D.J. Caruso

D.J. Caruso Headshot

Director • Producer • Writer

Birth Date: January 17, 1965

Age: 59 years old

Birth Place: Norwalk, Connecticut

With John Badham as a mentor and a degree in Television Production from Pepperdine University, D.J. Caruso went from directing television series to motion pictures that usually ended up being in the thriller genre. Daniel John Caruso got his first break out of school when Badham hired him as the second unit director for the 1993 action film "Point of No Return" after losing his original second unit director. Television became Caruso's entryway into regular directing work starting with the short-lived 1995 Fox sci-fi series, "VR.5." After padding his experience overseeing single episodes of "Martial Law," "Dark Angel," and "Smallville," the Connecticut native made his directorial feature film debut with the 2002 neo-noir motion picture, "The Salton Sea." Caruso followed this critically admired but commercially stilted effort with the 2004 Angelina Jolie psychological thriller, "Taking Lives." Only moderately successful at the box office, it nonetheless allowed the former television director to land more film projects. Aside from signing on to direct a handful of episodes of the gritty FX crime drama "The Shield," Caruso spent the remainder of the decade working as a movie director. His big break during that time came when Steven Spielberg hired him to direct the 2007 Shia LaBeouf thriller, "Disturbia," which grossed over $117 million and became Caruso's biggest hit. He reunited with LaBeouf on the action thriller "Eagle Eye" the following year.

Credits

Redeeming LoveStream

Director
Movie
2022
11%

Redeeming LoveStream

Screenwriter
Movie
2022
11%

Shut In

Director
Movie
2022

Shut In

Director
Movie
2022

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Director
Movie
2019

xXx: Return of Xander CageStream

Director
Movie
2017
45%

The Disappointments Room

Director
Movie
2016

The Disappointments Room

Screenwriter
Movie
2016

Standing Up

Director
Movie
2013

Standing Up

Screenwriter
Movie
2013

I Am Number Four

Director
Movie
2011

ES.TV

Guest
Show
2009

Eagle Eye

Director
Movie
2008

On the Lot

Judge
Show
2007

DisturbiaStream

Director
Movie
2007
70%

Two for the MoneyStream

Director
Movie
2005
22%

Taking Lives

Director
Movie
2004

Robbery Homicide Division

Director
Series
2002

The ShieldStream

Director
Series
2002
90%

The Salton Sea

Director
Movie
2002

Crazy as Hell

Producer
Movie
2002

SmallvilleStream

Director
Series
2001
78%

The Strip

Director
Show
1999

Mockery for Justice

Director
Movie
1999

Mind Prey

Director
Movie
1999

Mind Prey

Producer
Movie
1999

Martial Law

Director
Series
1998

Buddy Faro

Director
Show
1998

Black Cat Run

Director
Movie
1998

Rebound -- The Legend of Earl The Goat Manigault

Executive Producer
Movie
1996

Nick of TimeStream

Executive Producer
Movie
1995
30%

Drop ZoneStream

Producer
Movie
1994
39%

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