Born in 1964. Raised in Guadalajara, Mexico. Father, William Owen, is an attorney from Washington, D.C. now practicing in Texas. Mother, Ernestine Owen, is a legal office manager and aspiring pianist. Three siblings, all attorneys. Educated at Port Isabel High School (Class of '82), Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas (B.A, History, 1986), Reynaldo Garza School of Law, Edinburg, Texas (J.D., 1989) Although clichéd, Vance Owen really isn't like most producers in LA today. He didn't apprentice under Brian Grazer or Ron Howard or even grow up dreaming of a career in the movies. Instead, Owen grew up in Mexico and South Texas thinking he was best suited for arguing criminal defense cases much like his father had done in Washington D.C. Although a successful career in criminal law was ahead of him, Owen ended up dedicating himself to the injured - workers, drivers, children - doing personal injury law and finally ending up in product liability work. Dealing with various high-profile cases in South Texas prepared Owen for the rigors and challenges of Hollywood. But before Hollywood came a-calling, he successfully changed the lives of many Americans for the better. In one of his biggest cases, Owen was involved in the litigation against Coca-Cola after one of their trucks hit a school bus killing 18 children when it plunged into a small lake. Owen helped to lobby successfully to not only compensate the families of the victims, but to also get Texas to put escape hatches on the roof of every school bus to avoid similar tragedies. Owen & Associates subsequently handled a significant portion of the Ford Explorer/Firestone tire tragedies that occurred in Latin America and Texas. Mentors and good friends Elisa Salinas and George Furla helped Owen's transition to Los Angeles and break into the film business. Since then, he has taken the film community by storm, showing the same ambition and work ethic that helped him become so successful in Texas. In two short years, Owen has been a producer on nine films (both Mexican and American), with his work being praised at both the Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival. His goal is to produce six Mexican films a year, which would make he and Elisa Salinas the most prolific Mexican movie producers. "I'd like to bring Mexico and Hollywood closer together because Mexico is so rich in talent, beauty and story-telling." Currently, Owen is in post-production on two critically acclaimed films: Borderland (2007, starring Sean Astin, Rider Strong and Brian Presley; a true story about a University of Texas student who is abducted and murdered by a drug cult in Northern Mexico) and King of California (2007; starring Michael Douglas and Evan Rachel Wood; a light-hearted comedy about the relationship between a father and daughter after Douglas' character is released from an insane asylum). When not defending his clients' rights or overseeing production on a movie, Owen spends time in his Hollywood Hills home with his dogs, Louie, Maya and Diablo and his family, who often visit from Texas. He enjoys exploring everything California has to offer, from golf and tennis to fine dining and even shopping. Not one to neglect his teams, Owen is a big football fan and spends many weekends supporting his Texas favorites. Well, that, and fighting with George Furla, a rabid USC fan.
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Biography from IMDb.
- August 16, 1964 (62)
- Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
- Producer, also writer
- 35 on MovieCove · 38 credits in all
What are Vance Owen's films like?
Across their 34 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 3 · Earnest 31
A split, not a type: Light 7 · Serious 7 · Dark 20
Grounded 24 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 0
Gentle 1 · Charged 11 · Intense 22
Steady 11 · Shifting 21 · Whiplash 2
Straight-faced 29 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 3
Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 7
Casual 14 · Engaged 16 · Full focus 4
Easy watch 9 · Affecting 20 · Heavy 5
Resolved 27 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy6
- Bittersweet24
- Ambiguous4
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Vance Owen's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 34 of their 35 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (17).
- King of California (2007) · producer · free
- The Air I Breathe (2007) · producer · free
- The Frozen Ground (2013) · producer · free
- Heist (2015) · producer · free
- 6 Souls (2010) · producer · free
- Borderland (2007) · producer · free
- Wrong Place (2022) · producer · free
- Marauders (2016) · producer · free
- First Kill (2017) · producer · free
- Veritas, Prince of Truth (2006) · producer · free
- Precious Cargo (2016) · producer · free
- The Prince (2014) · producer · free
- +5 more
Subscription and free streaming for Vance Owen's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
38 credits, 35 with a MovieCove page.
Wrong Place(2022)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Hot Seat(2022)
Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
Fortress: Sniper's Eye(2022)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
Fortress(2021)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Out of Death(2021)
Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Backtrace(2018)
Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films
Reprisal(2018)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
Escape Plan 2: Hades(2018)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
Acts of Violence(2018)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
The Row(2018)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
Inconceivable(2017)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Aftermath(2017)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Arsenal(2017)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
First Kill(2017)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Marauders(2016)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Precious Cargo(2016)
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
Extraction(2015)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
Heist(2015)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Vice(2015)
Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films
The Prince(2014)
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
The Frozen Ground(2013)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Empire State(2013)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
Freelancers(2012)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films
Fire with Fire(2012)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Without Men(2011)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
Set Up(2011)
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
Ceremony(2010)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
6 Souls(2010)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Gun(2010)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films
Another Egg and Chicken Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
The Air I Breathe(2007)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
King of California(2007)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Borderland(2007)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
Amor Xtremo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Sex, Love And Other Perversions II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Veritas, Prince of Truth(2006)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 26 titles from 2006 to 2022.
Biggest box office
Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018)
Highest rated
The Air I Breathe (2007)
Most popular right now
Vice (2015)
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Vance Owen's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 13th percentile, the median of all 35; across their 34 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 14th percentile for acclaim.
- 50th to 74th3
- 25th to 49th7
- Below 25th25
Shape of the crowd
15 of their 35 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Panned8
- Divisive3
- Crowd Pleaser3
- Broadly Agreed6
- Mixed15
Reviewers score the dialogue 27/100 and the plot and story 26/100 in their films, across 34 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Vance Owen's work okay for kids?
Across up to 26 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Vance Owen work with?
People who share at least 2 of Vance Owen's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; George Furla shares the most, 28.
Directors
- Steven C. MillerShared titles: Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018), Arsenal (2017), First Kill (2017), Marauders (2016), Extraction (2015)See all 5 shared titles with Steven C. Miller
- Brian A. MillerShared titles: Backtrace (2018), Reprisal (2018), Vice (2015), The Prince (2014)See all 4 shared titles with Brian A. Miller
- Mike BurnsShared titles: Wrong Place (2022), Out of Death (2021), Inconceivable (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Mike Burns
- James Cullen BressackShared titles: Hot Seat (2022), Fortress (2021)See all 2 shared titles with James Cullen Bressack
Writers
- Max AdamsShared titles: Precious Cargo (2016), Extraction (2015), Heist (2015)See all 3 shared titles with Max Adams
- Randall EmmettShared titles: Fortress: Sniper's Eye (2022), Hot Seat (2022), Wrong Place (2022), American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally (2021), Fortress (2021), Out of Death (2021), Acts of Violence (2018), Backtrace (2018), Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018), Reprisal (2018), The Row (2018), Aftermath (2017) and 15 moreSee newest 12 of 27 shared titles with Randall Emmett
- Emile HirschShared titles: Fortress: Sniper's Eye (2022), Fortress (2021), The Air I Breathe (2007)See all 3 shared titles with Emile Hirsch
- Alan HorsnailShared titles: Fortress: Sniper's Eye (2022), Fortress (2021)See all 2 shared titles with Alan Horsnail
Actors
- Bruce WillisShared titles: Fortress: Sniper's Eye (2022), Wrong Place (2022), Fortress (2021), Out of Death (2021), Acts of Violence (2018), Reprisal (2018), First Kill (2017), Marauders (2016), Precious Cargo (2016), Extraction (2015), Vice (2015), The Prince (2014) and 2 moreSee newest 12 of 14 shared titles with Bruce Willis
- Tyler Jon OlsonShared titles: Out of Death (2021), Backtrace (2018), Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018), Reprisal (2018), First Kill (2017), Marauders (2016), Precious Cargo (2016)See all 7 shared titles with Tyler Jon Olson
- Lydia HullShared titles: Fortress: Sniper's Eye (2022), Hot Seat (2022), American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally (2021), Fortress (2021), Out of Death (2021), Backtrace (2018), Arsenal (2017), Marauders (2016), Precious Cargo (2016), Empire State (2013)See all 10 shared titles with Lydia Hull
- 50 CentShared titles: Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018), The Prince (2014), Fire with Fire (2012), Freelancers (2012), Set Up (2011), Gun (2010)See all 6 shared titles with 50 Cent
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Brandon CoxShared titles: Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018), Arsenal (2017), First Kill (2017), Inconceivable (2017), Precious Cargo (2016), Heist (2015)See all 6 shared titles with Brandon Cox
- Peter HollandShared titles: Wrong Place (2022), Out of Death (2021), Backtrace (2018), Reprisal (2018)See all 4 shared titles with Peter Holland
- R.J. CooperShared titles: Hot Seat (2022), Fortress (2021), Out of Death (2021)See all 3 shared titles with R.J. Cooper
- Tim JonesShared titles: Hot Seat (2022), Fortress (2021), Backtrace (2018)See all 3 shared titles with Tim Jones
Producers
- George FurlaShared titles: Fortress: Sniper's Eye (2022), Hot Seat (2022), Wrong Place (2022), American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally (2021), Fortress (2021), Out of Death (2021), Acts of Violence (2018), Backtrace (2018), Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018), Reprisal (2018), The Row (2018), Aftermath (2017) and 16 moreSee newest 12 of 28 shared titles with George Furla
- Ted FoxShared titles: Fortress: Sniper's Eye (2022), Hot Seat (2022), American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally (2021), Fortress (2021), Out of Death (2021), Acts of Violence (2018), Backtrace (2018), Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018), Reprisal (2018), The Row (2018), Aftermath (2017), Arsenal (2017) and 13 moreSee newest 12 of 25 shared titles with Ted Fox
- Barry BrookerShared titles: Fortress: Sniper's Eye (2022), Hot Seat (2022), Fortress (2021), Acts of Violence (2018), Backtrace (2018), Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018), Reprisal (2018), The Row (2018), Aftermath (2017), Arsenal (2017), First Kill (2017), Inconceivable (2017) and 10 moreSee newest 12 of 22 shared titles with Barry Brooker
- Mark StewartShared titles: Fortress: Sniper's Eye (2022), Hot Seat (2022), Wrong Place (2022), American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally (2021), Fortress (2021), Out of Death (2021), Acts of Violence (2018), Backtrace (2018), Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018), Reprisal (2018), The Row (2018), Aftermath (2017) and 7 moreSee newest 12 of 19 shared titles with Mark Stewart
Mixed roles
- Ambyr ChildersShared titles: Backtrace (2018), Vice (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Ambyr Childers
- Scott MannShared titles: Precious Cargo (2016), Heist (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Scott Mann
