Danny Cannon

Danny Cannon (born 1968, in Luton, England) is a British film and television writer, director and producer.

Cannon at the 2017 WonderCon.

Cannon began making films at the age of 16 in 1984, and started a youth experimental theatre group at 33 Arts Centre. Using the centre's facilities, he was a prolific director of video dramas and collaborated with a number of other directors in different roles including cameraman. A major influence was the centre's video maker, Dermot Byrne, with whom Cannon worked on a number of projects. It was at 33 that he met the future film composer David Arnold who played in a band that rehearsed there. Cannon convinced Arnold that he could compose soundtracks for his and other people's videos. Arnold would later compose his first professional score for Cannon's debut feature 'The Young Americans'.

In 1987, he was awarded the BBC Young Filmmaker of the Year Award by Alan Parker for a 40-minute short called Sometimes. Parker suggested he attend National Film and Television School in 1988, from which he graduated in 1990. His intermediate film, 'Play Dead' was screened on channel 4, a rare honor for a student still at the school. He then wrote and directed his graduation film Strangers (1990) which premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival.

Cannon's professional career began with commercials for James Garrett and later RSA. This led to his debut feature The Young Americans (1993), he signed on to direct the big-budget film Judge Dredd (1995), starring Sylvester Stallone. Since then he has also directed Phoenix (1998), and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998).

Beginning in 2000, he has directed and produced the pilot for C.S.I for CBS and Jerry Bruckheimer. He was asked to stay with the show as an executive producer and went on to write many episodes and direct many more (see CSI episode list). In 2003, he directed the pilot to CSI: Miami, and in 2004 directed the pilot to CSI: New York.

In 2005, he left C.S.I to direct the well-received soccer movie Goal!.

He directed a 2006 CBS television pilot, Capital Law, about a group of legal associates trying to make partner at a powerful Washington, D.C.–based law firm. In 2007 Cannon co-created TNT's crime drama series starring Dylan McDermott called Dark Blue. Cannon also directed the pilot episode for Dark Blue. In 2008, he produced and directed 'The Eleventh Hour' for CBS which ran for one season.

In 2010, Cannon joined The CW action series Nikita, as director and executive producer. It successfully ran for four seasons on the network.

In 2011, Cannon executive produced and directed the pilot for the FOX crime/mystery Alcatraz for JJ Abrams and WBTV.

In 2014 Cannon directed the pilot for the series Gotham, for which he is an executive producer. The pilot was well received and was ordered to series. Like CSI it is a series he also writes for.

• Universe Reader's Choice Award: Best Director 1995 Judge Dredd Peoples Choice awards for CSI, CSI:Miami.

Danny Cannon has been married to Nicole Suzanne Freeman from 1997 divorced 2017 they have 2 children, Cannon plays football regularly with Hollywood United F.C., a team consisting of mostly celebrities and former professional footballers, who occasionally play against professional teams for friendly matches and charity events.