Which Lost co-creator directed the show's two-part pilot episode?

J. J. Abrams directed Lost’s two-part pilot episode.

The pilot introduces Oceanic Flight 815’s survivors, beginning with Jack Shephard waking in the jungle after the crash and discovering the wreckage on the beach. Abrams directed both parts of the premiere and co-wrote the teleplay with Damon Lindelof. Jeffrey Lieber, whose earlier script helped launch the project, also received a story credit.

The pilot aired in two installments: Part 1 premiered on September 22, 2004, and Part 2 followed on September 29. It established the series’ signature structure, combining present-day survival drama with flashbacks that reveal the characters’ lives before the crash. Jack, Kate Austen, and Charlie Pace receive especially prominent introductions.

The production was unusually ambitious for television. Filming took place mainly on Oahu, Hawaii, and the production reportedly spent $10–14 million, partly to acquire and dress a decommissioned Lockheed L-1011 as the wreckage of Flight 815. That made it the most expensive television pilot at the time, though its critical and ratings success helped justify the gamble.