Brian Johnson
Known for: Crew
Born: June 29, 1939
Died: June 15, 2026
Place of birth: Surrey, England, UK
Brian Johncock (born 29 June 1939) is a British designer and director of film and television special effects. He changed his surname to Johnson during the 1960s. Joining the team of special effects artist Les Bowie, Johnson started his career behind the scenes for Bowie Films on productions such as On the Buses, and for Hammer Films. He is known for his special effects work on TV series including Thunderbirds (1965–66) and films including Alien (1979), for which he received the 1980 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects (shared with H. R. Giger, Carlo Rambaldi, Dennis Ayling and Nick Allder). Previously, he had built miniature spacecraft models for Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Johnson's work on Space: 1999 influenced the effects of the Star Wars films of the 1970s and 1980s. Impressed by his work, George Lucas visited Johnson during the production of the TV series to offer him the role of effects supervisor for the 1977 film. Having already been commissioned for the second series of Space: 1999, Johnson was unable to accept at the time. He worked on the sequel, The Empire Strikes Back (1980), whose special effects were recognised in the form of a 1981 Special Achievement Academy Award (which Johnson shared with Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren and Bruce Nicholson).
Advertisement
Filmography
70 movies · 3 TV shows, newest first
10.0
Thunderbirds 60th Anniversary Double Bill - Trapped in the Sky / Terror in New York City
2025
NR
Prisoners in Space
2025
6.0
The Eagle Obsession
2025
NR
2001: Creating Kubrick’s Space Odyssey
2024
4.9
Family Vanished
2018
NR
Century 21 Slough
2018
8.0
This Is Supermarionation
2014
7.3
Filmed in Supermarionation
2014
8.2
The Beast Within: Making Alien
2003
6.6
2001: The Making of a Myth
2001
7.6
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
6.9
The Alien Legacy
1999
5.4
Space Truckers
1996
4.7
Highlander III: The Sorcerer
1994
NR
Their Finest Hour
1991
4.1
Caged Fury
1990
4.3
Slipstream
1989
8.0
Aliens
1986
6.2
Spies Like Us
1985
7.2
The NeverEnding Story
1984
6.0
Krull
1983
6.0
The Pirates of Penzance
1983
6.3
Journey Through the Black Sun
1982
NR
Countdown to Disaster
1982
6.6
Dragonslayer
1981
8.2
SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back
1980
6.5
Alien Attack
1980
8.4
The Empire Strikes Back
1980
8.2
Alien
1979
6.8
The Medusa Touch
1978
6.4
Revenge of the Pink Panther
1978
5.5
The Glitterball
1977
4.6
The Day After Tomorrow: Into Infinity
1975
7.1
Space: 1999
1975
6.1
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth
1970
6.1
Taste the Blood of Dracula
1970
4.9
Moon Zero Two
1969
8.0
2001: A Space Odyssey
1968
6.7
Quatermass and the Pit
1967
NR
Thunderbirds: Security Hazard
1966
NR
Thunderbirds: The Cham-Cham
1966
7.0
Thunderbirds: Martian Invasion
1966
10.0
Thunderbirds: Attack of the Alligators!
1966
6.0
Thunderbirds: Brink of Disaster
1966
8.0
Thunderbirds: The Duchess Assignment
1966
9.0
Thunderbirds: Move - And You're Dead
1966
NR
Thunderbirds: Danger at Ocean Deep
1966
7.0
Thunderbirds: Cry Wolf
1966
7.0
Thunderbirds: The Man from MI.5
1966
NR
Thunderbirds: The Imposters
1966
8.0
Thunderbirds: City of Fire
1966
6.0
Thunderbirds: The Mighty Atom
1965
6.0
Thunderbirds: Vault of Death
1965
NR
Thunderbirds: Operation Crash-Dive
1965
8.0
Thunderbirds: Sun Probe
1965
9.0
Thunderbirds: The Uninvited
1965
9.0
Thunderbirds: End of The Road
1965
10.0
Thunderbirds: Desperate Intruder
1965
6.0
Thunderbirds: 30 Minutes After Noon
1965
7.0
Thunderbirds: Day of Disaster
1965
7.0
Thunderbirds: Edge of Impact
1965
9.0
Thunderbirds: Terror In New York City
1965
9.0
Thunderbirds: The Perils of Penelope
1965
7.0
Thunderbirds: Pit of Peril
1965
NR
Thunderbirds: Trapped in the Sky
1965
7.6
Thunderbirds
1965
6.3
First Men in the Moon
1964
6.2
The Kiss of the Vampire
1963
6.4
The Phantom of the Opera
1962
6.3
Captain Clegg
1962
6.8
The Day the Earth Caught Fire
1961
4.8
The Crawling Eye
1958
6.4
Quatermass 2
1957