Cast & creator
Renny Harlin
Best known for White Collar, Burn Notice, Deep Water
Renny Harlin (born Renny Lauri Mauritz Harjola on March 15, 1959) is a Finnish film director and producer, known for his prolific work in the action and horror genres. The peak of his success spanned from the late 1980s to the late 1990s, during which period he directed numerous hits, including A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, and Deep Blue Sea. The commercial performance of his films has waned since the mid 2000s, but Harlin remains 86th on the list of highest-grossing directors of all time (based on U.S. domestic gross revenue). He has primarily worked in the Hollywood studio system, in addition to time spent in his native Finland and a brief stint in China.
Also known as: Lauri Harjola, Renny Lauri Mauritz Harjola
77
film credits
5
television credits
18
1980–2026 · acting roles
6.0
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (82)
Showing 82 of 82 credits
White Collar
Director
2009
Burn Notice
Director
2007
Deep Water
Ship Radio Dispatcher (voice)
2026Deep Water
Director
2026
Covert Affairs
Director
2010
Die Hard 2
Director
1990
Graceland
Director
2013
The Strangers: Chapter 3
Director
2026
Blast from the Past
Producer
1999
The Strangers: Chapter 2
Director
2025
Deep Blue Sea
Director
1999
The Bricklayer
Director
2023
The Strangers: Chapter 1
Director
2024
The Covenant
Director
2006
Cliffhanger
Director
1993Cliffhanger
Producer
1993
The Long Kiss Goodnight
Director
1996The Long Kiss Goodnight
Producer
1996
Skiptrace
Director
2016
The Misfits
Director
2021
Cleaner
Director
2007
Cutthroat Island
Director
1995Cutthroat Island
Producer
1995
The Dyatlov Pass Incident
Director
2013The Dyatlov Pass Incident
Producer
2013
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
Student (uncredited)
1988A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
Director
1988
12 Rounds
Director
2009
Driven
Replacement Driver
2001Driven
Director
2001Driven
Producer
2001
Mindhunters
Executive Producer
2004Mindhunters
Director
2004
The Legend of Hercules
Officer Linus (uncredited)
2014The Legend of Hercules
Director
2014The Legend of Hercules
Producer
2014The Legend of Hercules
Writer
2014
The Resident
Executive Producer
2011
Exorcist: The Beginning
Director
2004
Gladiaattorit
Director
1993
5 Days of War
Director
20115 Days of War
Producer
2011
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy
Self
2010
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane
Director
1990
The Beast
Director
2026
Speechless
Producer
1994
Mistrial
Executive Producer
1996
Rambling Rose
Producer
1991
Bodies at Rest
Director
2019
The Strangers
Director
2026
Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³'
Self
2003
A Night to Die For
Self
1995
The Foot Shooting Party
Executive Producer
1994
Prison
Director
1987
The Dinosaur
Self (archive footage)
2021
Born American
Man's Voice from Ship's Loudspeakers (uncredited) (voice)
1986Born American
Director
1986Born American
Screenplay
1986Born American
Stunt Double
1986
Refuge
Director
2023Refuge
Producer
2023
Stallone on the Edge: The Making of Cliffhanger
Self
1993
Fear Himself: The Life and Crimes of Freddy Krueger
Self
2012
The Breakthrough
Police officer (uncredited)
1981
Slash & Burn: The Freddy Krueger Story
Self
1991
The Making of 'Nightmare on Elm Street IV'
Self
1989
Johtaja Uuno Turhapuro pisnismies
Renny Harlin
1998
Raptori Moe!
1990
Legend of the Ancient Sword
Director
2018Hard Time: The Making of Prison
Himself
2013
Reunion 3: Singles Cruise
Director
2021Reunion 3: Singles Cruise
Screenplay
2021
Black Tides
Director
Kohtauspaikka 33
Self (voice)
1981Kohtauspaikka 33
Director
1981Kohtauspaikka 33
Producer
1981Custody
Director
1980Custody
Writer
1980Trial by Combat
Director
Carrier
Producer
Inspector Palmu
Director
Inspector Palmu
Writer