Editing David Cronenberg (section)

==Career==
=== 1969–1979: Film debut and early work ===
After two short sketch films and two short [[art-house]] features (the [[black-and-white]] ''[[Stereo (1969 film)|Stereo]]'' and the colour ''[[Crimes of the Future (1970 film)|Crimes of the Future]]'') Cronenberg went into partnership with [[Ivan Reitman]]. The Canadian government provided financing for his films throughout the 1970s.<ref name=fullbio/> During this period, he focused on his signature "[[body horror]]" films such as ''[[Shivers (1975 film)|Shivers]]'' (1975)  and ''[[Rabid (1977 film)|Rabid]]'' (1977), the latter of which provided pornographic actress [[Marilyn Chambers]] with work in a different genre, although Cronenberg's first choice for the role had been a then little-known [[Sissy Spacek]]. ''Rabid'' was a breakthrough with international distributors, and his next horror feature, ''[[The Brood (film)|The Brood]]'' (1979), gained stronger support. Even then, he showed variety by making ''[[Fast Company (1979 film)|Fast Company]]'' (1979) between ''The Brood'' and ''Rabid'', a project reflecting his interest in car racing and bike gangs.

=== 1981–1988: Breakthrough and acclaim ===
In 1981, Cronenberg directed the [[science-fiction]] [[horror film]] ''[[Scanners]]'' (1981). In it, "scanners" are [[psychic]]s with unusual [[telepathy|telepathic]] and [[psychokinesis|telekinetic]] powers. The film has since become a [[cult classic]]. He followed it with another science-fiction horror film ''[[Videodrome]]'' (1983) starring [[James Woods]]. The film was distributed by [[Universal Pictures]]. [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' remarked on the film's "innovativeness", and praised Woods' performance as having a "sharply authentic edge".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D0CE6D9103BF937A35751C0A965948260|title='VIDEODROME,' LURID FANTASIES OF THE TUBE|author=Janet Maslin|date=February 4, 1983|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref> That same year he directed ''[[The Dead Zone (film)|The Dead Zone]]'' (1983), based on [[Stephen King]]'s [[The Dead Zone (novel)| novel of the same name]], starring [[Christopher Walken]].

Cronenberg directed ''[[The Fly (1986 film)|The Fly]]'' (1986), starring [[Jeff Goldblum]] and [[Geena Davis]]. The film is loosely based on [[George Langelaan]]'s 1957 [[The Fly (Langelaan)|short story of the same name]] and [[The Fly (1958 film)|the 1958 film of the same name]]. It was distributed by [[20th Century Fox]] and was a box office hit, making $60 million. Cronenberg has not generally worked within the world of big-budget, mainstream Hollywood filmmaking, although he has had occasional near misses. At one stage he was considered by [[George Lucas]] as a possible director for ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983) but turned down the offer. [[Peter Suschitzky]] was the director of photography for ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980), and Cronenberg remarked that Suschitzky's work in that film "was the only one of those movies that actually looked good",<ref>{{cite web |title=David Cronenberg Re-Examines David Cronenberg |publisher=Film Freak Central |url=http://www.filmfreakcentral.net/notes/dcronenbergretrointerview.htm |date=March 9, 2003 |access-date=March 9, 2003 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030401142610/http://filmfreakcentral.net/notes/dcronenbergretrointerview.htm |archive-date=April 1, 2003  }}</ref> which was a motivating factor to work with him on ''[[Dead Ringers (film)| Dead Ringers]]'' (1988).

Since ''Dead Ringers'', Cronenberg has worked with Suschitzky on each of his films (see [[List of film director and cinematographer collaborations]]). Cronenberg has collaborated with composer [[Howard Shore]] on all of his films since ''The Brood'' (1979), (see [[List of film director and composer collaborations]]) with the exception of ''The Dead Zone'' (1983), which was scored by [[Michael Kamen]]. Other regular collaborators include actor [[Robert A. Silverman]], [[art director]] [[Carol Spier]] (also his sister) [[Sound editor (filmmaking)|sound editor]] Bryan Day, film editor Ronald Sanders, his sister, [[costume designer]] [[Denise Cronenberg]], and, from 1979 until 1988, [[cinematographer]] Mark Irwin. In 2008, Cronenberg directed Shore's first opera, ''[[The Fly (opera)|The Fly]]''.

=== 1991–2002: Career fluctuations ===
[[File:David Cronenberg(CannesPhotoCall)-.jpg|thumb|left|170px|Cronenberg at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] in 2002]]
Perhaps the best example of a film that straddles the line between Cronenberg's works of personal chaos and psychological confusion is his 1991 "adaptation" of ''[[Naked Lunch]]'' (1959), his literary hero [[William S. Burroughs]]' most controversial book. The novel was considered "[[unfilmable]]", and Cronenberg acknowledged that a straight translation into film would "cost 400 million dollars and be banned in every country in the world". Instead—much like in his earlier film, ''Videodrome''—he consistently blurred the lines between what appeared to be reality and what appeared to be [[hallucinations]] brought on by the main character's drug addiction. Some of the book's "moments" (as well as incidents loosely based upon Burroughs' life) are presented in this manner within the film. Cronenberg stated that while writing the screenplay for ''[[Naked Lunch (film)|Naked Lunch]]'' (1991), he felt a moment of [[synergy]] with Burroughs' writing style. He felt the connection between his screenwriting style and Burroughs' prose style was so strong, that he jokingly remarked that should Burroughs pass on, he might write his next novel.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Self |first=Will |date=2015-06-17 |title=Man-Eating Philosophers |url=https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v37/n12/will-self/man-eating-philosophers |access-date=2024-06-12 |work=London Review of Books |language=en |volume=37 |issue=12 |issn=0260-9592}}</ref>

Cronenberg has also appeared as an actor in other directors' films. Most of his roles are [[cameo appearance]]s, as in the films ''[[Into the Night (1985 film)|Into the Night]]'' (1985), ''[[Blood and Donuts]]'' (1995), ''[[To Die For]]'' (1995), and ''[[Jason X]]'' (2002) and the television series ''[[Alias (TV series)|Alias]]'', but on occasion he has played major roles, as in ''[[Nightbreed]]'' (1990) and ''[[Last Night (1998 film)|Last Night]]'' (1998). He has not had major roles in any of his own films, but he did put in a brief appearance as a gynecologist in ''The Fly''; he can also be glimpsed among the sex-crazed hordes in ''Shivers''; he can be heard as an unseen car-pound attendant in ''Crash''; his hands can be glimpsed in ''[[eXistenZ]]'' (1999); and he appeared as a stand-in for [[James Woods]] in ''Videodrome''.

Cronenberg has said that his films should be seen "from the point of view of the disease", and that in ''Shivers'', for example, he identifies with the characters ''after'' they become infected with the anarchic parasites. Disease and disaster, in Cronenberg's work, are less problems to be overcome than agents of [[Morphological freedom|personal transformation]]. Of his characters' transformations, Cronenberg said, "But because of our necessity to impose our own structure of perception on things we look on ourselves as being relatively stable. But, in fact, when I look at a person I see this maelstrom of organic, chemical and electron chaos; volatility and instability, shimmering; and the ability to change and transform and transmute."<ref>{{cite news|author=Gordon, Bette|url=https://bombmagazine.org/articles/david-cronenberg/ |title=David Cronenberg|work=[[BOMB Magazine]]|date= Winter 1989|access-date= January 18, 2022}}</ref> Similarly, in ''[[Crash (1996 film)|Crash]]'' (1996), people who have been injured in car crashes attempt to view their ordeal as "a fertilizing rather than a destructive event". In 2005, Cronenberg publicly disagreed with [[Paul Haggis]]' choice of the same name for the latter's [[Academy Awards|Oscar]]-winning film ''[[Crash (2004 film)|Crash]]'' (2004), arguing that it was "very disrespectful" to the "important and seminal" [[Crash (J. G. Ballard novel)|J. G. Ballard novel]] on which Cronenberg's film was based.<ref>{{cite news |title=Double Trouble |work=Slate |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2118602/fr/nl/ |date=May 12, 2005 |access-date=December 13, 2009 |archive-date=May 14, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050514233203/http://www.slate.com/id/2118602/fr/nl/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== 2005–present: Resurgence ===
[[File:Director DAVID CRONENBERG of the film 'Spider' during the Toronto International Film Festival.jpg|thumb|right|Cronenberg at the 2011 [[Toronto International Film Festival]]]]
His thriller ''[[A History of Violence]]'' (2005) is one of his highest budgeted and most accessible to date. He has said that the decision to direct it was influenced by his having had to defer some of his salary on the low-budgeted ''[[Spider (2002 film)|Spider]]'' (2002), but it was one of his most critically acclaimed films to date, along with ''[[Eastern Promises]]'' (2007), a film about the struggle of one man to gain power in the Russian Mafia. Although Cronenberg has worked with a number of Hollywood stars, he remains a staunchly Canadian filmmaker, with nearly all of his films (including major studio vehicles ''The Dead Zone'' and ''The Fly'') having been filmed in his home province Ontario. Notable exceptions include ''[[M. Butterfly (film)|M. Butterfly]]'' (1993), most of which was shot in China, ''Spider'', and ''[[Eastern Promises]]'' (2007), which were both filmed primarily in England, and ''[[A Dangerous Method]]'' (2011), which was filmed in Germany and Austria. ''Rabid'' and ''Shivers'' were shot in and around [[Montreal]]. Most of his films have been at least partially financed by [[Telefilm Canada]], and Cronenberg, a vocal supporter of government-backed film projects, has said: "Every country needs [a system of government [[Grant (money)|grants]]] to have a national cinema in the face of Hollywood".<ref>{{cite web|last=Phipps |first=Keith |url=https://www.avclub.com/david-cronenberg-1798208259 |title=David Cronenberg |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=March 12, 2003 |access-date=September 18, 2020}}</ref>

In 2008, Cronenberg realized two extra-cinematographic projects: the exhibition ''Chromosomes'' at the [[Rome Film Fest]], and the opera ''The Fly'' at the LaOpera in Los Angeles and Theatre Châtelet in Paris. In July 2010, Cronenberg completed production on ''[[A Dangerous Method]]'' (2011), an adaptation of [[Christopher Hampton]]'s play ''The Talking Cure'', starring [[Keira Knightley]], [[Michael Fassbender]], [[Vincent Cassel]], and frequent collaborator [[Viggo Mortensen]]. The film was produced by independent British producer [[Jeremy Thomas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theplaylist.blogspot.com/2010/03/viggo-mortensen-replaces-christoph.html |title=Viggo Mortensen Replaces Christoph Waltz As Sigmund Freud in David Cronenberg's 'The Talking Cure' |website=The Playlist |date=March 9, 2010 |access-date=May 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Keira Knightley Takes The Talking Cure | url=https://www.empireonline.com/News/story.asp?nid=26588|work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|date=December 23, 2009 |access-date=May 18, 2011}}</ref> On television, he has appeared in the recurring roles of Dr. Brezzel in Season 3 of ''[[Alias (TV series)|Alias]]'', and Kovich in seasons 3, 4, and 5 of ''[[Star Trek: Discovery]]''. He has also had main roles as Reverend Verrenger in ''[[Alias Grace (miniseries)|Alias Grace]]'', and Spencer Galloway in ''[[Slasher (TV series)|Slasher: Flesh & Blood]]''.
[[File:David Cronenberg Cannes 2014.jpg|thumb|left|160px|Cronenberg at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] in 2014]]
In 2012, his film ''[[Cosmopolis (film)|Cosmopolis]]'' competed for the [[Palme d'Or]] at the [[2012 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2012-05-28|title=Five things we learned from the Cannes premiere of Cosmopolis|url=https://torontolife.com/culture/cosmopolis-cannes-premier/|access-date=2021-06-14|website=Toronto Life|language=en-US}}</ref>

Filming for Cronenberg's next film, a satire [[drama film|drama]] entitled ''[[Maps to the Stars]]'' (2014)—with [[Julianne Moore]], [[Mia Wasikowska]], [[John Cusack]], and [[Robert Pattinson]]<ref>{{cite web|title=David Cronenberg's 'Maps to the Stars' Finds Julianne Moore, John Cusack & EOne|url=https://deadline.com/2013/04/david-cronenberg-julianne-moore-john-cusack-robert-pattinson-maps-to-the-stars-entertainment-one-477706/|access-date=February 4, 2013|publisher=Deadline Hollywood}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Julianne Moore, John Cusack & Sarah Gadon Join Robert Pattinson in David Cronenberg's 'Map to the Stars'|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/julianne-moore-john-cusack-sarah-gadon-join-robert-pattinson-in-david-cronenbergs-maps-to-the-stars-20130418|access-date=February 4, 2013|website=IndieWire|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424030004/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/julianne-moore-john-cusack-sarah-gadon-join-robert-pattinson-in-david-cronenbergs-maps-to-the-stars-20130418|archive-date=April 24, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>—began on July 8, 2013, in [[Toronto]], Ontario and Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cronenberg starts Maps shoot|url=http://www.screendaily.com/news/production/cronenberg-starts-maps-shoot/5058318.article#.UeRHiRx5XpE.twitter|access-date=July 16, 2013|website=Screen Daily}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=David Cronenberg Says His Novel May Arrive in 2013, Talks Working With Robert Pattinson, 'Map to the Stars' & More|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/david-cronenberg-talks-cosmopolis-robert-pattinson-his-novel-and-what-he-really-thought-of-dark-knight-rises-20130103|access-date=June 27, 2013|website=IndieWire|date=January 3, 2013 }}</ref> This was the first time Cronenberg filmed in the United States. On June 26, 2014, Cronenberg's short film ''The Nest'' was published on YouTube. The film was commissioned for "David Cronenberg – The Exhibition" at EYE Film Institute in Amsterdam and was available on YouTube for the duration of the exhibition, until September 14, 2014.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp8IU1PcThQ#t=530
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140627235057/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp8IU1PcThQ| archive-date=2014-06-27|title=IFFR presents: The Nest by David Cronenberg
|publisher=YouTube|date=June 26, 2014}}</ref> Also in 2014, Cronenberg published his first novel, ''[[Consumed (novel)|Consumed]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pevere|first1=Geoff|title=David Cronenberg's consuming obsession|url=http://www.quillandquire.com/authors/david-cronenbergs-consuming-obsession/|access-date=November 16, 2014|work=Quill and Quire}}</ref> In a May 2016 interview, [[Viggo Mortensen]] revealed that Cronenberg is considering retiring due to difficulty financing his film projects.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2016/05/david-cronenberg-why-hes-considering-retiring-from-filmmaking-290720/|title=David Cronenberg: Why He's Considering Retiring From Filmmaking|first1=Michael|last1=Nordine|date=May 12, 2016}}</ref>

Cronenberg appears as himself in the minute-long short film ''The Death of David Cronenberg'', shot by his daughter [[Caitlin Cronenberg|Caitlin]], which was released digitally on September 19, 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://nowtoronto.com/movies/david-cronenberg-kisses-his-own-dead-body-in-nft-short-film | title=David Cronenberg kisses his own dead body in NFT short film | date=September 16, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://superrare.com/artwork-v2/the-death-of-david-cronenberg-28414 | title=SuperRare &#124; NFT Art &#124; NFT Art Marketplace &#124; Digital Art }}</ref> In February 2021, Mortensen said Cronenberg had refined an older script he had written and hoped to film it with Mortensen that summer. He further hinted that it is a "strange film noir" and resembles Cronenberg's earlier body horror films.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/viggo-mortensen-david-cronenberg-new-movie/|title=Viggo Mortensen Teases David Cronenberg Reunion — A "Strange Film Noir"|date=February 1, 2021|website=Collider|accessdate=June 8, 2021}}</ref> In April 2021, the title was revealed to be ''[[Crimes of the Future (2022 film)|Crimes of the Future]]''.<ref name="pnws">{{cite web|url=https://primenews.pl/rozrywka/film/2021/04/29/david-cronenberg-crimes-of-the-future-nowy-film/|title=David Cronenberg returns with a new material. The production of 'Crimes of the Future' is set to begin soon|work=Prime News|publisher=Virtual Press Sp. z o.o.|date=April 29, 2021|access-date=April 29, 2021}}</ref> It was shot in Greece during the summer of 2021,<ref name="pnws"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2021/04/david-cronenberg-sci-fi-movie-crimes-of-the-future-shoot-1234633841/|title=David Cronenberg Returns: Sci-Fi Movie 'Crimes of the Future' Sets 30-Day Shoot in Greece|first=Zack|last=Sharf|date=April 29, 2021|accessdate=June 8, 2021}}</ref> and competed for the [[Palme d'Or]] at the [[2022 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/05/crimes-of-the-future-cannes-premiere-1235030273/|title=David Cronenberg's 'Crimes Of The Future' Nabs Six-Minute Standing Ovation At Cannes World Premiere|date=May 23, 2022 |publisher=Deadline}}</ref> Cronenberg's next film ''[[The Shrouds]]'' premiered at the [[2024 Cannes Film Festival]] in competition, and was released theatrically in September 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-11 |title=The films of the Official Selection 2024 |url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/the-films-of-the-official-selection-2024/ |access-date=2024-04-26 |website=Festival de Cannes |language=en-US}}</ref>