---
name: "James McAteer"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/james-mcateer"
roles: ["Art direction"]
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 82
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-09-17T12:15:43.405008+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."
---

# James McAteer

Art direction.

## Details

- **Work:** Art direction
- **Active:** 1986–2011
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 88 (2), 1990s 78 (1), 2000s 88 (1), 2010s 70 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 82 to 74 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Crime 2, Horror 2, Thriller 2, Science Fiction 1
- **Screen time:** 9 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $160m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0564154/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/6629

## Biography

James McAteer is a production designer and art director. His early credits include set design on *The Fly* (1986) and art direction on *Dead Ringers* (1988), *Good Will Hunting* (1997), *The Santa Clause* (1994) and *Bride of Chucky* (1998).

He has worked repeatedly with director David Cronenberg, serving as art director on *M. Butterfly* (1993), *Naked Lunch* (1991), *A History of Violence* (2005) and *The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen* (2003), and as production designer on *A Dangerous Method* (2011). Other production design credits include episodes of *Rookie Blue* (2010) and the television film *Lizzie Borden Took an Ax* (2014). McAteer has received five wins and four nominations.

*Sources: imdb.com, michaelfassbender.org.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *A Dangerous Method* (2011), Fi1m 70, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/a-dangerous-method.md)
- *A History of Violence* (2005), Fi1m 88, Art Direction — [page](https://film.one/film/a-history-of-violence.md)
- *Naked Lunch* (1991), Fi1m 78, Art Direction — [page](https://film.one/film/naked-lunch.md)
- *Dead Ringers* (1988), Fi1m 87, Art Direction — [page](https://film.one/film/dead-ringers.md)
- *The Fly* (1986), Fi1m 88, Set Designer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-fly.md)

## Complete filmography (27)

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

- *Lizzie Borden Took an Ax* (2014), Production Design
- *Flowers in the Attic* (2014), Production Design
- *I, Martin Short, Goes Home* (2012), Production Designer
- *A Dangerous Method* (2011), Production Design — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/a-dangerous-method.md)
- *Screamers: The Hunting* (2009), Production Design
- *Murder on Her Mind* (2008), Production Design
- *Silent Hill* (2006), Art Direction
- *A History of Violence* (2005), Art Direction — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/a-history-of-violence.md)
- *The Man* (2005), Art Direction
- *The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen* (2003), Art Direction
- *Jett Jackson: The Movie* (2001), Production Design
- *Bride of Chucky* (1998), Art Direction
- *Double Take* (1998), Production Design
- *Good Will Hunting* (1997), Art Direction — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/good-will-hunting.md)
- *Her Desperate Choice* (1996), Production Design
- *The Abduction* (1996), Production Design
- *Conundrum* (1996), Production Design
- *Double Jeopardy* (1996), Production Design
- *The Santa Clause* (1994), Art Direction
- *Blood Brothers* (1994), Production Design
- *M. Butterfly* (1993), Art Direction
- *Night Owl* (1993), Art Direction
- *Naked Lunch* (1991), Art Direction — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/naked-lunch.md)
- *Where the Heart Is* (1990), Art Direction
- *Renegades* (1989), Art Direction
- *Dead Ringers* (1988), Art Direction — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/dead-ringers.md)
- *The Fly* (1986), Set Designer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-fly.md)

---
© 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/james-mcateer