Jon Spaihts
{{short description|American screenwriter and author}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jon Spaihts
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|2|4}}
| birth_place = New York City, U.S.
| occupation = {{Flatlist|
- Screenwriter
- author
}}
| years_active = 1996–present
| spouse = Johanna Watts
}}
Jon Spaihts ({{IPAc-en|s|p|eɪ|t|s}}){{cite podcast|host=Geri Cole|date=November 12, 2021|url=https://www.wgaeast.org/onwriting/episode-62-jon-spaihts-and-denis-villeneuve-dune/|title=Episode 62: Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve, “Dune”|work=OnWriting|publisher=Writers Guild of America, East|time=2:34|access-date=February 19, 2022}} (born February 4, 1970) is an American screenwriter and author. He is best known for co-writing Denis Villeneuve's Dune (2021) and its sequel Dune: Part Two (2024), both films based on the novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. He also wrote the screenplays for the films Prometheus (2012), Passengers (2016) and Doctor Strange (2016). For his work on Dune, Spaihts was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Early life and education
Spaihts was born in New York City, the son of Jean, a computer programmer, and Jim Spaihts, an electronics engineer.{{Citation
|last = Olson
|first = Pamry
|title = Prometheus Screenwriter: Humans Will Never Reach Another Star, And Other Sobering Views On The Future
|newspaper = Forbes
|date = May 1, 2012
|page = 2
|url = http://viewtext.org/article?url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2012/05/01/prometheus-screenwriter-humans-will-never-reach-another-star-and-other-sobering-views-on-the-future/&format=/
|archive-url = https://archive.today/20210722203717/https://www.webcitation.org/67MNZMiug?url=http://viewtext.org/article%3Furl=http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2012/05/01/prometheus-screenwriter-humans-will-never-reach-another-star-and-other-sobering-views-on-the-future/&format=/
|archive-date = July 22, 2021
|access-date = May 2, 2012
|url-status = dead
}}. Spaihts is an alumnus of Princeton University.
Career
His science fiction romance Passengers was included on the 2007 Black List of unproduced high-value screenplays.[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1436294/ Leonard F] (ed.). 2007. [http://files.blcklst.com/2007_black_list.pdf 2007 Black List] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721080943/http://files.blcklst.com/2007_black_list.pdf |date=July 21, 2013 }}, s.v. "Passengers by Jon Spaihts". 5. Cf. Halbfinger DM. 2007. [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/08/movies/08blac.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=&st=nyt "Tomorrow’s Oscar Hopefuls Today"]. The New York Times (December 8, 2007). At the request of Keanu Reeves and Stephen Hamel, Relativity Media co-founder Lynwood Spinkspersonal knowledge had hired Spaihts to write the film after Reeves originally becamepersonal knowledge attached to Spaihts' abandoned science fiction script Shadow 19.Fleming M. 2009. [https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006722.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 "Alien prequel takes off"]. Variety (July 30, 2009). After Reeves agreed to produce with Hamel and star in Passengers,Sciretta P. 2007. [https://www.slashfilm.com/2007/12/09/the-hottest-unproduced-screenplays-of-2007/ "The Hottest Unproduced Screenplays of 2007"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101022135858/http://www.slashfilm.com/2007/12/09/the-hottest-unproduced-screenplays-of-2007/ |date=October 22, 2010 }}. Slashfilm (December 9, 2007). Spaihts was commissioned by Scott Free to write the next installments in the Alien saga, two prequel films to be directed by Ridley Scott, which eventually turned into the more autonomous story Prometheus, ultimately revised by Damon Lindelof.Aspin, M. 2012. [http://whatculture.com/film/read-the-original-alien-style-prometheus-script.php "Read The Original Alien-Style Prometheus Script".] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006102334/http://whatculture.com/film/read-the-original-alien-style-prometheus-script.php |date=October 6, 2014 }}. What Culture (November 13, 2012). For New Regency Spaihts also wrote the screenplay to the alien invasion thriller The Darkest Hour, based on a story by Leslie Bohem and M.T. Ahern.Siegel T. 2010. [https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118017531.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 "Hirsch signs on for The Darkest Hour"]. Variety (April 10, 2010).
Spaihts has worked on a film version of St. George and the Dragon for Sony Pictures, and originated a Disney film project called Children of Mars. In 2012 he entered a two-picture deal at Jerry Bruckheimer Films to adapt Ashley Wood's graphic novel World War Robot{{Citation|last=Radish|first=Christina|title=Screenwriter Jon Spaihts Talks Prometheus, World War Robot, Children of Mars, George and the Dragon, and More|newspaper=Collider|date=April 9, 2012|url=https://collider.com/jon-spaihts-prometheus-world-war-robot-interview/157982/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412033748/http://collider.com/jon-spaihts-prometheus-world-war-robot-interview/157982/|archive-date=April 12, 2012|access-date=April 10, 2012|url-status=dead}}. and write a space adventure film based on his own original pitch.{{Citation|last=Chitwoold|first=Adam|title=Jerry Bruckheimer to Produce Space Adventure Film|newspaper=Collider|date=February 11, 2012|url=https://collider.com/jerry-bruckheimer-jon-spaihts/74690/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417011057/http://collider.com/jerry-bruckheimer-jon-spaihts/74690/|archive-date=April 17, 2012|access-date=April 2, 2012|url-status=dead}}.
He co-wrote the script for Marvel Studios' 2016 live action Doctor Strange film.{{cite web|url=http://m.deadline.com/2014/06/marvel-setting-jon-spaihts-to-script-doctor-strange/|title=Marvel Setting Jon Spaihts To Script 'Doctor Strange'|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|work=Deadline|date=June 18, 2014|access-date=June 18, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140622020451/http://m.deadline.com/2014/06/marvel-setting-jon-spaihts-to-script-doctor-strange/|archive-date=June 22, 2014|df=mdy-all}} Spaihts also co-wrote the reboot of The Mummy franchise for Universal, directed by Alex Kurtzman.{{Citation
|last=Goldberg
|first=Matt
|title=Prometheus Co-Writer Jon Spaihts to Reboot The Mummy Franchise
|newspaper=Collider
|date=April 4, 2012
|url=https://collider.com/mummy-reboot-jon-spaihts/157207/
|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/67MPdOCBr?url=http://collider.com/mummy-reboot-jon-spaihts/157207/
|archive-date=May 2, 2012
|access-date=April 10, 2012
|url-status=dead
}}; {{Citation
|last=Universal Studios press release in
|title=Universal Signs Kurtzman and Orci; Pair Takes On The Mummy and Van Helsing
|newspaper=Deadline
|date=May 1, 2012
|url=https://deadline.com/2012/05/universal-signs-first-look-deal-with-alex-kurtzman-and-roberto-orci-264868/
|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/67MQ0kGRw?url=http://www.deadline.com/2012/05/universal-signs-first-look-deal-with-alex-kurtzman-and-roberto-orci/
|archive-date=May 2, 2012
|access-date=May 1, 2012
|url-status=dead}}.
In 2013, Spaihts began work on the story for the Black Hole remake by Walt Disney Studios.{{cite web |last=Baxter |first=Joseph |url=http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/730252/the-black-hole-remake-lands-prometheus-writer/ |title=The Black Hole Remake Lands Prometheus Writer |publisher=TheFeed |date=April 5, 2013 |access-date=April 9, 2013 |archive-date=September 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924081105/http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/730252/the-black-hole-remake-lands-prometheus-writer/ |url-status=dead }} The rights to his early science fiction screenplay had originally been sold to the Weinstein Company, with Keanu Reeves and Reese Witherspoon set to star, and Game of Thrones director Brian Kirk at the helm.{{Citation|last=Brzeski|first=Patrick|title=Cannes: Weinstein Co. Picks Up Reeves-Witherspoon Space Romance Passengers|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=May 21, 2013|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-weinstein-picks-up-reeves-526210|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130623182538/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-weinstein-picks-up-reeves-526210|archive-date=June 23, 2013|access-date=June 23, 2013|url-status=dead}}. The project was later made into the 2016 film Passengers by Sony Pictures, produced by Original Film and Company Films, directed by Morten Tyldum, and starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt.{{Citation
|last=Donnelly
|first=Matt
|title=Chris Pratt, Jennifer Lawrence Sci-Fi Romance "Passengers" Greenlit at Sony Pictures
|newspaper=TheWrap
|date=June 16, 2015
|url=https://www.thewrap.com/chris-pratt-jennifer-lawrence-sci-fi-romance-passengers-greenlit-at-sony-pictures/
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617190409/http://www.thewrap.com/chris-pratt-jennifer-lawrence-sci-fi-romance-passengers-greenlit-at-sony-pictures/
|archive-date=June 17, 2015
|access-date=June 17, 2015
|url-status=dead}}.
In 2018, it was revealed that Spaihts would be co-writing Legendary Pictures's feature film adaptation of the science fiction novel Dune, alongside Eric Roth and director Denis Villeneuve.{{cite web|date=September 5, 2018|last=Kit|first=Borys|title=Rebecca Ferguson in Talks to Star in Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/rebecca-ferguson-talks-star-denis-villeneuves-dune-1140223/|website=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=August 18, 2022}} For his work on Dune, Spaihts was nominated alongside Roth and Villeneuve for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.{{cite web|title=The 94th Academy Awards (2022) Winners and Nominees|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2022|access-date=August 18, 2022}}
Personal life
He has written several books for The Princeton Review.E.g. Spaihts J. 1997. Student advantage guide to the best graduate programs: humanities and social sciences. New York: Random House (The Princeton Review Series). {{ISBN|978-0-679-76911-8}}; cf. also WorldCat entries of Spaihts' publications below. Spaihts lives and works in Venice, California,Cf. [https://www.facebook.com/spaihts Spaihts' profile] on Facebook.{{Unreliable source?|date=November 2015}} and is married to actress Johanna Watts.Cf. [https://www.facebook.com/johannawatts Watts' profile] on Facebook; see also {{IMDb name|id=1262249|name=Johanna Watts}}.{{Unreliable source?|date=November 2015}} He is also a photographer.{{Cite web | url=https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/interview-part-1-jon-spaihts-5cf713ab14c4 |title = Interview (Part 1): Jon Spaihts|date = December 20, 2016}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! width="65"| Writer ! width="65"| Executive ! Director ! Notes |
|---|
| 2011
|{{yes}} |{{no}} | |
| 2012
|{{yes}} |{{no}} | |
| rowspan="2" | 2016
|{{yes}} |{{no}} | |
| Passengers
|{{yes}} |{{yes}} |Also voiced "Autodoc" |
| 2017
|{{Partial|Story}} |{{no}} | |
| 2021
|Dune |{{yes}} |{{yes}} |rowspan="2"|Denis Villeneuve |Nominated — Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay |
| rowspan="2" | 2024
|{{yes}} |{{yes}} | |
| The Crow
|{{no}} |{{yes}} | |
| 2025
| {{no}} | {{yes}} | Additional Literary Material{{Cite web |title=Minecraft |url=https://directories.wga.org/project/1235768/minecraft |access-date=February 22, 2025 |website=Writers Guild of America West}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=3123612|name=Jon Spaihts}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212238/http://photo.net/photodb/member-photos?user_id=2412653 Jon Spaihts' portfolio] at photo.net
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spaihts, Jon}}
Category:American male screenwriters
Category:Hugo Award–winning writers
Category:Princeton University alumni