James V. Hart

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James V. Hart
Hart in 2011
Hart in 2011
Born1950 (age 73–74)
Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
Occupation
  • Screenwriter
  • author
Years active1984–present
SpouseJudith Nugent
Children2; including Julia Hart

James V. Hart (born 1950) is an American screenwriter and author. He is known for his literary adaptations, such as Dracula, Frankenstein and Hook.

Career[edit]

Writing[edit]

Hart wrote the screenplay to the Steven Spielberg feature film Hook which functioned as a sequel to J. M. Barrie's original story, with Peter Pan having grown into adulthood.[1] Later, he wrote the 2005 children's novel Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth, a prequel depicting the youth of Captain Hook, the nemesis of Peter Pan. He wrote the Francis Ford Coppola-produced horror films Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)[2] and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994).

Hart's writing focuses on adventure and fantasy fare, such as Muppet Treasure Island (1996), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (2003), and Epic (2013). He co-created the pirate television drama Crossbones with Luther writer Neil Cross based on Colin Woodard's book The Republic of Pirates.[3] On July 24, 2014, NBC announced that Crossbones had been canceled after one season.[4]

Unmade screenplays[edit]

Hart wrote the first draft screenplay of Atlas Shrugged,[5] which was to be fully developed by director Randall Wallace. Hart also wrote an adaptation of The Sirens of Titan, which Kurt Vonnegut approved of before he died,[6] a screenplay adaptation for Crisis in the Hot Zone which was later adapted into a television series in 2019. In 2012, it was announced that TNT would create a television series based on the Dean Koontz's Frankenstein novels.[7]

Teaching[edit]

Hart has been a faculty member of the Columbia University Graduate Film program and has mentored for Sundance Film Labs, the Austin Writer’s Ranch, and the Equinoxe-Europe Writing Workshops.[8][9]

Personal life[edit]

Hart is the son of Albert Hart and Alice Hart. He has one brother, David (deceased). He studied film and graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1969. He lives in New York with his wife Judith. Their two children, Jake and Julia, are also screenwriters.[10]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Writer Producer Notes
1974 Dirty O'Neil No Yes Associate producer
1977 The Ransom No Yes
1984 Gimme an 'F' Yes No
1991 Hook Yes Yes Executive producer
1992 Bram Stoker's Dracula Yes Yes Co-producer
1994 Mary Shelley's Frankenstein No Yes
1996 Muppet Treasure Island Yes No
1997 Contact Yes No
2002 Tuck Everlasting Yes No
2003 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life Yes No Story by
2005 Sahara Yes No
2007 The Last Mimzy Yes No
2007 August Rush Yes No
2013 Epic Yes Yes Executive producer
2023 The Last Voyage of the Demeter Yes No received off-screen additional literary material credit.[11]

Television[edit]

Year Title Notes Network
2001 Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story Miniseries CBS
2014 Crossbones Co-creator NBC
2019-present The Hot Zone Creator, also executive producer National Geographic

References[edit]

  1. ^ McBride, Joseph (1997). Steven Spielberg: A Biography. New York City: Faber and Faber. p. 409. ISBN 0-571-19177-0.
  2. ^ Spelling, Ian (March 1993). "Midnight Ryder". Fangoria #120. Starlog Group, Inc.
  3. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (May 14, 2012). "NBC Greenlights Pirate Drama From 'Luther' Creator". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  4. ^ Bibel, Sara (July 24, 2014). "NBC to Burn Off the Final Two Episodes of 'Crossbones' on Saturday, August 2". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  5. ^ McClintock, Pamela (April 26, 2006). "Lionsgate Shrugging". Variety. Retrieved June 21, 2009.
  6. ^ "MTV News | Exclusive: Kurt Vonnegut's 'Sirens Of Titan' Being Adapted For Big Screen". www.mtv.com. Archived from the original on 2007-04-29.
  7. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2012-10-17). "TNT To Develop 'Frankenstein' Drama Series Based On Dean Koontz's Novels". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  8. ^ "Deconstructing the Emotional Pulse of Your Screenplay with James V. Hart". 18 November 2020.
  9. ^ "EQuinoxe Europe".
  10. ^ Bio blurb on dust jacket of Capt. Hook, published 2005.
  11. ^ "The Last Voyage of the Demeter". Writers Guild of America West. 6 December 2022. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.

External links[edit]