Wincer film Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001) and the Tony Scott film Man on Fire (2004).

Lance founded the Santa Fe–based film studio Santa Fe Studios in October 2011, where his son, Jason, was hired as president. It became New Mexico's second-largest film studio, following Albuquerque Studios. Negotiations to open the studio had taken place the year before, when, in an attempt to increase economic growth in Santa Fe, Richardson offered Hool a ten-million-dollar economic development grant to build the studio south of the city, while then–chairman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico structured the studio's land and financing package. The project was considered controversial among residents of Santa Fe due to Hool's early ties to Richardson. Hool and his associates were sued by attorneys for Santa Fe County for the studio's unpaid debt of over $2.3 million in 2016.

Hool directed the romantic drama film 2 Hearts, inspired by the story of Leslie and Jorge Bacardi of the Bacardi family after Hool's brother, Conrad, met Jorge on a cruise. It was co-written by Robin U. Russin with Hool's daughter, Veronica, and co-produced by Hool with Conrad with a score by Hool's son, Brett, and casting direction by his niece, Caral. The film finished principal photography in July 2018. It was released in theaters in October 2020 and distributed by Freestyle Releasing. After being released onto Netflix, the film became the platform's most-watched film for a week in 2021.

Filmography

References

1. ^ Talbot, Paul (February 1, 2014). "Cinema Retro Special Report: Paul Talbot on the Making of Charles Bronson's 'The Evil That Men Do'". Cinema Retro. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
2. ^ Rifkin, Jesse (October 16, 2020). "Interview with 2 Hearts Director Lance Hool: 'We've Got To Get This Movie Into Theaters'". Boxoffice Pro. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
3. ^ Chacón, Daniel J. (February 6, 2016). "Santa Fe Studio owners caught by surprise with lawsuit". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
4. "Filmmakers". 2 Hearts. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
5. Holt, Conor (2023-08-02). "Interview: "One Man's Hero"". Medium. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
6. ^ "Honoring Lance Hool: Producer, Director, Actor". Santa Fe Film Festival. September 26, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
7. ^ Cullum, Paul. "One Man's Hero". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on May 26, 2001. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
8. "Lance Hool - Santa Fe Studios". www.santafestudios.com. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
9. ^ Honeycutt, Kirk (November 11, 1990). "Odd couples are the name of the..." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
10. ^ Miller III, Randy (March 29, 2017). "Wolf Lake". DVD Talk. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
11. ^ Alzayat, Dima (November 15, 2011). "On Location: New Santa Fe Studios beckons filmmakers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
12. ^ Shepard, Richard F. (March 13, 1983). "'10 to Midnight'". The New York Times. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
13. ^ Kline, Chris (December 28, 1997). "Irish-Americans fight for Mexico, and a film is born". CNN. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
14. Maslin, Janet (March 2, 1985). "Screen: Chuck Norris in 'Missing in Action 2'". The New York Times. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
15. ^ Goodman, Walter (November 6, 1987). "Film: 'Steel Dawn'". The New York Times. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
16. Wilmington, Michael (November 6, 1987). "Movie Reviews : 'Steel Dawn': Iron-Age Concept in Film Making". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
17. Tracey, Olivia (February 16, 2011). "Tracings Eagerly awaiting Berenger film on San Patricios". The Irish Echo. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
18. ^ Thomas, Kevin (September 24, 1999). "Movie Review: 'One Man's Hero' a Heartfelt History Lesson". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
19. Stratton, David (April 11, 2001). "Crocodile Dundee In Los Angeles". Variety. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
20. "A Recipe for Filmmaking Success: An Interview with Lance Hool, CEO Santa Fe Studios". Santa Fe Film Festival. May 3, 2014. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
21. Verrier, Richard (December 10, 2009). "New Mexico kicks in $10 million to build Santa Fe movie and TV studio". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
22. Ortega Law, Jeannie (October 16, 2020). "Hollywood filmmaker says 'faith is what should keep us going' in 2020; releases new movie '2 Hearts'". The Christian Post. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
23. Vitu, Teya (June 22, 2021). "No. 1 movie on Netflix, '2 Hearts,' has ties to Santa Fe Studios". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Yahoo! News.
24. Maslin, Janet (November 17, 1984). "Screen: Norris in 'Missing in Action'". The New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
25. Maslin, Janet (2 March 1985). "Screen: chuck norris in 'missing in action 2'". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
26. ^ Pretorius, William (August 3, 2001). "Crocodile Dundee In Los Angeles". News24. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
27. McCarty, John (November 5, 2016). The Official Splatter Movie Guide, Volumes: 1963-1992. Crossroad Press.
28. Thomas, Kevin (February 4, 1994). "Movie Review : 'Gunmen' an Ultraviolent Buddy Film". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
29. Scott, Tony (August 2, 1993). "Fox Night at the Movies Born to Run". Variety. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
30. Everett, Todd (October 27, 1993). "USA World Premiere Movie the Cover Girl Murders". Variety. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
31. Lowry, Brian (January 5, 1994). "The Air Up There". Variety. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
32. Thomas, Kevin (February 27, 2004). "Laughter is not an option for 'Club Dread' visitors". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
33. Allen, Rick (May 8, 2012). "'The Cup' a tale of tragedy and triumph". Ocala StarBanner. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
34. Scheck, Frank (October 15, 2020). "'2 Hearts': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 12, 2024.

• Mexican film producers
• Film directors from Mexico City
• Film directors from Nevada
• Male actors from Mexico City
• Male actors from Nevada
• 20th-century Mexican male actors
• Film studio executives
• Living people
• English-language film directors
• Mexican male film actors
• Mexican expatriate male actors in the United States
• Mexican people of American descent
• American people of Mexican descent
• Universidad de las Américas Puebla alumni