Michael J. Wilson
Michael J. Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Screenwriter |
| Notable work | Ice Age franchise (creator) Shark Tale The Tuxedo |
Michael J. Wilson is an American screenwriter best known as the creator of the Ice Age movie franchise for 20th Century Fox. He became the second sole-creator of an animated movie franchise that went on to generate over $1 billion from theatrical and ancillary markets after only one sequel.
Career
Wilson contributed creatively to the films Little Giants and The Flintstones, and for television he co-created and executive produced the CBS series Sydney starring Valerie Bertinelli, Mathew Perry, and Craig Bierko.[1]
After working in television, Wilson created the Ice Age movie franchise for 20th Century Fox where he became the first of several screenwriters on the project. In 2002 Ice Age, starring Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, and Denis Leary, was a box office success, received an Academy Award nomination, and became one of animation's highest grossing movies. Following the release of Ice Age, Wilson worked as writer on other family movies. He co-wrote the live-action movie The Tuxedo starring Jackie Chan and Jennifer Love Hewitt as well as the animated film Shark Tale for DreamWorks. After its release in 2006 Ice Age: The Meltdown, including theatrical markets (worldwide box office) and ancillary markets (home media, cable, merchandising, books, video games, TV series, theme parks, etc.), pushed franchise total revenues to over ten figures.[1][2][3][4]
Wilson subsequently collaborated on the animated Italian production of Gladiators of Rome for Rainbow/Iginio Straffi, then returned to the Ice Age franchise as screenwriter for Ice Age: Collison Course (2016).[5]
Wilson also sold the original spec screenplay Samurai (aka Blood In Blood Out) with Gavin O'Connor to Warner Brothers, about the drug cartel money laundering world.
In 2017 Wilson has written Crashing Star, an action-adventure comedy, in pre-production for media giant Dalian Wanda and producer Audrey Wu/Dorra Marr Cultural Media.
In 2018 he has written an original musical drama motion picture with singer/songwriter/musician Jason Derulo which goes into pre-production this summer and commences shooting in January 2019. He is additionally writing the "Attica" screenplay for producer Elliot Abbott and director Doug Liman.
Personal life
Wilson is married with children and resides in a community north of Los Angeles.[6]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Academy Awards | Best Animated Feature | Ice Age | Nominated |
References
- ^ a b "20th Century Fox Press Kit - Ice Age".
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "The Numbers - Where Data and the Movie Business Meet". The Numbers. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
- ^ "Ice Age merchandising".
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ Spangler, Todd (2016-06-23). "'Ice Age: Collision Course' Mobile Game to Sell Movie Tickets for Regal Theaters". Variety. Retrieved 2017-05-29.
- ^ Fox, 20th Century. "Home | Ice Age Movies". Ice Age Movies. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Ice Age: Collision Course is deeply rooted in the mythology of the original Ice Age". The Writing Studio. 2016-07-06. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
External links
Michael J. Wilson at the Internet Movie Database
- Michael J. Wilson at 20th Century Fox
- Michael J. Wilson at iTunes