William Lustig

William "Bill" Lustig, born on February 1, 1955, in The Bronx, New York, is a prominent American film director and producer renowned for his contributions to the horror genre. He is the nephew of the legendary middleweight boxing champion Jake LaMotta. Lustig gained notoriety for his low-budget cult classics, including "Maniac," "Vigilante," "Uncle Sam," and the "Maniac Cop" series. In addition to directing, Lustig has made appearances in both his own films and projects by Sam Raimi, featuring as a fake Shemp in "Army of Darkness" and portraying a dockworker in "Darkman."

Since 2009, Lustig has served as the CEO of Blue Underground, a company dedicated to the distribution of obscure and exploitation films on DVD. He also produced a 2012 remake of his original film "Maniac" and has been associated with potential future projects, including a new "Maniac Cop" film rumored to involve Nicolas Winding Refn. However, in a January 2023 interview with Vulture, Refn indicated that discussions regarding the series had unfortunately stalled, stating, "All I can say is, unfortunately, it’s not going to happen." Lustig's influence in the horror film landscape remains significant, marked by his distinctive style and commitment to the genre.