Barnaby David Waterhouse Thompson (born 29 March 1961) is a British film director and producer. He is best known for producing Wayne's World, Spice World, Kevin & Perry Go Large and An Ideal Husband, as well as co-directing the St Trinians films. He founded Fragile Films and ran Ealing Studios for fourteen years.
Early life and education Thompson was born in London to parents who both worked in radio. He went to St. Paul's School and graduated from Oxford University with a degree in theology and philosophy.
Career Thompson began his career in documentary filmmaking, including the 1990 short film Dear Rosie which received Academy Award and BAFTA nominations. In the early 1990s, he joined Lorne Michaels at Broadway Video in New York, where he co-produced several major American comedies, including Wayne’s World, Coneheads, and Tommy Boy.
Upon returning to the United Kingdom, Thompson co-founded Fragile Films with Uri Fruchtmann in 1996 and produced the global commercial success Spice World. His subsequent work included adaptations such as the BAFTA-nominated An Ideal Husband and Kevin & Perry Go Large.
In 2000, he led a consortium to purchase the historic Ealing Studios, serving as its Head of Studios for 14 years and overseeing its modernization. During this tenure, he co-directed the rebooted St Trinian’s franchise, which became one of the highest-grossing independent British film series. His more recent credits include directing the 2020 feature Pixie as well as the 2024 documentary Mad About the Boy: The Noel Coward Story.
Personal life Thompson has been married to American writer Christina Robert since 1991. They have two children.
Selected Filmography Title Year Producer Associate Producer Co-Producer Executive Producer Director Writer Witness in the War Zone 1987 Dear Rosie 1991 Wayne's World 1992 Wayne's World 2 1993 Coneheads 1993 Lassie 1994 Tommy Boy 1995 Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy 1996 Spice World 1997 An Ideal Husband 1999 Kevin & Perry Go Large 2000 Lucky Break 2001 High Heels and Low Lifes 2001 The Importance of Being Earnest 2002 Hope Springs 2003 Imagine Me & You 2005 Valiant 2005 Fade to Black 2006 Alien Autopsy 2006 St Trinian's 2007 I Want Candy 2007 Easy Virtue 2008 St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold 2009 From Time to Time 2009 Dorian Gray 2009 Burke & Hare 2010 Bad Bromance 2015 Kids in Love 2016 Nina 2016 Fisherman's Friends 2019 Pixie 2020 Mad About the Boy: The Noel Coward Story 2024
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