Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool

Paul McGuigan

Born in Bellshill, Scotland, Paul McGuigan has demonstrated a particularly strong talent for handling crime and drama narratives. He began his occupational life as a still photographer before working his way into the documentary field, helming nonfiction assignments for Channel 4 and the BBC. His foray into fiction work commenced with his short The Granton Star Cause an adaptation of one of Irvine Welsh’s short stories. The film gained critical acclaim and inspired Paul to helm two additional self-contained episodes, also adapted from the work of Welsh and stitched together as a well-received omnibus called The Acid House. Paul’s early fiction laid the groundwork for his move into features on a full-time basis, starting with the inventive crime sagas Gangster No. 1 and Lucky Number Slevin. He followed these with the medieval film The Reckoning, the eerie, atmospheric romantic mystery Wicker Park, and Victor Frankenstein, starring James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe. In recent years, Paul has encountered great success as the director of a number of television programmes, including the critically acclaimed Sherlock series which earned him a BAFTA and Emmy nomination.