Best Screenwriters
by KalKenobi83 | created - 05 Jan 2013 | updated - 11 Sep 2016 | PublicThese guys are great with a pen
1. Lawrence Kasdan
Writer | The Big Chill
Lawrence Kasdan is an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter. He directed Body Heat, Grand Canyon, The Big Chill, Silverado and Dreamcatcher. He wrote Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Bodyguard, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens and Solo: A Star Wars Story. He is ...
Star wars,Indiana Jones and The Upcoming Han Solo Spinoff
2. Linda Woolverton
Writer | Maleficent
Linda Woolverton was born in Long Beach, California, graduating from high school in 1969 and having been an honors student in her schools theater program. She enrolled at California State University, Long Beach, graduating with a BFA in Theater Arts in 1973. She worked full-time for a year in the ...
Beauty and The beast(1991),The Lion King,Mulan and The Upcoming Beauty And Beast(2017) Live action film
3. William Wisher
Writer | Terminator 2: Judgment Day
William Wisher is known for Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), The Terminator (1984) and Judge Dredd (1995).
Terminator 2(T2):Judgement Day
4. Edward Neumeier
Writer | RoboCop
Edward Neumeier is an American screenwriter, producer and director best known for his work on the science fiction movies RoboCop and Starship Troopers. He wrote the latter's sequel, and most recently wrote and directed Starship Troopers 3: Marauder.
Neumeier studied journalism at the University of ...
Starship Troopers
5. David S. Goyer
Writer | Dark City
David S. Goyer was born on December 22, 1965 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Dark City (1998), The Dark Knight (2008) and Flashforward (2009). He is married to Marina Black. They have two children. He was previously married to Jessika Borsiczky.
Blade Trilogy , Jumper,Batman Begins,Man Of Steel and Batman V Superman:Dawn Of Justice
6. 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, "...
Co Writer for The Prestige,Inception,Momento, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar and Upcoming Dunkirk
7. Philippa Boyens
Writer | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Philippa Boyens is a New Zealand writer and producer who has co-written several of Peter Jackson's films. She co-wrote the Academy Award winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Hobbit trilogy which is a prequel to the Lord of the Rings films, The Lovely Bones, Mortal Engines, and the 2005 remake of ...
Lord of The Rings Triliogy,Hobbit Triliogy and King Kong
8. 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 ...
Dredd,Sunshine,Ex Machina and The Upcoming Annilhation
9. Taylor Sheridan
Writer | Hell or High Water
Taylor Sheridan is an American actor, screenwriter and director. He is best known for writing the screenplay for 'Sicario' (2015) and 'Hell or high water' (2016), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
He also starred in the FX television series 'Sons of ...
Sicario
10. George R.R. Martin
Writer | Game of Thrones
George R.R. Martin is an American novelist and short-story writer in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres, a screenwriter, and television producer. He is known for his international bestselling series of epic fantasy novels, A Song of Ice and Fire, which was later adapted into the HBO ...
Game Of Thrones
11. David Benioff
Producer | Game of Thrones
David Benioff was born on September 25, 1970 in New York City, New York, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Game of Thrones (2011), The Kite Runner (2007) and 25th Hour (2002). He has been married to Amanda Peet since September 30, 2006. They have three children.
Troy,X Men Origins Wolverine and Game Of Thrones
12. 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).
Toy Story 3,Catching Fire, Oblivion and Star Wars The Force Awakens
13. Jim Cash
Writer | Anaconda
A three-time college dropout, Jim Cash received a bachelor's in English from Michigan State University (MSU) in 1970, followed by an master's in Television and Radio in 1972. As a professor of writing and film history, in 1975 Cash met a student while working at MSU, Jack Epps, Jr., who would later...
Top Gun
14. Jack Epps Jr.
Writer | Anaconda
Jack Epps Jr. was born on November 3, 1949 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Anaconda (1997), Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and Top Gun (1986).
Top Gun
15. Dwayne McDuffie
Writer | Static Shock
Dwayne McDuffie was an African American comic book and animation writer best known as one of the founders of Milestone Media, an imprint of DC Comics dedicated to promoting better stories and characterizations for minorities and for his contributions to Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, ...
DC Animated Adaptations
16. 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.
Prometheus,Lost and Tommorowland
17. Chris Weitz
Writer | About a Boy
Christopher John Weitz is an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter who is known for Antz, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, American Pie, About a Boy, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps and The Golden Compass. He is married to Mercedes Martinez since 2006 and has three ...
Antz ,Cinderella
18. Stephen McFeely
Writer | Avengers: Endgame
Stephen McFeely was born on February 24, 1970 in Walnut Creek, California, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Avengers: Endgame (2019), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005). He is married to Jennifer Cotteleer.
The Chronicles of Narnia, Captain America 1& 2 and Thor The Dark World
19. Christopher Markus
Writer | Avengers: Endgame
Christopher Markus was born on October 16, 1969 in Buffalo, New York, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Avengers: Endgame (2019), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). He has been married to Claire Saunders since October 22, 2011.
See Above^
20. Jez Butterworth
Writer | Edge of Tomorrow
His feature film directorial debut Mojo (1997) starred Ian Hart, Ewen Bremner, Aidan Gillen and Harold Pinter and was officially selected for the 1998 Venice Film Festival. The film was based on his multi award winning stage play of the same name which opened at the Royal Court Theatre in 1995 and ...
Edge Of Tommorow & Spectre
21. Walter Murch
Sound_department | The English Patient
Walter Murch has been editing sound in Hollywood since starting on Francis Ford Coppola's film The Rain People (1969). He edited sound on American Graffiti (1973) and The Godfather Part II (1974), won his first Academy Award nomination for The Conversation (1974), won his first Oscar for Apocalypse...
THX-1138
22. John-Henry Butterworth
Writer | Edge of Tomorrow
John-Henry Butterworth was born in 1976 in London, England, UK. He is a writer and producer, known for Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Ford v Ferrari (2019) and Fair Game (2010).
^
23. Gary Whitta
Writer | Rogue One
Gary Whitta is known for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), After Earth (2013) and The Book of Eli (2010).
Book Of Eli,After Earth
24. Kurt Johnstad
Writer | 300
A former assistant director and key grip, Kurt Johnstad has an long-standing relationship with the military, and wrote the "Navy SEALs playing themselves" movie, "Act of Valor". But he is perhaps best known for writing the cult-classic film "300", as well as it's sequel, "300: Rise of an Empire" ...
300,Act of Valor and 300 Rise of An Empire
25. David Hayter
Actor | X-Men
David Hayter was born on February 6, 1969 in Santa Monica, California, USA as David Bryan Hayter. He is known for writing the screenplays to X-Men (2000), X-Men 2 (2003), and Watchmen (2009). He is best known as the voice of Solid Snake in the English versions of the Metal Gear Solid franchise.
Watchmen,X-Men
26. Christopher L. Yost
Writer | Thor: Ragnarok
Christopher L. Yost was born on February 21, 1973 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Cowboy Bebop (2021) and Thor: The Dark World (2013).
Marvel Animated Adaptations & Thor:The Dark World
27. Mark Fergus
Writer | Children of Men
Mark Fergus is known for Children of Men (2006), Iron Man (2008) and The Expanse (2015).
Iron Man, Cowboy & Aliens
28. Hawk Ostby
Writer | Children of Men
Hawk was born in India circa 1966 but grew up in Nordstrand and Slemdal in Oslo, Norway. He moved to Malaysia and Singapore when he was 15 and has lived in the United States since he was 19.
His parents met in Scotland, mother is Indian and his father is Norwegian. His sisters were born in Sweden.
see Above^
29. Roberto Orci
Producer | Star Trek
Roberto Orci was born on July 20, 1973 in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. He is a producer and writer, known for Star Trek (2009), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) and Fringe (2008). He has been married to Adele Heather Taylor since June 6, 2020. He was previously married to ...
Star Trek Reboot 1 & 2, Transformers,Cowboys & Aliens, GI Joe 1 & 2 and The Amazing Spider Man 2,3
30. Alex Kurtzman
Producer | Sleepy Hollow
Alex Kurtzman is an American filmmaker and screenwriter. He directed People Like Us and the panned 2017 reboot The Mummy starring Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella. He wrote Transformers 1 and 2, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Star Trek, The Island and Cowboys & Aliens. He also created the TV show Fringe.
See Above^
31. Chris Terrio
Writer | Argo
Chris Terrio is an American filmmaker and screenwriter who had written the Ben Affleck film Argo and the Zack Snyder DC Extended Universe films Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League before Joss Whedon rewrote the script during re-shoots when Snyder stepped down as director. ...
Argo,Batman vs Superman and Justice League
32. Simon Kinberg
Producer | The Martian
Simon Kinberg is a British film producer, director and screenwriter who is known for producing the X-Men films, Fant4stic, Logan, the Deadpool films, Cinderella and The Martian. He directed Dark Phoenix, the finale of the X-Men Beginnings films. He created Star Wars Rebels, an animated series set ...
Sherlock Holmes,Jumper,Mr & Mrs. Smith & X Men The Last Stand & X Men Days Of Future Past
33. Terry Rossio
Writer | Aladdin
Terry Rossio was born on July 2, 1960 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. He is a writer, known for Godzilla VS. Kong (2021), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Aladdin (1992), and Shrek (2001). Additional credits for Rossio include Deja Vu, G-Force, Lovestruck, The Long Ranger...
Pirates Of The Carribbean: Curse of The black Pearl & Treasure Planet
34. Ted Elliott
Writer | Shrek
Ted Elliott was born on July 4, 1961 in Santa Ana, California, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Shrek (2001), The Lone Ranger (2013) and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
^
35. Robert Mark Kamen
Writer | Le Cinquième Élément
Robert Mark Kamen was born on October 9, 1947 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for The Fifth Element (1997), The Karate Kid Part III (1989) and Taken 3 (2014). He is married to Evonne. They have three children.
Leon The Professional, Taken and The Fifth Element
36. John Logan
Writer | Skyfall
John Logan was a playwright in Chicago for ten years before writing, on spec, his first screenplay, "Any Given Sunday." He won the 2010 Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle awards for his play RED, which premiered at the Donmar Warehouse in London and the Golden Theatre on ...
Gladiator,Sinbad Legendo Of The Seven Seas ,007 Skyfall and The Last Samauri
37. Steven Moffat
Writer | Doctor Who
Steven Moffat was born on November 18, 1961 in Paisley, Scotland, UK. He is a writer and producer, known for Doctor Who (2005), Sherlock (2010) and The Adventures of Tintin (2011). He has been married to Sue Vertue since 1999. They have two children. He was previously married to Maggie.
Sherlock & Doctor Who
38. Zak Penn
Writer | Ready Player One
Zak Penn's career began as a screenwriter when he sold his first script, Last Action Hero, at the age of twenty-three. Since then, Penn has become known for his work on numerous films based on Marvel comics, including X-Men 2 and X-Men: The Last Stand, The Incredible Hulk, and The Avengers. He has ...
The Incredible Hulk,X2 and Elektra
39. Mark Boal
Producer | The Hurt Locker
Mark Boal was born on January 23, 1973 in New York, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for The Hurt Locker (2008), Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and Detroit (2017).
The Hurt Locker & Zero Dark Thirty
40. Diablo Cody
Writer | Young Adult
Diablo Cody is originally from Chicago, Illinois, and moved to Minnesota to live with her Internet boyfriend, Jonny who later became her husband. While there, she decided on a whim to take up stripping as a hobby of sorts.
She was working at an ad agency and got a promotion. The job wore her ragged ...
Juno & Young Adult
41. Lionel Wigram
Producer | The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Lionel Wigram was born in 1962 in the UK. He is a producer and writer, known for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015), Sherlock Holmes (2009) and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017).
Sherlock Holmes,The Man From U.N.C.L.E
42. Simon Beaufoy
Writer | Slumdog Millionaire
Born in Keighley, Bradford, West Yorkshire. He attended Malsis School in Cross Hills Ermysted's Grammar School at Skipton, later he attended Sedbergh School in Cumbria.
He has read English at St Peter's College, Oxford and graduated from the Arts Institute at Bournemouth.
In 2009 he won an Academy ...
Slumdog Millionaire & The Hunger Games:Catching Fire
43. Drew Pearce
Producer | Hotel Artemis
Drew Pearce is an English filmmaker, producer and screenwriter known for directing Hotel Artemis starring Jodie Foster and Sofia Boutella. He wrote Hobbs & Shaw, a Fast & Furious spin-off and Iron Man 3, with the controversial Mandarin reveal clarified in All Hail the King and Shang-Chi and the ...
Godzilla & MI:5
44. André Nemec
Writer | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
André Nemec (born 1972) is an American writer and producer known for his work on feature films such as Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Without Remorse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Wonder Park. In television, André most recently wrote and produced Netflix's adaptation of "Cowboy Bebop"; ...
MI:4 and Now You See Me
45. Josh Appelbaum
Writer | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Josh Appelbaum is known for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016).
MI:4 and Now You See Me
46. Travis Beacham
Writer | Pacific Rim
Travis Beacham is known for Pacific Rim (2013), Impact Winter (2022) and Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018).
Clash of The Titans, & Pacific Rim
47. Rhett Reese
Writer | Deadpool
Rhett Reese is an American screenwriter and producer known for writing the Deadpool film trilogy starring Ryan Reynolds and Zombieland. He regularly collaborates with his writing partner Paul Wernick. He also wrote Life, Clifford's Really Big Movie, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, 6 Underground and Cruel ...
Zombieland,Monsters Inc, G.I. Joe Retaliation and Deadpool
48. Paul Wernick
Writer | Deadpool
Paul Wernick is a Canadian screenwriter and producer known for writing the Deadpool film trilogy starring Ryan Reynolds and Zombieland starring Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone. He regularly collaborates with his writing partner Rhett Reese. He also wrote Life, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Spiderhead, 6 ...
see Above^
49. Ehren Kruger
Writer | The Ring
Ehren Kruger is an American film producer and screenwriter who is known for writing The Ring starring Naomi Watts and Daveigh Chase. He also wrote a majority of the Transformers sequels, Scream 3 & 4, Reindeer Games, The Ring Two, Blood & Chocolate, Dumbo, The Skeleton Key, The Brothers Grimm and ...
Transformers Dark Of The Moon, Pain & Gain and Transformers:Age of Extinction
50. Bob Goodman
Writer | Elementary
TV Writer/Producer known for his work on Elementary on CBS (which he wrote on for six seasons, three as Executive Producer), Warehouse 13 on Syfy, the animated Dark Knight Returns features, and many DC Comics/Warner Bros. Animation series. His work in the DC Animated Universe earned him two Daytime...
Superman Unbound & The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 & 2
51. Craig Pearce
Writer | Moulin Rouge!
Craig Pearce is known for Moulin Rouge! (2001), Strictly Ballroom (1992) and Romeo + Juliet (1996). He is married to Lucille Aurela. He was previously married to Emma Scott.
The Great Gatsby,Molin Rogue and Australia
52. Max Borenstein
Writer | The Terror
Max Borenstein is known for The Terror (2018), Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022) and Godzilla (2014).
Godzilla, Upcoming Kong Skull Island and Godzilla 2
53. Nicole Perlman
Writer | Guardians of the Galaxy
Nicole Perlman received her Film and Dramatic Writing degree from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in 2003. Since then she has gone on to win the Tribeca Film Festival's Sloan Grant for Science in Film for her screenplay "Challenger," which also placed on the 2006 Black List. The same year she was ...
Guardians Of The Galaxy and Upcoming Captain Marvel Film
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