Doug Aarniokoski
Douglas Aarniokoski | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 25, 1965 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Director, producer |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Known for | Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Criminal Minds, Arrow, S.W.A.T., Sleepy Hollow |
Douglas Aarniokoski (born August 25, 1965) is an American director and producer specializing in television.
His notable contributions include directing and producing for the CBS franchise titles Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Short Treks, and Star Trek: Picard. Additionally, he has worked on series such as Criminal Minds, The CW's superhero drama Arrow, S.W.A.T., and FOX's supernatural drama Sleepy Hollow.
Career
Aarniokoski's career began with production assistant duties on Rambo 3. He then took on roles in productions such as Turner & Hooch and served as Tom Cruise's personal assistant during the filming of Days of Thunder. His early assistant directing credits include first assistant director on the 1992 horror film Doctor Mordrid and assistant director positions on films like From Dusk till Dawn, Living Out Loud, The Faculty, and Spy Kids.
He progressed to second unit director for feature films including The Medallion, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and Resident Evil: Extinction.
Aarniokoski made his debut as a feature film director with the 2000 action movie Highlander: Endgame. His other directorial projects include the film Animals (credited under the pseudonym Arnold Cassius) and the 2011 movie The Day. In 2013, he both co-wrote and directed the horror film Nurse 3D.
From 2011 onward, he directed eight episodes of the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, two episodes of The CW’s Arrow, and one episode of its related series, The Flash.
Sleepy Hollow
During the first season of FOX's supernatural series Sleepy Hollow, Aarniokoski directed episode seven, titled "The Midnight Ride." By early 2014, he advanced to supervising producer and primary director for the show, managing episodes such as "Go Where I Send Thee...", "And the Abyss Gazes Back", "Kali Yuga," and "Awakening".
Limitless
In 2015, Aarniokoski joined CBS's series Limitless as both supervising producer and director. The series was developed under the guidance of Mark Goffman, who had previously collaborated with Aarniokoski on Sleepy Hollow.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Puppet Master 4 | No | Yes | Direct-to-video releases |
| 1994 | Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter | No | Yes | |
| 2000 | Highlander: Endgame | Yes | No | |
| 2009 | Animals | Yes | No | Credited as Arnold Cassius |
| 2011 | The Day | Yes | No | |
| 2014 | Nurse 3D | Yes | Yes |
Television
| Year(s) | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2011–2014 | Criminal Minds | Directed eight episodes |
| 2013–2015 | Sleepy Hollow | Directed six episodes; also supervising producer |
| 2013 | Hungry | |
| 2014–2015 | Arrow | Directed two episodes |
| 2015 | The Flash | Directed episode "Rogue Air" |
| 2015–2016 | Limitless | Directed four episodes; supervising producer role |
| 2016 | American Gothic | Directed episode "The Oxbow" |
| 2016–2017 | Bull | Directed four episodes |
| 2017–2024 | Star Trek: Discovery | Directed five episodes |
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Acting credits
1997 || Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery || Voice of Dr. Evil's Telephone || Uncredited 1998 || The Faculty || Brun Coach || 2000 || Highlander: Endgame || Kirk ||| Year | Title | Role | Remarks |
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