---
name: "Douglas Aarniokoski"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/douglas-aarniokoski"
fi1m_id: "douglas-aarniokoski"
imdb_id: "nm0007439"
tmdb_id: 71901
wikidata_id: "Q11856301"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "25 August 1965"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 67
average_as: "director"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-26T14:50:27.350618+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Douglas Aarniokoski

## Identity

Douglas Aarniokoski

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/douglas-aarniokoski
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** douglas-aarniokoski
- **IMDb ID:** nm0007439
- **TMDB ID:** 71901
- **Wikidata ID:** Q11856301
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Aarniokoski, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11856301, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0007439/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/71901

Director. Born 25 August 1965 in Berkeley, California, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 25 August 1965, Berkeley, California, USA
- **Active:** 1996–present
- **Also known as:** Doug T. Aarniokoski, Arnold Cassius, Doug Aarniokowski, Doug Aarniokoski
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 4: 3 directing, 1 crew
- **Frequently works with:** [Alex Kurtzman](https://film.one/person/alex-kurtzman.md), [Hanelle Culpepper](https://film.one/person/hanelle-m-culpepper.md), [Jane Maggs](https://film.one/person/jane-maggs.md), [Jonathan Frakes](https://film.one/person/jonathan-frakes.md), [Kiley Rossetter](https://film.one/person/kiley-rossetter.md), [Kirsten Beyer](https://film.one/person/kirsten-beyer.md), [Larry Teng](https://film.one/person/larry-teng.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 67, as director, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 75 (1), 2000s 60 (1), 2020s 70 (2)
- **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Action & Adventure 2, Drama 2, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 2, Crime 1, Mystery 1
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Aarniokoski, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11856301, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0007439/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/71901

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Star Trek: Starfleet Academy*](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-starfleet-academy.md) (76), [*Star Trek: Picard*](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-picard.md) (64), [*Criminal Minds*](https://film.one/tv/criminal-minds.md) (60)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Douglas Aarniokoski (born 25 August 1965) is an American television director and producer. He began his career as a production assistant on films including *Turner & Hooch* (1989) and served as a personal assistant to Tom Cruise on *Days of Thunder* (1990). He worked as an assistant director on features such as *From Dusk Till Dawn* (1996), *The Faculty* (1998) and *Spy Kids* (2001), and later as a second unit director on titles including *Once Upon a Time in Mexico* (2003).

His feature directorial debut was *Highlander: Endgame* (2000). He co-wrote and directed the horror film *Nurse 3D* (2013). Aarniokoski has directed multiple episodes of series including *Criminal Minds* (from 2011), *Arrow* (2014–2015), *The Flash* (2015), *Sleepy Hollow* (2013–2015), *Star Trek: Discovery* (2017–2024), *Star Trek: Picard* (2020–2023) and *S.W.A.T.* (2018–2023). He has also directed episodes of *Star Trek: Starfleet Academy* (2026).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

### Directed (3) — the average rests on these

- *Star Trek: Starfleet Academy* (2026), Fi1m 76, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-starfleet-academy.md)
- *Star Trek: Picard* (2020), Fi1m 64, Director, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-picard.md)
- *Criminal Minds* (2005), Fi1m 60, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/criminal-minds.md)

### Crew (1)

- *From Dusk Till Dawn* (1996), Fi1m 75, First Assistant Director — [page](https://film.one/film/from-dusk-till-dawn.md)

## Complete filmography (47)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Star Trek: Starfleet Academy* (2026), series, Director — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-starfleet-academy.md)
- *Tracker* (2024), series, Director
- *Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event* (2023), Executive Producer
- *Leverage: Redemption* (2021), series, Director
- *Clarice* (2021), series, Director
- *Star Trek: Picard* (2020), series, Director, Executive Producer — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-picard.md)
- *Charmed* (2018), series, Director
- *Star Trek: Short Treks* (2018), series, Director
- *Instinct* (2018), series, Director
- *S.W.A.T.* (2017), series, Director
- *Star Trek: Discovery* (2017), series, Director
- *Salvation* (2017), series, Director
- *Timeless* (2016), series, Director
- *Bull* (2016), series, Director
- *American Gothic* (2016), series, Director
- *Limitless* (2015), series, Director, Co-Executive Producer
- *The Flash* (2014), series, Director
- *Nurse 3-D* (2013), Director, Screenplay
- *Sleepy Hollow* (2013), series, Director, Co-Producer, Supervising Producer
- *Machete Kills* (2013), Co-Producer
- *Arrow* (2012), series, Director
- *The Day* (2011), Director, Executive Producer
- *Blue Bloods* (2010), series, Director
- *Takers* (2010), Second Unit Director
- *Tekken* (2010), Second Unit Director
- *Animals* (2008), Director
- *The Safe Side: Internet Safety* (2006), Director
- *Criminal Minds* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/tv/criminal-minds.md)
- *The Safe Side - Stranger Safety* (2005), Director
- *The Safe Side: Stranger Safety* (2005), Director
- *Highlander: Endgame* (2000), Director
- *The Faculty* (1998), as Brun Coach
- *Living Out Loud* (1998), First Assistant Director
- *The Killing Jar* (1997), First Assistant Director
- *Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery* (1997), as Voice on Dr. Evil's Telephone (voice) (uncredited) · First Assistant Director
- *From Dusk Till Dawn* (1996), First Assistant Director — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/from-dusk-till-dawn.md)
- *Four Rooms* (1995), First Assistant Director
- *Tales from the Hood* (1995), First Assistant Director
- *Prehysteria! 2* (1994), First Assistant Director
- *Puppet Master 5* (1994), Screenplay, Second Unit Director, First Assistant Director
- *Puppet Master 4* (1993), Screenplay, First Assistant Director, Second Unit Director
- *Dollman vs. Demonic Toys* (1993), First Assistant Director, Second Unit Director
- *Eddie Presley* (1993), Second Assistant Director
- *Doctor Mordrid* (1992), First Assistant Director
- *Trancers III* (1992), First Assistant Director
- *Howling VI: The Freaks* (1991), Second Assistant Director
- *Hider in the House* (1989), Key Set Production Assistant

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/douglas-aarniokoski