Jean-François Richet
Biography
Jean-François Richet was born and raised in Meaux, a suburb east of Paris. He left school at an early age and worked various low-paying jobs before realizing his dream of becoming a filmmaker. His debut feature film, État des lieux (1995), was a huge hit in France. Richet gambled his unemployment wages at a local casino and made enough money—$20,000—to finance the film.
An unflinching depiction of blue-collar life, based on his firsthand knowledge of growing up in the projects, it received screenings at film festivals around the world. Richet earned a César Award nomination for Best First Feature, and the film was also honored with the 1996 Cyril Collard Award.
Film Career
Richet's early works, such as Ma 6-T va crack-er (1997), a gritty portrayal of gang life in suburban Paris, established him as a filmmaker with a keen eye for social issues. The film was one of the earliest French films with a hip-hop soundtrack and was filmed in and around Richet’s birthplace, the troubled Paris suburb of Meaux.
In 2005, Richet made his Hollywood debut with a remake of John Carpenter’s 1976 film Assault on Precinct 13, starring Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne.
Perhaps Richet’s biggest project was the two-part crime biopic epic, Mesrine (2008), split into two features, subtitled Killer Instinct and Public Enemy No. 1, both starring Vincent Cassel as the notorious gangster Jacques Mesrine. The films earned Richet a César Award for Best Director and Cassel a César Award for Best Actor.
After a hiatus, Richet returned to filmmaking with One Wild Moment (2015), a remake of Claude Berri’s 1977 comedy-drama of the same title. He then directed Blood Father (2016), starring Mel Gibson, which was presented in a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 2018, Richet directed The Emperor of Paris (L'Empereur de Paris), a historical drama starring Vincent Cassel as the legendary criminal François Vidocq.
In 2023, Richet directed Plane, an action-thriller starring Gerard Butler, which was a commercial success.
Upcoming Projects
Richet is set to direct Mutiny, an action film starring Jason Statham and Annabelle Wallis, with production beginning in September 2024 and a release scheduled for early 2026.
