{{Short description|New Zealand director, actor, writer and producer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2025}} {{About|the film director|the footballer|Jimmy Ashcroft}} '''James Ashcroft''' (born 12 June 1978)<ref>{{Cite web |title=James Ashcroft Movies & TV Shows List |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/james_ashcroft |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |language=en}}</ref> is a New Zealand director, screenwriter, producer, and former actor. He had a career in theatre, film, television and radio, before moving to directing films. He has directed two films based on short stories by New Zealand writer Owen Marshall, and in 2025 was directing ''The Whisper Man'', starring Robert De Niro.
== Early life and education == Ashcroft was born to a Māori mother and an English father.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rebecca |first=Sayce |title=The Rule of Jenny Pen |url=https://www.starburstmagazine.com/features/james-ashcroft-the-rule-of-jenny-pen/ |access-date=26 March 2025 |work=Starburst}}</ref> He is of Ngāti Kahu and Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) descent. He is the youngest of six siblings and grew up in Paraparaumu.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Hamiera |first=Matiu |title=Meet the NZ director behind 'one of the year's most messed up movies', Coming Home in the Dark |url=https://www.renews.co.nz/meet-the-nz-director-behind-one-of-the-years-most-messed-up-movies-coming-home-in-the-dark/ |access-date=26 March 2025 |work=Re: (TVNZ)}}</ref> He trained as an actor, and graduated from Victoria University and Toi Whakaari drama school.<ref name=":0" /> He served internships with theatre companies The Wooster Group in New York and Robert Lepage’s Ex Machina in Quebec.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=James Ashcroft |url=https://www.torinofilmlab.it/people/1082445/James-Ashcroft |access-date=30 March 2025 |website=TorinoFilmLab}}</ref>
== Career == Ashcroft has had a career in theatre, film, television and radio, including becoming the artistic director and chief executive of Māori theatre company Taki Rua Productions.<ref name=":0" /> Ashcroft's work as an actor includes roles in ''The Insider’s Guide to Love'' (2005), ''Black Sheep'' (2006) and ''Fresh Meat'' (2012).<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Casey |first=Alex |date=19 March 2025 |title='I enjoy playing in the dark': Inside director James Ashcroft's latest nightmare |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/pop-culture/19-03-2025/i-enjoy-playing-in-the-dark-inside-james-ashcrofts-latest-nightmare |access-date=26 March 2025 |work=The Spinoff}}</ref> He has directed multiple short films.<ref name=":1" />
In the early 2010s, he optioned two of New Zealand short story writer Owen Marshall's stories, "Coming Home in the Dark" and "The Rule of Jenny Pen".<ref name=":1" /> In 2014 Ashcroft formed Light in the Dark Productions Ltd to develop adaptations of New Zealand literary works into feature films, shorts and documentaries.<ref name=":2" />
In 2021, he directed ''Coming Home in the Dark'', a psychological thriller based on Marshall's short story of the same name. Ashcroft co-wrote the film with Eli Kent. It stars Daniel Gillies, Erik Thomson, Miriama McDowell and Matthias Luafutu.<ref name=Corry>{{Cite news |last=Corry |first=Dominic |date=13 August 2021 |title=Movie review: Coming Home in the Dark |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/movie-review-coming-home-in-the-dark/OLBIOSHKRVRUJHOB2PIALLM53A/ |access-date=30 March 2025 |work=NZ Herald}}</ref> The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.<ref name=Corry />
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 92% approval rating from 63 reviews. The critical consensus reads: "Smart, well-acted, and above all scary, ''Coming Home in the Dark'' finds first-time director James Ashcroft making his mark with a white-knuckle ride for horror fans.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Coming Home in the Dark |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/coming_home_in_the_dark |access-date=30 March 2025 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref>
In 2024 he directed ''The Rule of Jenny Pen'', a psychological horror film based on Marshall's short story of the same name. It was co-written by Ashcroft and Eli Kent, and stars John Lithgow, Geoffrey Rush, and George Henare. The film was shown at Fantastic Fest on 19 September 2024, where Ashcroft won the best director award. It was shown at Sitges Film Festival in October 2024, where Lithgow and Rush were jointly awarded best actor.<ref name=":5">{{cite web |last=White |first=Mike |date=21 October 2024 |title=Another international award for new Kiwi film ''The Rule of Jenny Pen'' |url=https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360457711/another-international-award-new-kiwi-film-rule-jenny-pen |access-date=3 April 2025 |work=The Post}}</ref>
Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 73% approval rating from 95 reviews. The critical consensus reads "John Lithgow's frighteningly unhinged performance reigns over ''The Rule of Jenny Pen'', a nasty chiller that's by turns monotonous and haunting".<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Rule of Jenny Pen |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_rule_of_jenny_pen |access-date=3 April 2025 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> ''The Guardian'' called it a "bracingly malicious tale of elder abuse".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ide |first=Wendy |date=16 March 2025 |title=The Rule of Jenny Pen review – John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush excel in malicious nursing home chiller |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/16/the-rule-of-jenny-pen-review-john-lithgow-geoffrey-rush-new-zealand-nursing-home-chiller-james-ashcroft |access-date=3 April 2025 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> Novelist Stephen King tweeted “I watched one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. It’s called The Rule of Jenny Pen, and I urge you to watch it...”.<ref name=":5" />
In 2025, Ashcroft was directing an adaptation of Alex North's novel, ''The Whisper Man'', starring Robert De Niro. The Netflix film will have a budget of US$50 million,<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=White |first=Mike |date=9 February 2025 |title=Kiwi to direct Robert De Niro in Netflix thriller; chosen by Stephen King to film new novella |url=https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360571499/kiwi-direct-robert-de-niro-netflix-thriller-chosen-stephen-king-film-new-novella |access-date=3 April 2025 |work=Sunday Star-Times}}</ref> to be released in 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Howie |first=Guy |date=14 February 2026 |title=Robert De Niro Plays Retired Police Detective in Netflix's The Whisper Man |url=https://screenrant.com/robert-de-niro-the-whisper-man-crime-role-career-change/ |url-status=live |access-date=16 March 2026 |website=Screen Rant}}</ref> His next film will be ''When Darkness Loves Us'', based on a novella by Elizabeth Engstrom, starring Emilia Clarke, and filmed in New Zealand.<ref name=":4" /> He also has the rights to Stephen King's novella ''Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream''.<ref name=":1" />
Ashcroft says he is drawn to dark subject matters. “I enjoy playing in the dark,” he says. “I want to open up the audience’s mouths with screams, or laughter, and then stick something serious down their throat to digest afterwards.”<ref name=":1" />
== Personal life == Ashcroft is married with three young children.<ref>{{Cite news |last=White |first=Mike |date=27 June 2021 |title=Rookie Kiwi director hired for Hollywood blockbuster |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/125564425/rookie-kiwi-director-hired-for-hollywood-blockbuster |access-date=2 April 2025 |work=Stuff}}</ref> He lives in Mount Maunganui.<ref name=":4" />
== Filmography == '''Director''' *''Coming Home in the Dark'' (2021) *''The Rule of Jenny Pen'' (2024) *''The Whisper Man'' (2026)<ref>https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/new-movies-on-netflix</ref> *''When Darkness Loves Us'' (2027)<ref>https://variety.com/2026/film/global/emilia-clarke-horror-when-darkness-loves-us-cornerstone-1236727663/</ref>
== References == <!-- Inline citations added to your article will automatically display here. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:REFB for instructions on how to add citations. --> {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashcroft, James}} Category:New Zealand film directors Category:Living people Category:1978 births Category:People from Paraparaumu Category:People from Mount Maunganui Category:Victoria University of Wellington alumni Category:Ngāti Kahu people Category:Ngāpuhi people Category:New Zealand male actors Category:New Zealand male Māori actors