Jonathan W. Stokes

{{Infobox person

| name = Jonathan W. Stokes

| image = Jonathan W. Stokes.jpg

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| birth_place = Manhattan, New York, US

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| occupation = Film director, screenwriter, producer

| spouse =

| website = {{url|http://jonathanwstokes.com}}

}}

Jonathan Witte Stokes is a film director, screenwriter, and producer.{{cite news |url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1118039772 |date=July 12, 2011|title=Indie banner buys 'El Gringo' Joel Silver to exec produce in the fall |first= Dave |last=McNary|work=Variety|access-date=July 17, 2012}}{{cite web |url=https://www.deadline.com/2011/07/after-dark-buys-el-gringo-for-joel-silver/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713120446/http://www.deadline.com/2011/07/after-dark-buys-el-gringo-for-joel-silver/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 13, 2011 |title=After Dark buys El Gringo for Joel Silver |date=July 12, 2011| publisher=Deadline Hollywood}} He is also an entrepreneur who created ValueWiki which was acquired by Wikia in 2010.

Education

Stokes graduated from the Weston High School and majored in Philosophy at the Claremont Colleges. He then went on to study and perform improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, Improv Olympic and The Second City.[http://thelasthurrahmovie.com/castcrew.html#stokes Film bio]

Film career

Stokes has written scripts on assignment for actor-producers Will Smith, Jeremy Renner, and Hugh Jackman, as well as director-producer Ridley Scott.{{cite web|title=Jonathan Stokes to script Harlan Coben's Six Years for Paramount|first=Mike|last=Flemming Jr|date=December 12, 2013|publisher=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2013/12/jonathan-stokes-to-script-harlan-cobens-six-years-for-paramount-hugh-jackman-652128/}}{{cite web|title=Scribe Jonathan Stokes Sells Novel Series|first=Mike|last=Flemming Jr|date=April 1, 2015|publisher=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2015/04/a-thrifty-time-travelers-guide-jonathan-stokes-viking-penguin-1201403023/}} Stokes's script "Murders and Acquisitions" was purchased by Warner Brothers.{{cite web|title=Warner Bros Buys Spec 'Murders & Acquisitions' For KatzSmith Productions|first=Mike|last=Fleming|date= September 23, 2011|publisher=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://www.deadline.com/2011/09/warner-bros-buys-spec-murders-acquisitions-for-katzsmith-productions/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924173036/http://www.deadline.com/2011/09/warner-bros-buys-spec-murders-acquisitions-for-katzsmith-productions/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 24, 2011}} Stokes' screenplay El Gringo was produced by Joel Silver and released in 2012. His script "Blood Mountain" was purchased with Academy Award winner Lawrence Bender producing, two time Academy Award nominee Sergei Bodrov attached to direct, and Benedict Cumberbatch attached to star.{{cite web|last=Barraclough|first=Leo|title=Benedict Cumberbatch to Star in 'Blood Mountain'|date=January 28, 2014|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/benedict-cumberbatch-to-star-in-blood-mountain-exclusive-1201074011/|publisher=Variety|access-date=29 January 2014}}{{cite web|title=Sergei Bodrov to Direct Black List Script Blood Mountain|first=Jeff|last=Sneider|date=April 30, 2013|publisher=TheWrap.com|url=https://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/sergei-bodrov-direct-black-list-script-blood-mountain-exclusive-88636}} In 2020, Stokes's script "Murder in the White House" was purchased by Paramount Pictures with Neal Moritz producing.{{cite web|title=Murder in the White House|first=Mike Jr.|last=Fleming|date=March 10, 2020|publisher=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2020/03/murder-in-the-white-house-paramount-pictures-spec-script-deal-original-film-jonathan-stokes-1202878627/}} In 2021, Stokes sold his script "The Vampire Asset" to Code Entertainment.{{cite web|title=Code Entertainment Picks Up Jonathan Stokes' Spec|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|date=July 12, 2021|publisher=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2021/07/code-entertainment-picks-up-jonathan-stokes-spec-the-vampire-asset-1234791145/}}

Stokes is the author of the Addison Cooke series, published by Philomel Books at Penguin, and The Thrifty Guide to the Past series, published by Viking Press, also at Penguin.

Stokes is the only screenwriter to have five screenplays featured on the Black List, an annual survey of Hollywood executives' favorite screenplays.{{cite web|title=The Black List 2011: Screenplay Roster|first=Nikki|last=Finke|date=December 12, 2011|publisher=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2011/12/the-black-list-2011-screenplay-roster-204025/}}{{cite web|title=Black List Screenwriting Honors Announced|first=Tatiana|last=Siegel|date=December 17, 2012|publisher=Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/black-list-screenwriting-honors-announced-403108}}{{cite web|title=Black List Screenwriting Honors Announced|first=Hillary|last=Lewis|date=December 18, 2013|publisher=Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/holland-michigan-tops-2013-black-665945}}{{cite web|title=The Black List 2020|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|date=December 14, 2020|publisher=Deadline|url=https://deadline.com/2020/12/the-black-list-2020-headhunter-ruby-1234656069/}}

Stokes wrote and directed The Last Hurrah starring Valerie Azlynn, Zack Bennett, Kate Micucci, Ravi Patel, and Randy Wayne, released in 2010. The movie is filmed in one continuous shot, and is considered representative of the mumblecore film movement in its improvisational feel and focus on dialog and Generation Y relationships.{{cite news|last=Stokell|first=Spence|title=Jonathan Stokes: The Last Hurrah Director Takes Five|url=http://www.campuscircle.com/review.cfm?r=10430|newspaper=Campus Circle|date=February 22, 2010|access-date=July 17, 2012}} Stokes wrote and directed Wildcat starring Georgina Campbell, Mido Hamada, and Luke Benward, which was distributed by Saban Films in 2021.{{cite news|last=Minow|first=Nell|title=Wildcat Movie Review|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/wildcat-movie-review-2021|date=April 23, 2021|access-date=April 19, 2022}}

Stokes also wrote and directed several short films, including Men, Interrupted (starring Janina Gavankar, Ravi Patel, Zack Bennett, and Jelynn Rodriguez), Wipe (starring Kelly Perine), Air (starring Greg Fellows and Brandon Scott), and "Victory" (starring Janina Gavankar and Kit Pongetti).{{IMDb name|2788369}}

Entrepreneur

Jonathan Stokes co-created ValueWiki.com in 2006 along with high school friend Zach Greenberger. The finance wiki, a "Wikipedia for stocks," grew to over 200,000 articles covering stocks and funds from 10 world wide stock exchanges before being acquired by Wikia in 2010 in a cash-and-stock deal.{{cite web|url=http://www.wikia.com/Press:Wikia_Acquires_Valuewiki_and_Calls_on_Financial_Gurus_to_Join_the_Budding_Investment_Research_Community |title=Press:Wikia Acquires Valuewiki and Calls on Financial Gurus to Join the Budding Investment Research Community |publisher=Wikia |date=February 9, 2010 |format=Press Release}}