David Hackl is a Toronto based director, executive producer, writer and production designer with over 30 years experience in the international film and television industry. David began his career at 23, as an art director and production designer working on hundreds of music videos and commercials. He soon transitioned to commercial director, and for almost a decade worked with clients such a Sanyo, Panasonic, Anheuser-Busch, Kellogg, Chrysler, Post, Kraft and Sears and many more.
In the late 90’s, David returned to his first passion, Production Designing, working on television series, game shows, musicals, IMAX, documentaries and feature films.
In 1997 Saul Rubinek asked David to be Production Designer on his first feature film JERRY AND TOM, starring Joe Mantegna, Sam Rockwell, Maury Chaykin, Ted Danson, Charles Durning and William H. Macy.
David then Production Designed the sci-fi series LEXX: THE DARK ZONE (1998-2002) for three seasons for the SCI-FI Channel. Then followed with more sci-fi on the series STARHUNTER (2003-04) Production Designing 22 episodes.
2004 saw David Production Design the mini series THE GRID directed by Michael Salomon for FOX and 2 features, THE RIVERMAN with Bruce Greenwood and Cary Elwes and REDEMPTION:THE STAN TOOKIE WILLIAMS STORY starring Jamie Foxx directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall.
David is best known for his work on the SAW franchise, as 2nd Unit Director and Production Designer on SAW II (2005), SAW III (2006) and SAW IV (2007), he created many of the iconic SAW traps and helped establish Jigsaw’s dark world, to make SAW one of the most successful horror franchises in history.
In 2006 he Production Designed the werewolf feature SKINWALKERS for Lionsgate.
The cult hit, horror/musical, REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA (2007) for director Darren Lynn Bousman, was David’s next feature as Production Designer and 2nd Unit Director. Working with Paris Hilton, Alexa Pena Vega, Paul Sorvino, Anthony Stewart Head and Sarah Brightman.
David Production Designed the epic period/sci-fi feature OUTLANDER (2008) starring Jim Caviezel, Sophia Miles, John Hurt, Jack Huston and Ron Pearlman.
Then, in 2008 Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate asked David to Direct his first feature film SAW V, which opened at $31M and it went on for a worldwide gross of $113M.
David was the Visual Consultant on Saw VI 2009 and 3D Development/Director on SAW 3D in 2010.
In 2012, David directed the action/thriller INTO THE GRIZZLY MAZE, staring James Marsden, Thomas Jane, Piper Perabo, Scott Glenn and Billy Bob Thornton, released in May 2015 through SONY.
David directed LIFE ON THE LINE (2015) staring John Travolta, Kate Bosworth, Devon Sawa and Sharon Stone. It premiered at the 2015 Napa Valley Film Festival in a special tribute to John Travolta and was released Nov. 2016 thorough Lionsgate and Voltage
INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY recruited David in 2015 to direct the first three episodes of their new scripted drama series REAL DETECTIVES staring Devon Sawa, Michael Madsen and Curtis Caravaggio. The shows aired Jan. 2016 taking #1 spot on the network.
In 2017 David became Co-Executive Producer, helping develop and pitch the vampire series V WARS from IDW to Netflix. V Wars went in to production on 10x1hr episodes in mid 2018 and premiered on Netflix Dec.5th, 2019 to take a #1 spot on the streamer.
David directed DAUGHTER OF THE WOLF, shot in the winter of 2018 in the snowy mountains of Central British Columbia. Starring Gina Carano, Richard Dreyfuss, Brendan Fehr and a pack of 13 timber wolves. Released June 14th, 2019. DOTW was in competition at the 65th Taormina Film Festival in 2019 and nominated for three 2020 Canadian Screen Academy awards- Best Director TV Movie, Best TV Movie and Best Supporting actor for Brendan Fehr. In the last week of July 2022 Daughter of the Wolf had 11.8 Million views on NETFLIX making it #5 worldwide.
In 2019 David once again returned to the SAW franchise as Visual Consultant on SPIRAL, from the book of SAW, starring Chris Rock, Max Minghella and Samuel L. Jackson.
Late 2020 saw David back in the director’s chair for DANGEROUS, the action/thriller starring Scott Eastwood, Famke Janssen, Tyrese Gibson, Kevin Durand and Mel Gibson. David was also an Executive Producer and shares the writing credit with Christopher Borrelli. Dangerous was produced through Minds Eye Entertainment and International Film Trust and was released in theatres and on demand November 5th, 2021 through Lionsgate. Dangerous had a TOP TEN spot on AMAZON PRIME for 10 weeks following the release.
David is currently directing, writing and in pre-production on the Ukraine War thriller The PHOTOGRAPHER, based on a true story. He is also directing THE FURY a revenge/thriller set to shoot in the Canary Islands in 2024. Thrillers THE DROWNING POOL and BLOOD TRIANGLE set in Thialnd. He is also writing and developing the paranormal-thriller HERE AFTER, adapting the horror novel trilogy CAPPAWHITE, developing the series DEAD MAN’S ISLAND and Irish fantasy series CARROWHOLLY.
Memberships include The Directors Guild of Canada and Canadian Screen Academy.
He holds a current US O1 VISA.
David Hackl lives in Toronto with his wife Lorraine, sons Sean and Dylan.