LOS ANGELES – Singaporean writer-director Pearry Reginald Teo, best known for The Gene Generation (2007) starring Bai Ling, has died at the age of 44.

According to his management agent Italia Gandolfo, who spoke to entertainment outlet The Hollywood Reporter, Teo died last Thursday of an unknown cause in his home in North Hollywood.

He also helmed DMX’s last movie, Fast Vengeance (2021), before the rapper-actor’s death in April 2021.

Other works included genre horror films Necromentia (2009) and The Assent (2019), starring Tatum O’Neal.

Science-fiction movie The Gene Generation, which was reportedly made for US$2.5 million, starred Chinese-American actress Bai as an assassin battling DNA hackers and included a cameo by American actress Faye Dunaway.

He was also an executive producer on the 2012 movie adaptation of David Mitchell’s novel Cloud Atlas, directed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer.

Based in the United States since 2001, Teo was born in Singapore on July 23, 1978. He moved to Australia when he was 14, and returned to Singapore for his national service.

The independent film-maker, who started making movies when he was 22, said in a 2013 YouTube interview with Asians On Film that he ventured to the US as he felt Singapore was “not ready to explore the concepts” in films that he was interested in.

His IMDb page lists three upcoming movies, including one which is completed and two in post-production.

He is survived by his son, Ashton; his sister, Hannah Teo; and his parents.

Correction note: An earlier version of this article quoted The Hollywood Reporter as saying his sister’s name is Chaya Supannarat. It should be Hannah Teo. This has been corrected.