Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPrimetime EmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalFall TV GuideMost Anticipated This MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayTrending peopleCelebrity news
    IMDb LabsHelp centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Wayne Kramer(I)

  • Writer
  • Director
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Wayne Kramer
Here is a scene from the movie Crossing Over.
Play clip0:40
Crossing Over: "Raid"
1 Video
1 Photo
Wayne Kramer was born in South Africa, where he graduated from the Johannesburg School for Art, Drama and Music. His feature film debut came in 2003 with "The Cooler," a romantic drama set in Las Vegas and starring William H. Macy as a professional casino jinx and Maria Bello as the cocktail waitress who changes his luck. "The Cooler" was selected for competition in the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and opened the 2003 Los Angeles Film Festival. Alec Baldwin received an Oscar® nomination for his portrayal of an old-school casino boss, and won the National Board of Review's Best Supporting Actor award. The Lionsgate release also received Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Online Film Critics award nominations for both Baldwin and Bello. Kramer won the Special Jury Prize at the Cognac Festival du Film Policier. Kramer was nominated for a 2004 Golden Satellite Award and a 2004 Edgar Allan Poe (along with Frank Hannah) for his screenplay to The Cooler, which also received a 2003 Special Mention For Excellence in Filmmaking from the National Board of Review

Wayne followed up "The Cooler" with "Running Scared," a gritty action thriller for New Line Cinema. Paul Walker starred as a New Jersey mob foot soldier who spends a harrowing night chasing down a gun used to kill a dirty cop. The film also starred Vera Farmiga, Chazz Palminteri and Elizabeth Mitchell. "Running Scared" was released in 2006 and has since become a cult favorite among action fans.

Next, Wayne wrote, produced (along with Frank Marshall) and directed "Crossing Over," an ensemble drama about illegal immigration in Los Angeles. The film stars Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta, Jim Sturgess, Ashley Judd, Cliff Curtis, Alice Eve and Alice Braga. "Crossing Over" was released by The Weinstein Company in 2009.

Most recently, Wayne directed the black comedy ensemble "Pawn Shop Chronicles," which was released by Anchor Bay in 2013. The film stars Paul Walker, Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser, Elijah Wood, Thomas Jane, Vincent D'Onofrio and Lukas Haas.

Wayne will next direct the dystopian sci-fi love story "Ecstasia," based on his upcoming novel, with Scott Eastwood attached to star.

Kramer's other credits include the original screenplay for "Mindhunters" (2004), directed by Renny Harlin and released by Dimension Films.
Born1965
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
Born1965
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 6 nominations total

    Known for

    William H. Macy and Maria Bello in The Cooler (2003)
    The Cooler
    6.9
    • Writer
    • 2003
    Chazz Palminteri, Vera Farmiga, Karel Roden, Paul Walker, and Cameron Bright in Running Scared (2006)
    Running Scared
    7.3
    • Writer
    • 2006
    Val Kilmer, Christian Slater, Jonny Lee Miller, LL Cool J, Kathryn Morris, and Patricia Velasquez in Mindhunters (2004)
    Mindhunters
    6.3
    • Writer
    • 2004
    Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd, Ray Liotta, and Jim Sturgess in Crossing Over (2009)
    Crossing Over
    6.7
    • Writer
    • 2009

    Credits

    IMDbPro

    Writer



    • The Honest Liar
      • Writer
      • Pre-production
    • Blue Before Blood
      • Writer
      • Pre-production



    • Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd, Ray Liotta, and Jim Sturgess in Crossing Over (2009)
      Crossing Over
      6.7
      • screenplay
      • 2009
    • Chazz Palminteri, Vera Farmiga, Karel Roden, Paul Walker, and Cameron Bright in Running Scared (2006)
      Running Scared
      7.3
      • written by
      • 2006
    • Val Kilmer, Christian Slater, Jonny Lee Miller, LL Cool J, Kathryn Morris, and Patricia Velasquez in Mindhunters (2004)
      Mindhunters
      6.3
      • screenplay by
      • story by
      • 2004
    • William H. Macy and Maria Bello in The Cooler (2003)
      The Cooler
      6.9
      • written by
      • 2003
    • Crossing Over
      7.0
      Short
      • Writer
      • 1995
    • Blazeland (1992)
      Blazeland
      6.5
      • Writer
      • 1992

    Director



    • The Honest Liar
      • Director
      • Pre-production
    • Blue Before Blood
      • Director
      • Pre-production



    • Pawn Shop Chronicles (2013)
      Pawn Shop Chronicles
      5.9
      • directed by
      • 2013
    • Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd, Ray Liotta, and Jim Sturgess in Crossing Over (2009)
      Crossing Over
      6.7
      • Director
      • 2009
    • Chazz Palminteri, Vera Farmiga, Karel Roden, Paul Walker, and Cameron Bright in Running Scared (2006)
      Running Scared
      7.3
      • Director
      • 2006
    • William H. Macy and Maria Bello in The Cooler (2003)
      The Cooler
      6.9
      • Director
      • 2003
    • Crossing Over
      7.0
      Short
      • Director
      • 1995
    • Blazeland (1992)
      Blazeland
      6.5
      • Director
      • 1992

    Producer



    • Forbidden Films (2026)
      Forbidden Films
      Podcast Series
      • producer
      • 2026
    • Pawn Shop Chronicles (2013)
      Pawn Shop Chronicles
      5.9
      • executive producer
      • 2013
    • Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd, Ray Liotta, and Jim Sturgess in Crossing Over (2009)
      Crossing Over
      6.7
      • producer
      • 2009

    • In-development projects at IMDbPro

    Videos1

    Crossing Over: "Raid"
    Clip 0:40
    Crossing Over: "Raid"

    Personal details

    • Official sites
      • Facebook
      • Facebook
    • Born
      • 1965
      • South Africa
    • Publicity listings
      • 1 Interview
      • 1 Pictorial

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      Is a great admirer of film music composer, John Barry.
    • Quotes
      Which project did he feel didn't live up to what he had envisioned?

      I wrote the original screenplay to Mindhunters and it was rewritten (dumbed down) by a dozen writers. The finished movie bears very little resemblance to my original work. I don't have a line of dialogue left in the film and very little of my original storyline.

      Excerpted from Wayne Kramer answers 10 Questions on IGN
    • Trademark
      Heavy emphasis on sexuality and violence. Unusual transition shots. Uses complex steadicam and crane shots.

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    You have no recently viewed pages
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2026 by IMDb.com, Inc.