Christopher Wilkinson

{{Short description|American screenwriter, producer and director (born 1950)}}

{{about||the British swimmer|Christopher Wilkinson (swimmer)|people with a similar name|Chris Wilkinson (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Christopher Wilkinson

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|3|29}}

| birth_place = New York City, U.S.

| alma_mater = Temple University

| occupation = Screenwriter, producer and director

| years_active = 1977–present

| spouse = Cathy Guisewite (m. 1997, div. 2011)

| children = 2

| website =

}}

Christopher Wilkinson is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He is best known for writing the Academy Award-nominated screenplay for Oliver Stone's film Nixon,[https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/25/movies/the-oscars-a-scorecard.html “The Oscars: A Scorecard,”] The New York Times, March 25, 1996. and for Ali, starring Will Smith.Claude Brodesser, [https://variety.com/2001/biz/news/smith-laces-up-for-ali-1117799438/ “Smith laces up for ‘Ali’,”] Variety, May 15, 2001.

Early life and education

Wilkinson was born in New York City and raised in Philadelphia. He began his career as a musician while attending film school at Temple University.Chris Wehner, [http://www.screenwritersutopia.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=2755 “10 Questions with Nixon & Ali Screenwriter Chris Wilkinson,”] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127084543/http://screenwritersutopia.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=2755 |date=2010-11-27 }} Screenwriter's Utopia, March 29, 2005.

Career

Before working on feature films, Wilkinson wrote, produced and directed documentaries, industrials and commercials for EUE/Screen Gems, PBS, Center City Video and Bell of Pennsylvania. During this period, he also worked as a cameraman for ESPN. After director Mark Rydell saw Wilkinson's documentary Engine 2, Ladder 3 during a directing seminar at the Maine Photographic Workshop, he hired Wilkinson as second unit director for his film The River (1984). Wilkinson would go on to run script development at Rydell's Concourse Productions, and direct the second units of his films For the Boys (1991) and Intersection (1994).{{cite web |title=10 Questions with NIXON & ALI Screenwriter Chris Wilkinson |url=https://www.screenwritersutopia.com/article/d19af22d |website=Screenwritersutopia.com |access-date=29 March 2005}}

Wilkinson has written several films with Stephen J. Rivele. In 1992, they were hired to write three screenplays for George Harrison's HandMade Films, which cemented their partnership.{{cite web |title=Denis O'Brien, Force in Ex-Beatle's Film Company, Dies at 80 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/09/movies/denis-obrien-dead.html |website=The New York Times |date=9 December 2021 |access-date=9 December 2021 |last1=Genzlinger |first1=Neil }} They went on to write Nixon (1995), starring Anthony Hopkins,Janet Maslin, [https://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/20/movies/stone-s-embrace-of-a-despised-president.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm “Stone’s Embrace of a Despised President,”] The New York Times, December 20, 1995. and Ali (2001), directed by Michael Mann. They wrote and produced Copying Beethoven (2006), starring Ed Harris,Michael Wilmington, [http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/mmx-061110-movies-review-beethoven,0,1606628.story “Movie review: ‘Copying Beethoven’,”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029184200/http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/mmx-061110-movies-review-beethoven,0,1606628.story |date=2013-10-29 }} Chicago Tribune, November 9, 2006.Manohla Dargis, [https://movies.nytimes.com/2006/11/10/movies/10beet.html?_r=0 “Handmaiden to a Maestro and Midwife to His Symphony,”] The New York Times, November 10, 2006. and Birth of the Dragon (2016).Borys Kit, [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/bruce-lee-origin-story-heading-422340 “Bruce Lee Origin Story Heading to Big Screen,”] The Hollywood Reporter, February 19, 2013. They were also writers and executive producers on Ed Zwick's Pawn Sacrifice (2014) and Miles Ahead (2015), directed by and starring Don Cheadle.{{cite web |title=Stephen J. Rivele Dies: Oscar-Nominated 'Nixon', 'Ali' Screenwriter Was 75 |url=https://deadline.com/2024/05/stephen-j-rivele-dead-1235945147/ |website=Deadline.com |date=30 May 2024 |access-date=30 May 2024}}

On his own, Wilkinson wrote the pilot for the television series Fordlandia, to be directed by Werner Herzog,{{cite web |title='Fordlandia' Novel Being Adapted For TV; Werner Herzog To Direct |url=https://deadline.com/2018/06/fordlandia-novel-adapted-tv-werner-herzog-direct-greg-grandin-hyde-park-entertainment-group-1202410725/ |website=Deadline.com |date=14 June 2018 |access-date=14 June 2018}} and the screenplay for the upcoming Ridley Scott film, ''The Dog Stars.{{cite web |title=Jacob Elordi in Talks to Replace Paul Mescal in Ridley Scott's 'The Dog Stars' — Report |url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/breaking-news/jacob-elordi-replace-paul-mescal-ridley-scott-the-dog-stars-1235082999/ |website=IndieWire.com |date=7 January 2025 |access-date=7 January 2025}}

Personal life

Wilkinson lives in Los Angeles, California.[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0929349/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm#trivia Biography for Christopher Wilkinson], IMDb. Accessed October 10, 2013. He was formerly married to cartoonist Cathy Guisewite (creator of the comic strip Cathy).

Filmography

Film

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title !width=65\| Writer !width=65\| Producer
1995 \| Nixon \| {{yes}} \| {{no}}
2001 \| Ali \| {{yes}} \| {{no}}
2006 \| Copying Beethoven \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}}
2014 \| Pawn Sacrifice \| {{yes}} \| {{yes\|Executive}}
2015 \| Miles Ahead \| {{yes}} \| {{yes\|Executive}}
2016 \| Birth of the Dragon \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}}
2026 \| The Dog Stars \| {{yes}} \| {{no}}

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

!width=65| Writer

!width=65| Producer

1995

| Nixon

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

2001

| Ali

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

2006

| Copying Beethoven

| {{yes}}

2014

| Pawn Sacrifice

| {{yes}}

| {{yes|Executive}}

2015

| Miles Ahead

| {{yes}}

| {{yes|Executive}}

2016

| Birth of the Dragon

| {{yes}}

2026

| The Dog Stars

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

Documentary film

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title !width=65\| Director !width=65\| Writer !width=65\| Producer
1981 \| Engine 2, Ladder 3 \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}}
2014 \| Virtuosity[http://wfly.co/Rw63W New National PBS Air Date for Cliburn Documentary,Virtuosity] June 4, 2015[https://www.technicolor.com/news/virtuosity-van-cliburn-international-piano-competition-makes-music-grueling-competition-sport Virtuosity: The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition makes Music a grueling competition sport] July 28, 2015 \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}}

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

!width=65| Director

!width=65| Writer

!width=65| Producer

1981

| Engine 2, Ladder 3

| {{yes}}

2014

| Virtuosity[http://wfly.co/Rw63W New National PBS Air Date for Cliburn Documentary,Virtuosity] June 4, 2015[https://www.technicolor.com/news/virtuosity-van-cliburn-international-piano-competition-makes-music-grueling-competition-sport Virtuosity: The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition makes Music a grueling competition sport] July 28, 2015

| {{yes}}

Uncredited rewrites

The River (1984)
Nuts (1987)
Moneyball (2011)
All Eyez on Me (2017)
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
A Star Is Born (2018)
Gemini Man (2019)

Other credits

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title !width=65\| 2nd Unit Director !width=65\| Producer ! Notes
1984 \| The River \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \|
1991 \| For the Boys \| {{yes}} \| {{yes\|Associate}} \| Played the part of Niles LaGuardia
1994 \| Intersection \| {{yes}} \| {{yes\|Post-Production Supervisor}} \|

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

!width=65| 2nd Unit
Director

!width=65| Producer

! Notes

1984

| The River

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

1991

| For the Boys