David Levien
{{BLP sources|date=September 2014}}
{{Short description|American screenwriter, director, producer, and novelist}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = David Levien
| image =
| image_size =
| caption = David Levien
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|12|9}}
| birth_place = Great Neck, New York, United States
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Screenwriter, novelist, director, producer
| nationality =
| education = B.A. University of Michigan
| genre = Fiction, suspense
| notableworks = Billions, Rounders, Solitary Man
| spouse = Melissa Sandler Levien
| children = Joseph
James
Robbie
}}
David Levien (born December 9, 1967) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and novelist. He is co-creator, executive producer, and showrunner of Showtime's Billions, along with Brian Koppelman.{{Cite web|last=Schawbel|first=Dan|title=Brian Koppelman And David Levien: What You Can Learn From The Team Behind Showtime's 'Billions'|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2017/02/25/brian-koppelman-and-david-levien-what-you-can-learn-from-the-team-behind-showtimes-billions/|access-date=2019-04-18|website=Forbes|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Harris|first=Brandon|title=Brian Koppelman And David Levien, Solitary Man|url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/8533-brian-koppleman-and-david-levien-solitary-man/|access-date=2019-04-18|website=Filmmaker Magazine|date=19 May 2010 |language=en-US}} Over the past two decades Levien has created an influential and diverse body of work in both film and television. Some of his most noteworthy credits include Ocean's Thirteen, Rounders,{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cw-plots-illusionist-remake-true-740810|title=CW Plots 'The Illusionist' Remake With 'True Blood' Alum|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=14 October 2014 |language=en|access-date=2019-04-18}}{{Cite web|url=https://theplaylist.net/were-oceans-13-girlfriend-experience-20100504/|title=Were 'Ocean's 13' & 'The Girlfriend Experience' Screenwriters Brian Koppelman & David Levien On Track To Write 'Bourne 4' Before It Died?|website=theplaylist.net|access-date=2019-04-18}} Solitary Man, The Illusionist, Runaway Jury, Tilt, and ESPN's 30 for 30 (This Is What They Want) for which he won a sports Emmy.
Levien is also the author of six novels, including four in the celebrated Frank Behr series.{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/David-Levien/e/B001H6QKGE|access-date=2019-05-08|website=www.amazon.com|title=David Levien }}{{Cite web|date=2015-03-17|title=David Levein|url=https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/david-levein/|access-date=2019-05-08|website=Book Series in Order}}{{Cite web|title=Order of David Levien Books - OrderOfBooks.com|url=https://www.orderofbooks.com/authors/david-levien/|access-date=2019-05-08|website=www.orderofbooks.com}} Some of his earlier works were published under D.J. Levien.
Early life and education
Levien was born in Great Neck, New York.{{Cite news|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= Billions showrunner David Levien puts the city in a starring role |newspaper=Crain's New York|date=April 24, 2017 |url=https://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20170424/ENTERTAINMENT/170429949/billions-showrunner-david-levien-puts-new-york-city-in-a-starring-role |accessdate=}} He met his lifelong writing partner and friend, Brian Koppelman, on a summer bus trip for teens when Levien was 14 years old.{{Cite web|last=Wolfe|first=Jim|date=2010-01-29|title=David Levien finds success making movies and writing novels|url=https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/David-Levien-finds-success-making-movies-and-341189.php|access-date=2019-05-08|website=GreenwichTime}} Levien is Jewish.{{Cite news|first= Serena|last=Donadoni |authorlink= |title= At The Movies - Jewish screenwriters David Levien, a U-M frad, and Brian Koppelman infiltrate the world of poker players in "Rounders" |newspaper=Detroit Jewish News|date=September 11, 1998 |url= https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/djnews/djn.1998.09.11.001/98 |accessdate=}} He is a graduate of the University of Michigan. After school he moved to Los Angeles where he worked as a story editor for various agencies and production companies. Finding that editing the stories of the others impacted his writing, he quit and moved to Paris and then Argentina where he trained horses before returning to New York City where he reunited with Koppelman.
Career
= Film =
In 1997, Levien wrote the original screenplay for Rounders with his writing partner, Brian Koppelman. In 2001, Levien and Koppelman wrote, produced, and directed the film Knockaround Guys, which film critic Roger Ebert gave 3 out of 4 stars. Levien and Koppelman also co-wrote the 2003 film Runaway Jury, which was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Screenplay. In 2009, Levien and Koppelman co-directed Solitary Man starring Michael Douglas. The film was included in both A.O. Scott's The New York Times "Year End Best" list and Roger Ebert's "Year End Best" list. Other film credits include the third installment in the Ocean's franchise, 2007's Ocean's Thirteen, directed by Steven Soderbergh.
= Novels =
Levien has published six novels, including the literary novels Wormwood, Swagbelly, and the popular Frank Behr crime series, set in the midwest and chronicling the fictional private investigator. The series includes City of the Sun, Where the Dead Lay, 13 Million Dollar Pop, and Signature Kill. The Behr books were nominated for the Hammett, Barry and Shamus awards. Sons of Spade named 13 Million Dollar Pop the best P.I. novel of 2011.
= Short stories =
In 2015, Levien published the short story "Knock Out Whist," which was nominated by Best American Mystery Stories 2016 as an honorable mention. His story "Einstein's Sabbath" was published in The Darkling Halls of Ivy anthology in 2020.
= Television =
Showtime's drama series, Billions, created by David Levien, Brian Koppelman, and Andrew Ross Sorkin, and starring Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis, premiered to strong reviews in 2016. The show is now in its fifth season and was renewed for a sixth in 2020.
Filmography
=Films=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title !width=65| Director !width=65| Writer !width=65| Producer ! Notes |
|---|
| 1998
| Rounders | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |Co-written with Brian Koppelman |
| 2001
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Co-directed with Brian Koppelman |
| 2003
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |Co-written with Brian Koppelman |
| 2004
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 2007
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| rowspan=2| 2009
| {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} | Co-directed with Brian Koppelman |
| The Girlfriend Experience
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 2013
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
Producer only
- Interview with the Assassin (2002)
- The Illusionist (2006)
- The Lucky Ones (2007)
- I Smile Back (2015)
=Television=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title !width=65| Director !width=65| Writer !width=65| Producer ! Notes |
|---|
| 2003
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | TV pilot |
| 2005
| Tilt | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |rowspan=3| Co-creator |
| 2016
| Billions | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes|Executive}} |
| 2022
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{yes|Executive}} |
Novels
=Frank Behr novels=
- City of the Sun (2008)
- Where the Dead Lay (2009)
- Thirteen Million Dollar Pop (2011); released as The Contract outside the US (2012)
- Signature Kill (2014)
=Standalone novels=
- Wormwood (1999)
- Swagbelly: A Novel for Today's Gentleman (2003)
= Short stories =
- "Knock-out Whist" (2015){{cite book|title=Dark City Lights: New York Stories (Have a NYC)|date=30 April 2015|publisher=Three Rooms Press|editor1-last=Block|editor1-first=Lawrence}}
- "Einstein's Sabbath" (2020)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0505522|David Levien}}
- [http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/223809.David_Levien Author listing for David Levien] on goodreads.com
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20130826082156/http://cityofthesunbook.com/david-levien/ Bio of David Levien]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levien, David}}
Category:American male screenwriters
Category:Jewish American screenwriters