Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless
{{Short description|American screenwriters}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = United States
| occupation = Screenwriter
| years_active = 2014–present
| known_for = Writing films Dracula Untold, The Last Witch Hunter, and Gods of Egypt.
| notable_works =
| parents = John Sharpless (Burk Sharpless only)
}}
Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless are American writers best known for writing films together. After box office successes like Dracula Untold (2014) and The Last Witch Hunter (2015), Sazama and Sharpless wrote Gods of Egypt (2016), Morbius (2022) and Madame Web (2024), all of which became box office bombs and received negative reception from critics. The duo also wrote a reboot of Lost in Space for Netflix, which contrary to their other work, has been well-received.
Career
In August 2008, Sazama and Sharpless were hired by Sony Pictures Entertainment to write the script for a film adaptation of Flash Gordon, with Breck Eisner attached as director.{{cite news|title=Sazama and Sharpless to Write Flash Gordon - SuperHeroHype|url=http://www.superherohype.com/features/97289-sazama-and-sharpless-to-write-flash-gordon|accessdate=December 26, 2015|work=SuperHeroHype|date=August 7, 2008|language=en-US}}
In January 2011, 20th Century Fox hired Sazama and Sharpless to adapt Atari's 1980s arcade game Missile Command.{{cite news|last1=Graser|first1=Marc|title=Atari arms 'Missile Command' for bigscreen|url=https://variety.com/2011/film/news/atari-arms-missile-command-for-bigscreen-1118030089/|accessdate=December 26, 2015|work=Variety|date=January 11, 2011|language=en-US}} In August 2011, Universal hired Sazama and Sharpless to write the script for a feature film based on the Hasbro board game Cluedo.{{cite news|last1=Fleming|first1=Mike Jr.|title=Universal Drops 'Clue'; Gore Verbinski Moves Forward With Hasbro Cash And New Writers|url=https://deadline.com/2011/08/universal-drops-clue-gore-verbinski-moves-forward-with-hasbro-cash-and-new-writers-152802/|accessdate=December 26, 2015|work=Deadline|date=August 3, 2011|language=en-US}} In September 2011, Chernin Entertainment bought an untitled pitch by Sazama and Sharpless, which was described as a futuristic Jungle Book.{{cite news|last1=Fleming|first1=Mike Jr.|title=Peter Chernin And Gore Verbinski Landing Futuristic Pitch|url=https://deadline.com/2011/09/chernin-entertainment-and-gore-verbinski-landing-futuristic-pitch-177079/|accessdate=December 26, 2015|work=Deadline|date=September 28, 2011|language=en-US}}
Sazama and Sharpless wrote the script for the 2014 horror fantasy film Dracula Untold, starring Luke Evans, Sarah Gadon, and Dominic Cooper.{{cite news|last1=Schaefer|first1=Sandy|title='Dracula Untold' Featurette: Man Behind the Monster|url=https://screenrant.com/dracula-untold-movie-preview-luke-evans/|accessdate=December 26, 2015|work=Screen Rant|date=September 25, 2014|language=en-US}}{{cite news|last1=Fleming|first1=Mike Jr.|title=Universal Revives 'Dracula Year Zero' With Director Gary Shore|url=https://deadline.com/2012/02/universal-revives-dracula-year-zero-229531/|accessdate=December 26, 2015|work=Deadline|date=February 10, 2012|language=en-US}} The film was directed by Gary Shore and released in the United States by Universal Pictures on October 10, 2014.{{cite web|title=Dracula Untold (2014)|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=dracula.htm|website=www.boxofficemojo.com|accessdate=December 26, 2015}}
Sazama and Sharpless also re-wrote Cory Goodman's original draft of the 2015 fantasy thriller film The Last Witch Hunter, starring Vin Diesel, Elijah Wood, Rose Leslie, Julie Engelbrecht, and Michael Caine.{{cite news|last1=Marshall|first1=Rick|title=Watch Vin Diesel battle bad witches in new clip from The Last Witch Hunter|url=http://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/the-last-witch-hunter-clip/|accessdate=December 26, 2015|work=Digital Trends|date=October 14, 2015|language=en-US}} Breck Eisner directed the film, which was released on October 23, 2015, by Summit Entertainment.{{cite web|title=The Last Witch Hunter (2015)|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lastwitchhunter.htm|website=www.boxofficemojo.com|accessdate=December 26, 2015}}
In addition, Sazama and Sharpless wrote the screenplay for the fantasy action film Gods of Egypt, starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Brenton Thwaites, Gerard Butler, and Geoffrey Rush.{{cite news|last1=Sneider|first1=Jeff|title=Proyas in talks for Summit's 'Gods of Egypt'|url=https://variety.com/2012/film/news/proyas-in-talks-for-summit-s-gods-of-egypt-1118054227/|accessdate=December 26, 2015|work=Variety|date=May 17, 2012|language=en-US}} The film, directed by Alex Proyas, was released on February 26, 2016, by Lionsgate.{{cite news|last1=Evans|first1=Greg|title='Gods Of Egypt': 'Selma' Director Ava DuVernay Responds To Alex Proyas & Lionsgate Apology For Lack Of Diversity - Update|url=https://deadline.com/2015/11/gods-of-egypt-diversity-lionsgate-alex-proyas-apologize-1201642246/|accessdate=December 26, 2015|work=Deadline|date=November 28, 2015|language=en-US}}
In June 2015, Walt Disney Pictures hired Sazama and Sharpless to write a live-action adaptation of the Night on Bald Mountain sequence from the 1940s animated film Fantasia, which they would also executive produce.{{cite news|last1=Ford|first1=Rebecca|title=Disney to Adapt Iconic 'Fantasia' Sequence Into Live-Action Movie (Exclusive)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/disney-adapt-iconic-fantasia-sequence-799554|accessdate=December 26, 2015|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=June 3, 2015}} Though as of 2025, no further updates have been made.
In November 2015, Netflix announced a remake of the 1965 TV series Lost in Space, hiring Sazama and Sharpless to write.{{cite news|last1=Andreeva|first1=Nellie|title='Lost In Space' TV Series Remake In Works At Netflix|url=https://deadline.com/2015/11/lost-in-space-tv-series-remake-netflix-1201587644/|accessdate=December 26, 2015|work=Deadline|date=November 20, 2015|language=en-US}} Sazama and Sharpless contributed to the story of the 2017 Power Rangers reboot. In 2017, it was announced that Sony Pictures hired the duo to pen the script for the film adaptation of Marvel Comics character, Morbius, the Living Vampire. The movie is part of their shared universe titled Sony's Spider-Man Universe.{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/morbius-movie-spider-man-spinoff-sony/|title='Morbius': Marvel's Living Vampire Movie in the Works as a 'Spider-Man' Spin-off|date=November 13, 2017|author=Dave Trumbore|website=Collider |accessdate=November 13, 2017}} They also wrote a film adaptation of Madame Web, which was released on February 14, 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/1218892-madame-web-release-date-sony-sets-2023-launch-for-spider-man-spin-off|title=Madame Web Release Date: Sony Sets 2023 Launch for Spider-Man Spin-off|last=Treese|first=Tyler|date=April 21, 2022}}
= Reception =
Following the release of Madame Web, Sazama and Sharpless suddenly gained infamous attention due to their history of being "franchise killers". Philip Ellis of Men's Health referred to the duo's work as "middling genre fare that seeks not to expand or buck conventions, but rather to deliver trope after trope, revelling in cliché where other writers might shy away. In other words, the kind of movie you'll get a kick out of when you're slightly drunk and/or sleepy at 20,000 feet."{{cite web|url=https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a46831175/madame-web-matt-sazama-burk-sharpless/|title=Madame Web Comes From the Writers of Morbius and Other Spectacular Flops|website=Men's Health|last=Ellis|first=Philip|date=February 17, 2024|access-date=January 17, 2025}} Sazama and Sharpless have been publicly mocked online with users questioning their ability to write and Hollywood's insistence on rehiring them for large budget projects.{{cite web|url=https://fandomwire.com/madame-web-writers-get-humiliated-on-social-media-after-duos-historic-run-of-critically-panned-films-for-past-decade/|title=‘Madame Web’ Writers Get Humiliated on Social Media After Duo’s Historic Run of Critically-Panned Films For Past Decade|website=Fandom Wire|author=Visarg|date=February 15, 2024|access-date=January 17, 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://fandomwire.com/madame-web-writer-gets-publicly-humiliated-after-his-last-5-films-display-a-similar-lack-of-quality/|title=‘Madame Web’ Writer Gets Publicly Humiliated After His Last 5 Films Display a Similar Lack of Quality|website=Fandom Wire|author=Avneet|date=February 18, 2024|access-date=January 17, 2025}} While Alex Zalben of Comic Book Club agreed that the duo's work is subpar, he noted that their work on Lost in Space has been better received stating, "I don't know these guys. I don't have a dog in this race. But I'd venture a Netflix show they were actually in charge of is probably a better representation of their talent than multiple work-for-hire movies where they wrote an often intermediary version of a screenplay."{{cite web|url=https://comicbookclublive.com/2024/02/19/madame-web-screenwriters-credits-explained/|title=Madame Web Screenwriters Are Taking Heat For The Film Flopping — But Should They?|website=Comic Book Club|last=Zalben|first=Alex|date=February 19, 2024|access-date=January 28, 2025}}
Filmography
Film
| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 0;" |
| Year
! Title ! Director ! Notes |
|---|
| 2014
| |
| 2015
|Co-wrote with Cory Goodman |
| 2016
| |
| 2017
| Story only |
| 2022
| Morbius | |
| 2024
|Co-wrote with Claire Parker, Clarkson, and Kerem Sanga |
Television
- Lost in Space (2018–2021) (showrunners and executive producers)
References
{{Reflist|3}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|1948885|Matt Sazama}}
- {{IMDb name|2332952|Burk Sharpless}}
{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sazama, Matt and Burk Sharpless}}
Category:American male screenwriters
Category:American television producers
Category:American male television writers