Tommy Wirkola

Tommy Wirkola (born December 6, 1979, in Alta, Norway) is a Norwegian director who has built an international reputation for high-energy genre filmmaking that fuses horror, action, and sharp satire. Often wearing multiple hats as a writer, editor, and producer, Wirkola is best known for turning bold concepts into crowd-pleasing thrill rides with a mischievous edge.

He first gained wide attention with Dead Snow (2009), followed by Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (2014); both titles were selected for the Sundance Film Festival and helped cement his status in modern horror. Dead Snow also won the Toronto Dark Film Festival Audience Award and earned multiple Scream Award nominations, while the sequel collected major honors for film, directing, and screenplay across genre festivals.

Wirkola later expanded into bigger international productions with Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013), which received a People’s Choice Award nomination, and the sci-fi thriller What Happened to Monday (2017), nominated for Variety’s Piazza Grande Award at Locarno. In 2022, Violent Night added further recognition, including nominations for stunt performance and original score.

Alongside directing, Wirkola has appeared on screen in projects such as Kill Buljo (as Sid Wisløff) and Empty Barrels, reflecting his playful connection to Norwegian comedy and cult cinema even as his filmmaking reaches global audiences.