Jump to content

David Koepp

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Scapulus (talk | contribs) at 20:51, 8 November 2022 (added hyphen). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

David Koepp
Koepp in 2022
Born (1963-06-09) June 9, 1963 (age 61)
Pewaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, film director, film producer
Years active1988–present
Known forJurassic Park
Mission: Impossible
Spider-Man
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
SpouseMelissa Thomas
Children4
AwardsHugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation
Saturn Award for Best Writing
Fantastic'Arts Grand Prize

David Koepp (/kɛp/;[1] born June 9, 1963) is an American filmmaker. Koepp is the ninth most successful screenwriter of all time in terms of U.S. box office receipts with a total gross of over $2.3 billion.[2]

Koepp has achieved both critical and commercial success in a wide variety of genres: thriller, science fiction, comedy, action, drama, crime, superhero, horror, adventure, and fantasy.

Some of the best-known films he has written include the sci-fi adventure films Jurassic Park (1993), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008); the crime film Carlito's Way (1993); the action spy films Mission: Impossible (1996) and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014); the superhero film Spider-Man (2002); the sci-fi disaster film War of the Worlds (2005) and the mystery thriller Angels & Demons (2009). Koepp has directed seven feature films over the course of his career: The Trigger Effect (1996), Stir of Echoes (1999), Secret Window (2004), Ghost Town (2008), Premium Rush (2012), Mortdecai (2015), and You Should Have Left (2020).

Early life and education

Koepp was born in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, to Donald Koepp, who owned a billboard company,[3][4] and a family therapist mother. While attending Kettle Moraine High School in Wales, Wisconsin, he worked evenings and weekends at the McDonald's restaurant in Delafield. He received his bachelor's degree in film from UCLA.

Career

As a writer, Koepp worked on blockbuster Hollywood films such as Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible, and Spider-Man. He had a cameo appearance as the "Unlucky Bastard", a minor character devoured by a T. rex roaming San Diego in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, which he co-wrote and was second unit director of. Although Koepp did not write Jurassic Park III, he did devise the film's basic storyline.[5][6] Koepp later declined an offer to write a script for the series' fourth film, Jurassic World, as he felt he had nothing left to contribute to the series.[7]

Koepp was reportedly paid $4,000,000 for his Panic Room screenplay. He wrote the screenplay for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and co-wrote and directed 2008's Ghost Town starring Ricky Gervais and Greg Kinnear.

Koepp's work as a director has not had quite the same box office success. His films include Secret Window, Stir of Echoes, and The Trigger Effect.

Koepp has also worked in television, creating the 2002 series Hack starring David Morse.

In 2012, Koepp directed Premium Rush, which he co-wrote with John Kamps.[8] In an August 2011 lawsuit, Joe Quirk, the author of the 1998 novel The Ultimate Rush, accused Koepp and the makers of Premium Rush of copyright infringement.[9] On April 2, 2013, U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg dismissed this case, finding that the two works were not substantially similar.[10]

On February 17, 2013, Koepp received the WGA East's Ian McClellan Hunter Award for Career Achievement.[11]

On July 10, 2013, Lionsgate was reported to have acquired the comedic crime novel The Great Mortdecai Moustache Mystery, written by Kyril Bonfiglioli.[12] Koepp directed the film, titled Mortdecai, from a script by Eric Aronson;[13] Johnny Depp played the lead role of Charlie Mortdecai,[14] and the film also featured Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, and Paul Bettany.[15] Koepp adapted the Marcus Sakey novel Brilliance, which will star Will Smith and Noomi Rapace.[16]

On March 15, 2016, The Walt Disney Company announced a fifth installment of the Indiana Jones saga, with Koepp as its screenwriter.[17][18] By June 2018, Koepp ultimately backed out of the project due to his commitment to You Should Have Left, a horror drama film Koepp wrote and directed.[19] Based on the novel of the same name by Daniel Kehlmann, You Should Have Left was released in 2020, and stars Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried.[20][21]

On September 3, 2019, Koepp made his novel debut with the publication of Cold Storage, a science-fiction thriller.[22] Koepp's second novel, Aurora was published on June 7, 2022, and a film adaptation of the book is in development for Netflix, with Koepp writing the script and Kathryn Bigelow directing.[23]

Personal life

Koepp has a wife, Melissa, and four children.

Filmography

Feature films

Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1988 Apartment Zero No Yes Yes co-wrote with Martin Donovan
1990 Bad Influence No Yes No
Why Me? No Yes No co-wrote with Donald E. Westlake
I Come in Peace No Yes No co-wrote with Jonathan Tydor
1991 Toy Soldiers No Yes No co-wrote with Daniel Petrie Jr.
1992 Death Becomes Her No Yes No co-wrote with Martin Donovan
1993 Jurassic Park No Yes No co-wrote with Michael Crichton
Carlito's Way No Yes No
1994 The Paper No Yes Co-producer co-wrote with Stephen Koepp
The Shadow No Yes No
Suspicious Yes Yes No Short film
1996 Mission: Impossible No Yes No co-wrote with Robert Towne and Steven Zaillian
The Trigger Effect Yes Yes No
1997 The Lost World: Jurassic Park No Yes No Also second unit director and cameo
1998 Snake Eyes No Yes No co-wrote with Brian De Palma
1999 Stir of Echoes Yes Yes No
2002 Panic Room No Yes Yes
Spider-Man No Yes No
2004 Secret Window Yes Yes No
2005 War of the Worlds No Yes No co-wrote with Josh Friedman
Zathura: A Space Adventure No Yes No co-wrote with John Kamps
2008 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull No Yes No co-wrote with George Lucas and Jeff Nathanson
Ghost Town Yes Yes No co-wrote with John Kamps
2009 Angels & Demons No Yes No co-wrote with Akiva Goldsman
2011 The Little Engine That Could No Yes No co-wrote with John Kamps, Cliff Ruby and Elana Lesser
2012 Premium Rush Yes Yes No co-wrote with John Kamps
2014 Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit No Yes No co-wrote with Adam Cozad
2015 Mortdecai Yes No No
2016 Inferno No Yes No
2017 The Mummy No Yes No co-wrote with Christopher McQuarrie and Dylan Kussman
2020 You Should Have Left Yes Yes No
2022 KIMI No Yes Yes
2023 Untitled fifth Indiana Jones film No Yes No Earlier draft, credit status TBA

Television

Year Title Director Writer Notes
2002 Hack No Yes Creator
2003 Suspense Yes No TV movie

Bibliography

  • — (2019). Cold Storage: A Novel. New York: Ecco. ISBN 978-0-06-291643-3. LCCN 2018057661. OCLC 1078435646.
  • — (2022). Aurora: A Novel. New York: Harper. ISBN 978-0-06-291647-1.

References

  1. ^ "122. David Koepp Interview, Part 2 (Screenwriter of 'Mission: Impossible')". Light the Fuse Podcast (Podcast). October 16, 2020. Event occurs at 34:45. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  2. ^ "Box Office Mojo - People Index". Boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  3. ^ "David Koepp Biography (1963-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  4. ^ [1] [dead link]
  5. ^ "Jurassic Park 3 Director Talks Script Problems of the Upcoming Sequel". Screenwritersutopia.com. July 11, 2001. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  6. ^ "Jumanji's Joe Johnston Joins Jurassic". About.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ Douglas, Edward (August 22, 2012). "Exclusive: David Koepp on Jack Ryan, Snow White & Jurassic Park". Comingsoon.net. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  8. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (November 11, 2009). "Koepp to helm 'Premium Rush'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
  9. ^ Stevens, Elizabeth Lesly, "A Big Hollywood Movie Is Coming, and a Novelist Cries Foul", The New York Times, August 20, 2011
  10. ^ Gardner, Eriq, "Sony Pictures Wins 'Premium Rush' Theft Lawsuit", "The Hollywood Reporter", April 3, 2013
  11. ^ McNary, Dave, "WGA East Honors Koepp", "Variety", January 29, 2013
  12. ^ "Johnny Depp to Star in 'Mortdecai' for Lionsgate, Director David Koepp". thewrap.com. July 10, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  13. ^ "David Koepp is set to direct from Eric Aronson's script". deadline.com. July 10, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  14. ^ "Johnny Depp in Talks to Star in 'Mortdecai'". hollywoodreporter.com. July 10, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  15. ^ "Gwyneth Paltrow and Ewan McGregor join Johnny Depp on Mortdecai". guardian.co.uk. July 25, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  16. ^ White, James (May 13, 2014). "Noomi Rapace Finds Brilliance". Empire. Archived from the original on May 13, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  17. ^ Agar, Chris (March 18, 2016). "Indiana Jones 5 Recruits Jurassic Park Writer David Koepp". ScreenRant.com. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  18. ^ Shepherd, Jack (March 20, 2016). "Indiana Jones 5: Crystal Skull writer David Koepp signs on to write sequel". The Independent. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  19. ^ Galuppo, Mia; Kit, Borys (June 28, 2018). "Indiana Jones 5 Delayed as New Writer Is Brought On". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  20. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 26, 2018). "Kevin Bacon, David Koepp Making 'You Should Have Left' For Blumhouse". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  21. ^ Kit, Borys (June 7, 2018). "Amanda Seyfried Joins Kevin Bacon in Blumhouse Thriller 'You Should Have Left'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  22. ^ Koepp, David. "Cold Storage". harpercollins.com. HarperCollins Publishers. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  23. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 31, 2022). "Kathryn Bigelow To Direct Adaptation Of David Koepp Novel 'Aurora' For Netflix". Deadline. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Koepp&oldid=1120790253"