Otto Bathurst


Otto Benjamin Charles Bathurst is a British television and film director. In 2014, he won a BAFTA for his work on BBC drama Peaky Blinders. He was also previously BAFTA nominated for his work on BBC series Criminal Justice and Five Days.

Early life

Bathurst was born on 18 January 1971, the son of Elizabeth Mary and Christopher Bathurst, 3rd Viscount Bledisloe. He grew up in Dudley and Bridgnorth. He began to study engineering at university, but dropped out to move to London and work in film.

Family life

The Bathurst family has lived in Bath, Somerset since 2013. Otto enjoys cooking and his favourite restaurant serves classic Indian cuisine.

Career

Bathurst began his career in editing and then worked on commercials, before moving into television. He has taught filmmaking at Oxford and London universities.
In 2009, Bathurst directed Margot, a biopic of Margot Fonteyn starring Anne-Marie Duff, which focused upon the relationship between Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev.
In 2011, he directed "The National Anthem", the first episode of the anthology television series Black Mirror.
He has also directed episodes of Urban Gothic, Teachers, and Hustle. In 2013, he was described by Express & Star as "Britain's most exciting director".
In 2018, he made his feature film directorial debut with Robin Hood. It starred Jamie Dornan as Will Scarlett, Jamie Foxx as Little John, Tim Minchin as Friar Tuck, Eve Hewson as Maid Marian, and Taron Egerton as the eponymous hero. The film was universally panned and was estimated to have lost the studio US$83.7 million.
He directed episodes of the historical drama series Lockerbie: A Search for Truth, broadcast in January 2025.

Filmography

Feature film
  • Robin Hood
Television
YearTitleNotes
2000-2001Urban Gothic4 episodes
2003Teachers3 episodes
2005-2006Hustle4 episodes
2007Five Days3 episodes
2008Criminal Justice3 episodes
2009MargotTV movie
2011Black MirrorEpisode "The National Anthem"
2013Peaky Blinders3 episodes
2014HysteriaUnaired pilot
2019His Dark MaterialsEpisodes "Armour" and "The Lost Boy";
Also executive producer
2022Billy the Kid2 episodes
2022–2024Halo4 episodes
2025Lockerbie: A Search for Truth