Known for Directing
James Manning (born 18 December 1975) is a British key second assistant director. He began his journey in the industry in the early 2000s, contributing to projects such as Rosemary & Thyme (2004), Born Equal (2006), Echo Beach (2008), and the popular spy-espionage show Spooks (2009–2010). His work quickly elevated him to larger-scale productions, including serving as second assistant director on Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011). Throughout the 2010s, Manning built an impressive filmography, contributing his talents to acclaimed feature films such as The Imitation Game (2014), Woman in Gold (2015), Bridget Jones's Baby, Me Before You, and Criminal (all 2016). He also worked on Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) and Paddington 2 that same year. In 2018, he continued his momentum with The Girl in the Spider's Web and Mary Queen of Scots. Manning has taken on major franchises and high-profile television series. His credits include three episodes of HBO's The Nevers (2021), Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), and the multi-billion-dollar fantasy series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2024). He is also credited on Charlie's Angels (2019) and The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).
Born
December 18, 1975 (age 50)
Filmography
19 films, 12 shows


The Fantastic 4: First Steps
2025 · 1h 55m
country: United States
Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel's First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer.


Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
2023 · 2h 35m
country: United States
Finding himself in a new era, and approaching retirement, Indy wrestles with fitting into a world that seems to have outgrown him. But as the tentacles of an all-too-familiar evil return in the form of an old rival, Indy must don his hat and pick up his whip once more to make sure an ancient and powerful artifact doesn't fall into the wrong hands.


Charlie's Angels
2019 · 1h 58m
country: United States
Elena Houghlin is a scientist, engineer and inventor of Calisto -- a sustainable energy source that will revolutionize the way people use power. It will be ready as soon as she works out the last issue, if not it could be turned into a dangerous weapon. But when the cutting edge technology is pushed to an investor before she can do that, Elena turns to the Townsend Agency for help. Now, it's up to the Angels -- Jane, Sabina, and the newly recruited Elena -- to retrieve Calisto before it can be transformed into a weapon of mass destruction.


Mary Queen of Scots
2018 · 2h 4m
country: United Kingdom
In 1561, Mary Stuart, widow of the King of France, returns to Scotland, reclaims her rightful throne and menaces the future of Queen Elizabeth I as ruler of England, because she has a legitimate claim to the English throne. Betrayals, rebellions, conspiracies and their own life choices imperil both Queens. They experience the bitter cost of power, until their tragic fate is finally fulfilled.


The Girl in the Spider's Web
2018 · 1h 55m
country: Germany
After being enlisted to recover a dangerous computer program, hacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist find themselves caught in a web of spies, cybercriminals and corrupt government officials.


Paddington 2
2017 · 1h 44m
country: France
Paddington, now happily settled with the Browns, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy, but it is stolen.


Kingsman: The Golden Circle
2017 · 2h 21m
country: United Kingdom
When an attack on the Kingsman headquarters takes place and a new villain rises, Eggsy and Merlin are forced to work together with the American agency known as the Statesman to save the world.


Their Finest
2017 · 1h 57m
country: France
During the Blitz of World War II, a female screenwriter works on a film celebrating England's resilience as a way to buoy a weary populace's spirits. Her efforts to dramatise the true story of two sisters who undertook their own maritime mission to rescue wounded soldiers are met with mixed feelings by a dismissive all-male staff.


Bridget Jones's Baby
2016 · 2h 3m
country: France
After breaking up, Bridget Jones' happily-ever-after hasn't quite gone according to plan. Fortysomething and single again, she decides to focus on her job and surround herself with old friends and new. For once, Bridget has everything completely under control. Then her love life takes a turn when she meets Jack. A week later, she runs into Mark before she finds herself pregnant, but with one hitch - she's not sure of the identity of her baby's father - Mark or Jack.


Me Before You
2016 · 1h 50m
country: United States
Lou Clark, a directionless 26-year-old from the English countryside, takes a job at the local castle as a caregiver and companion to a wealthy young banker, Will Traynor. Wheelchair-bound from an accident two years prior, the once adventurous Will has all but given up — that is until Lou determines to show him that life is worth living.


Criminal
2016 · 1h 53m
country: Bulgaria
CIA Agent Bill Pope is on a mission to track down a shadowy hacker named 'The Dutchman'. When he gets mysteriously killed, an experimental procedure transfers his memories into a dangerous ex-convict. When he wakes up Pope's memories, his mission is to eliminate The Dutchman before the hacker launches ICBMs and starts World War III.


Woman in Gold
2015 · 1h 49m
country: United Kingdom
Maria Altmann, an octogenarian Jewish refugee, takes on the government to recover artwork she believes rightfully belongs to her family.


The Imitation Game
2014 · 1h 53m
country: United States
Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II.


One Chance
2013 · 1h 43m
country: United Kingdom
This film follows the remarkable and inspirational true story of Paul Potts, a shy, bullied shop assistant by day and an amateur opera singer by night.


I Give It a Year
2013 · 1h 37m
country: France
After a quick courtship, two lovers hastily decide to tie the knot. As their first year of marriage unfolds, temptation and incompatibility put their relationship in jeopardy.


Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
2011 · 2h 16m
country: United Kingdom
When Jack crosses paths with a woman from his past, he's not sure if it's love...or if she's a ruthless con artist using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth.


Oranges and Sunshine
2010 · 1h 44m
country: Australia
The story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham, who uncovers one of the most significant social scandals in recent times – the forced migration of children from the United Kingdom to Australia and other Commonwealth countries. Almost singlehandedly, Margaret reunited thousands of families, brought authorities to account and worldwide attention to an extraordinary miscarriage of justice.


Origin
2010 · 14m
country: United Kingdom
A woman tries to keep her family together when her son falls ill after he's bitten by a mysterious creature.


Born Equal
2006 · 1h 23m
country: United Kingdom
Four characters living in one neighbourhood in London - all living dramatically different lives, all of them on the edge - see their stories unfold.