Scénaristes

1. Charlie Kaufman

Avid reader Charlie Kaufman wrote plays and made short films as a young student. He moved from Massapequa, New York to West Hartford, Connecticut in 1972 where he attended high school. As a comedic actor, he performed in school plays and, after graduation, he enrolled at Boston University but soon ...

2. Pierre Bismuth

Writer | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Pierre Bismuth was born on June 6, 1953 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. He is an actor and writer, known for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Where Is Rocky II? (2016) and The Barn (2018).

3. Michel Gondry

Director | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

He grew up in Versailles with a family who was very influenced by pop music. When he was young, Gondry wanted to be a painter or an inventor. In the 80s he entered in an art school in Paris where he could develop his graphic skills and where he also met friends with whom he created a pop-rock band ...

4. Chuck Palahniuk

Writer | Fight Club

Chuck is a low key writer who never stops writing and taking down notes to file away for future writing. Very funny, very creative and very thought provoking. His books often make you look at yourself in ways that you would never have before. Same goes for the world, he will make you notice things ...

5. Jim Uhls

Writer | Fight Club

Jim Uhls was born on March 25, 1957 in Missouri, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Fight Club (1999), Jumper (2008) and The Leviathan. He is married to Yalda Tehranian. They have two children.

6. Sam Levinson

Writer | Euphoria

Sam Levinson was born on January 8, 1985 in the USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Euphoria (2019), The Idol (2023) and Malcolm & Marie (2021).

7. Michael Spierig

Director | Predestination

Michael Spierig was born in Germany. He is known for Predestination (2014), Daybreakers (2009) and Winchester (2018).

8. Peter Spierig

Director | Predestination

Peter Spierig was born in Germany. He is known for Predestination (2014), Daybreakers (2009) and Undead (2003).

9. Robert A. Heinlein

Writer | Starship Troopers

At the age of 17, Heinlein graduated from Central High School in Kansas City, Missouri. He spent one year at the University of Missouri before he entered the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, from which he graduated as the 20th best among the 243 cadets. He spent five years in the Pacific ...

10. Spike Jonze

Producer | Her

Spike Jonze made up one-third (along with Andy Jenkins and Mark Lewman) of the triumvirate of genius minds behind Dirt Magazine, the brother publication of the much lamented ground-breaking Sassy Magazine. These three uncommon characters were all editors for Grand Royal Magazine as well, under the ...

11. Winston Groom

Writer | Forrest Gump

This is condensed from Wikipedia.

Winston Groom was raised in Mobile, Alabama where he attended University Military School (now UMS-Wright Preparatory School). His earliest ambition was to become a lawyer but instead, chose to become a author. Groom attended the University of Alabama, was a member ...

12. Eric Roth

Writer | Dune

Mr. Roth won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Forrest Gump & has been nominated for his screenplays of The Insider, Munich, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, A Star is Born, & Dune. He wrote Mr. Kurosawa's Rhapsody in August, The Horse Whisperer, Ali, & Best Picture Nominee, Extremely ...

13. Michael Schur

Producer | The Good Place

Michael Schur was born on October 29, 1975 in West Hartford, Connecticut, USA as Michael Herbert Schur. He is a TV series creator, a writer, and producer known for series such as The Office (2005), Parks and Recreation (2009), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013) and The Good Place (2016). He has been married...

14. Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Director | Biutiful

Alejandro González Iñárritu (ih-nyar-ee-too), born August 15th, 1963, is a Mexican film director.

González Iñárritu is the first Mexican director to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director and by the Directors Guild of America for Best Director. He is also the first Mexican-born ...

18. Scott Silver

Writer | Joker

Scott Silver is known for Joker (2019), The Fighter (2010) and Johns (1996).

19. Alan Ball

Producer | American Beauty

Alan Ball is an American writer, director, and producer who is known for writing the acclaimed film American Beauty and creating the HBO series True Blood starring Anna Paquin. He also wrote the films Towelhead and Uncle Frank. He also created Here and Now, Six Feet Under, and Banshee. He won ...

20. Lawrence Konner

Writer | Planet of the Apes

Lawrence Konner is known for Planet of the Apes (2001), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987).

21. Mark Rosenthal

Writer | Mona Lisa Smile

Mark Rosenthal is known for Mona Lisa Smile (2003), Planet of the Apes (2001) and The Jewel of the Nile (1985).

22. Stephen Chbosky

Writer | The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Stephen Chbosky was born on January 25, 1970 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), Wonder (2017) and Rent (2005). He has been married to Liz Maccie since September 18, 2010. They have two children.

23. Noah Baumbach

Writer | The Squid and the Whale

Born in Brooklyn in 1969 Noah Baumbach is the son of two film critics, Georgia Brown and Jonathan Baumbach (also a writer). His studies at Vassar College were the subject of his first film (made as he was 26 years old), Kicking and Screaming (1995). His second major picture, made ten years later, ...

24. Makoto Shinkai

Writer | Suzume no Tojimari

Makoto Shinkai is a Japanese director, writer, producer, animator, editor, cinematographer, voice actor, manga artist and former graphic designer. Shinkai studied Japanese literature at Chuo University where he was a member of juvenile literature club where he drew picture books. In 1999, Shinkai ...

25. Charles S. Forsman

Writer | The End of the F***ing World

Charles Forsman (1982) is a graduate of The Center for Cartoon Studies. He is a three-time Ignatz Award-winner for his self-published mini comic Snake Oil. He went on to run a small press called Oily Comics where he published many up and coming cartoonists. Since then he has focused on his own work...

26. Martin McDonagh

Writer | In Bruges

Martin McDonagh was born on March 26, 1970 in Camberwell, London, England, UK. He is a writer and director, known for In Bruges (2008), Seven Psychopaths (2012) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).

27. Bill Lawrence

Producer | Scrubs

Bill Lawrence was born on December 26, 1968 in Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Scrubs (2001), Ted Lasso (2020) and Shrinking (2023). He has been married to Christa Miller since November 27, 1999. They have three children. He was previously married to Megyn Price.

28. Scott Neustadter

Writer | (500) Days of Summer

Scott Neustadter was born in 1977 in the USA. He is a writer and producer, known for 500 Days of Summer (2009), The Disaster Artist (2017) and The Spectacular Now (2013). He has been married to Lauren Levy Neustadter since October 9, 2010.

29. Michael H. Weber

Writer | (500) Days of Summer

Michael H. Weber is known for 500 Days of Summer (2009), The Disaster Artist (2017) and The Spectacular Now (2013). He has been married to Alysia Sands since 2021.

30. Greta Gerwig

Writer | Barbie

Greta Gerwig is an American actress, playwright, screenwriter, and director. She has collaborated with Noah Baumbach on several films, including Greenberg (2010), Frances Ha (2012), for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination, and Mistress America (2015). Gerwig made her solo directorial debut ...

31. Michael Arndt

Writer | Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

Michael Arndt was born on November 11, 1965 in Harris County, Texas, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015), Little Miss Sunshine (2006) and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013).

32. Baran bo Odar

Writer | Who Am I - Kein System ist sicher

Baran bo Odar was born on April 18, 1978 in Olten, Switzerland. He is a writer and director, known for Who Am I (2014), Dark (2017) and The Silence (2010).

33. Jantje Friese

Writer | Dark

Jantje Friese was born in 1977 in Marburg, Germany. She is a writer and producer, known for Dark (2017), Who Am I (2014) and 1899 (2022).

34. Christopher Nolan

Writer | Tenet

Best known for his cerebral, often nonlinear, storytelling, acclaimed Academy Award winner writer/director/producer Sir Christopher Nolan CBE was born in London, England. Over the course of more than 25 years of filmmaking, Nolan has gone from low-budget independent films to working on some of the ...

35. Jonathan Nolan

Writer | Westworld

Attended Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois, graduating in 1994.

Graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1999. Majored in English.

Shortly after graduating from Georgetown University, Jonathan Nolan served as a production assistant on Memento (2000).

Wrote the short story, "...

36. Alan Moore

Writer | The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Alan Moore was born on November 18, 1953 in Northampton, England, UK. He is a writer and actor, known for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), From Hell (2001) and Watchmen (2019). He has been married to Melinda Gebbie since May 12, 2007. He was previously married to Phyllis B. Dixon.

37. Pete Docter

Writer | Up

Pete Docter is the Oscar®-winning director of "Monsters, Inc.," "Up," and "Inside Out," and Chief Creative Officer at Pixar Animation Studios. He is currently directing Pixar's feature film "Soul" with producer Dana Murray, which is set to release June 19, 2020.

Starting at Pixar in 1990 as the ...

38. Nicole Taylor

Writer | Wild Rose

Nicole Taylor is known for Wild Rose (2018), Three Girls (2017) and One Day (2024).

39. Laeta Kalogridis

Writer | Shutter Island

Laeta Kalogridis was born on August 30, 1965 in Winter Haven, Florida, USA. She is a writer and producer, known for Shutter Island (2010), Alita: Battle Angel (2019) and Alexander (2004).

40. Dennis Lehane

Producer | The Drop

Dennis Lehane was born on August 4, 1965 in Dorchester, Massachusetts, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for The Drop (2014), Mystic River (2003) and Live by Night (2016). He was previously married to Dr. Angela Mililani (Lieb) Bernardo and Sheila Fort Lawn.

41. Hideaki Anno

Writer | Shin Gojira

Hideaki Anno was born on May 22, 1960 in Ube, Japan. He is a writer and director, known for Shin Godzilla (2016), Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (2007) and The Wind Rises (2013). He has been married to Moyoco Anno since March 26, 2002.

42. Angela Robinson

Writer | D.E.B.S.

Angela Robinson was born on February 14, 1971 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is a producer and writer, known for D.E.B.S. (2004), Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017) and D.E.B.S. (2003). She is married to Alexandra Kondracke. They have one child.

43. Kazuo Ishiguro

Writer | Living

Kazuo Ishiguro was born on November 8, 1954 in Nagasaki, Japan. He is a writer and producer, known for Living (2022), Never Let Me Go (2010) and The Remains of the Day (1993). He has been married to Lorna Anne MacDougall since 1986. They have one child.

44. Alex Garland

Writer | Ex Machina

Alex Garland is an English novelist, screenwriter, film producer and director. He is best known for the films Ex Machina (2015) and Annihilation (2018).

Garland's others works as a writer includes The Beach (2000), 28 Days Later (2002), Sunshine (2007), Never Let Me Go (2011) and Dredd (2012).

He is ...

45. Wes Anderson

Director | Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wesley Wales Anderson was born in Houston, Texas. His mother, Texas Ann (Burroughs), is an archaeologist turned real estate agent, and his father, Melver Leonard Anderson, worked in advertising and PR. He has two brothers, Eric and Mel. Anderson's parents divorced when he was a young child, an ...

46. Stefan Zweig

Writer | The Grand Budapest Hotel

Here he grew up in the educated Jewish middle class, together with his brother Alfred. The Zweig family was not religious. He passed his high school diploma at the Wasagymnasium in Vienna. Zweig wrote his first poems here. At that time he was influenced by writers such as Hugo von Hofmannstahl and ...

47. Hugo Guinness

Writer | The Grand Budapest Hotel

Hugo Guinness was born on September 12, 1959 in London, England, UK. He is a writer and actor, known for The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), The French Dispatch (2021) and Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). He has been married to Elliott Puckette since December 7, 1996.

48. Jane Austen

Writer | Sense and Sensibility

Jane Austen was born on December 16th, 1775, to the local rector, Rev. George Austen (1731-1805), and Cassandra Leigh (1739-1827). She was the seventh of eight children. She had one older sister, Cassandra. In 1783 she went to Southampton to be taught by a relative, Mrs. Cawley, but was brought ...

49. Carter Bays

Writer | How I Met Your Mother

Carter Bays was born on August 12, 1975 in the USA. He is a writer and producer, known for How I Met Your Mother (2005), The Goodwin Games (2013) and Late Show with David Letterman (1993).

50. Craig Thomas

Writer | How I Met Your Mother

Craig Thomas was born on August 18, 1975 in Nassau County, New York, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for How I Met Your Mother (2005), The Goodwin Games (2013) and Late Show with David Letterman (1993).

51. Damon Lindelof

Producer | Lost

Damon Lindelof was born on April 24, 1973 in Teaneck, New Jersey, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Lost (2004), The Leftovers (2014) and Watchmen (2019). He has been married to Heidi Fugeman since May 28, 2005. They have one child.

52. Carlton Cuse

Producer | Lost

Born in Mexico City, Cuse grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, and in Orange County, California. He attended Harvard University, graduating with a degree in American History.

Cuse, along with Damon Lindelof, served as writer and showrunner for all six seasons of Lost (2004) for ABC. He wrote, directed,...

53. Jonathan Larson

Soundtrack | tick, tick...BOOM!

Jonathan Larson was born to Allan and Nanette Larson in Mount Vernon, New York, on February 4, 1960. A talented actor and musician, he was offered a full scholarship to Adelphi University on Long Island, where he met his idol (and later mentor) Stephen Sondheim. After graduating, he moved to the ...

54. Frank Herbert

Writer | Dune

Frank Herbert was born on October 8, 1920 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was a writer, known for Dune (2021), Dune (1984) and Dune: Part Two (2024). He was married to Theresa Shackleford, Beverley Ann Stuart and Flora Parkinson. He died on February 11, 1986 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

55. Park Chan-wook

Director | Oldeuboi

Park Chan-wook was born on August 23, 1963 in Seoul, South Korea. He is a producer and director, known for Oldboy (2003), The Handmaiden (2016) and Decision to Leave (2022). He is married to Eun-hee Kim. They have one child.

56. Charise Castro Smith

Writer | Encanto

Charise Castro Smith is known for Encanto (2021), The Haunting of Hill House (2018) and Raya and the Last Dragon (2021).

57. Jared Bush

Writer | Zootopia

Jared Bush was born on June 12, 1974 in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Zootopia (2016), Encanto (2021) and All of Us (2003). He is married to Pamela McDonald. They have three children.

58. Byron Howard

Director | Zootopia

Byron Howard was born on December 26, 1968 in Misawa, Japan. He is a director and producer, known for Zootopia (2016), Encanto (2021) and Tangled (2010).

59. Lisa Joy

Producer | Westworld

Lisa Joy was born in New Jersey. Her writing career began on the ABC show Pushing Daisies. In 2011, she joined the staff of Burn Notice as a co-producer. She is co-creator and executive producer of the HBO show Westworld. Her spec script, Reminiscence, was on the Black List in 2013 and is in ...

60. Michael Crichton

Writer | Jurassic Park

Michael Crichton was born in Chicago, Illinois, but grew up in Roslyn, New York. His father was a journalist and encouraged him to write and to type. Michael gave up studying English at Harvard University, having become disillusioned with the teaching standards--the final straw came when he ...

61. Paul Thomas Anderson

Director | Punch-Drunk Love

Anderson was born in 1970. He was one of the first of the "video store" generation of film-makers. His father was the first man on his block to own a V.C.R., and from a very early age Anderson had an infinite number of titles available to him. While film-makers like Spielberg cut their teeth making...

62. Mike Mills

Director | Beginners

Mike Mills was born in 1966, Berkeley, California. He graduated from Cooper Union, 1989.

He works as a filmmaker, graphic designer and artist. As a filmmaker, Mike has completed a number of music videos, commercials, short films, documentaries, and the feature film Thumbsucker (2005). Architecture ...

63. Sam Esmail

Producer | Mr. Robot

Sam Esmail was born on September 17, 1977 in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Mr. Robot (2015), Homecoming (2018) and Leave the World Behind (2023). He has been married to Emmy Rossum since May 28, 2017. They have two children.

64. Jonathan Trigell

Writer | Boy A

Jonathan Trigell is known for Boy A (2007).

65. Ben Affleck

Producer | Argo

Benjamin Géza "Ben" Affleck-Boldt was born on August 15, 1972 in Berkeley, California and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to mother Chris Anne (Boldt), a school teacher, and father Timothy Byers "Tim" Affleck, a social worker. Ben has a younger brother, actor Casey Affleck, who was born in 1975...

66. Matt Damon

Actor | Good Will Hunting

Matthew Paige Damon was born on October 8, 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Kent Damon, a stockbroker, realtor and tax preparer, and Nancy Carlsson-Paige, an early childhood education professor at Lesley University. Matt has an older brother, Kyle, a sculptor. His father was of English and ...

67. Aaron Guzikowski

Writer | Prisoners

Aaron Guzikowski is an American screenwriter. He is best known for writing the 2013 film Prisoners and creating the 2014 television series The Red Road.

Guzikowski moved to Los Angeles after selling his first script in 2009, and is married with three children. He was raised as a Catholic but is no ...

68. Thomas Pynchon

Writer | Inherent Vice

Thomas Pynchon was born on May 8, 1937 in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, USA. He is a writer and actor, known for Inherent Vice (2014), Prüfstand VII (2002) and Thomas Pynchon: A Journey Into the Mind of P. (2002). He has been married to Melanie Jackson since 1991. They have one child.

69. Roald Dahl

Writer | The Witches

Dahl was born in Wales in 1916. He served as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He made a forced landing in the Libyan Desert and was severely injured. As a result, he spent five months in a Royal Navy hospital in Alexandria. Dahl is noted for how he relates suspenseful and...

70. Charlotte Wells

Director | Aftersun

Charlotte Wells is a Scottish director and producer whose shorts have screened at festivals worldwide. Her second film, Laps, won a Short Film Special Jury Prize for Editing at Sundance Film Festival and Special Jury Recognition for Narrative Shorts at SXSW Film Festival 2017. She is a graduate of ...

71. Samuel D. Hunter

Writer | Baskets

Samuel D. Hunter grew up in Moscow, Idaho. His full-length plays include The Whale (Drama Desk Award, Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play, GLAAD Media Award, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle nominations for Best Play), A Case for the Existence of God (New York Drama Critics Circle Award ...

72. Sarah Polley

Actress | My Life Without Me

Sarah Polley is an actress and director renowned in her native Canada for her political activism. Blessed with an extremely expressive face that enables directors to minimize dialog due to her uncanny ability to suggest a character's thoughts, Polley has become a favorite of critics for her ...

73. Miriam Toews

Writer | Women Talking

Miriam Toews was born in 1964 in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada. She is a writer and actress, known for Women Talking (2022), Silent Light (2007) and All My Puny Sorrows (2021).

74. Yorgos Lanthimos

Director | The Lobster

Yorgos Lanthimos was born in Athens, Greece. He studied directing for Film and Television at the Stavrakos Film School in Athens. He has directed a number of dance videos in collaboration with Greek choreographers, in addition to TV commercials, music videos, short films and theater plays. Kinetta,...

75. Efthimis Filippou

Writer | The Lobster

Efthymis Filippou was born January 18, 1977 in Athens, Greece. He is a writer, screenwriter and playwright. He has also been active as a journalist and copywriter. In 2007 Efthymis Filippou published the novel "Someone talking to himself while holding a glass of milk" on MNP Publications.Two years ...

76. Jean Cocteau

Writer | La Belle et la Bête

Jean Cocteau was one of the most multi-talented artists of the 20th century. In addition to being a director, he was a poet, novelist, painter, playwright, set designer, and actor. He began writing at 10 and was a published poet by age 16. He collaborated with the "Russian Ballet" company of Sergei...

77. Celine Song

Writer | Past Lives

Celine Song was born in 1988 in South Korea. She is a writer and director, known for Past Lives (2023), The Wheel of Time (2021) and Working in the Theatre (1976). She has been married to Justin Kuritzkes since June 11, 2016.

78. Alice Rohrwacher

Director | Lazzaro felice

Alice Rohrwacher was born on December 29, 1981 in Fiesole, Tuscany, Italy. She is a director and writer, known for Happy as Lazzaro (2018), La Chimera (2023) and The Wonders (2014).

79. Marco Pettenello

Writer | Lontano lontano

Marco Pettenello is known for Citizens of the World (2019), Shun Li and the Poet (2011) and The Order of Things (2017).

80. Carmela Covino

Writer | La chimera

Carmela Covino is known for La Chimera (2023), Happy as Lazzaro (2018) and Le pupille (2022).

81. Cord Jefferson

Writer | American Fiction

Cord Jefferson was born on January 26, 1982 in Tucson, Arizona, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for American Fiction (2023), The Good Place (2016) and Watchmen (2019).