Christopher Wilkinson
American screenwriter, producer and director (born 1950)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christopher Wilkinson is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He is best known for writing the Academy Award-nominated screenplay for Oliver Stone's film Nixon,[1] and for Ali, starring Will Smith.[2]
Christopher Wilkinson | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 29, 1950 New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Temple University |
| Occupations | Screenwriter, producer and director |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse | Cathy Guisewite (m. 1997, div. 2011) |
| Children | 2 |
Early life and education
Wilkinson was born in New York City and raised in Philadelphia. He began his career as a musician while attending film school at Temple University.[3]
Career
Before working on feature films, Wilkinson wrote, produced and directed documentaries, industrials and commercials for EUE/Screen Gems, PBS, Center City Video and Bell of Pennsylvania. During this period, he also worked as a cameraman for ESPN. After director Mark Rydell saw Wilkinson's documentary Engine 2, Ladder 3 during a directing seminar at the Maine Photographic Workshop, he hired Wilkinson as second unit director for his film The River (1984). Wilkinson would go on to run script development at Rydell's Concourse Productions, and direct the second units of his films For the Boys (1991) and Intersection (1994).[4]
Wilkinson has written several films with Stephen J. Rivele. In 1992, they were hired to write three screenplays for George Harrison's HandMade Films, which cemented their partnership.[4][5] They went on to write Nixon (1995), starring Anthony Hopkins,[6] and Ali (2001), directed by Michael Mann.[2] They wrote and produced Copying Beethoven (2006), starring Ed Harris,[7][8] and Birth of the Dragon (2016).[9] They were also writers and executive producers on Ed Zwick's Pawn Sacrifice (2014) and Miles Ahead (2015), directed by and starring Don Cheadle.[10]
On his own, Wilkinson wrote the pilot for the television series Fordlandia, to be directed by Werner Herzog,[11] and the screenplay for the upcoming Ridley Scott film, The Dog Stars.[12]
Personal life
Wilkinson lives in Los Angeles, California.[13] He was formerly married to cartoonist Cathy Guisewite (creator of the comic strip Cathy).
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Nixon | Yes | No |
| 2001 | Ali | Yes | No |
| 2006 | Copying Beethoven | Yes | Yes |
| 2014 | Pawn Sacrifice | Story | Executive |
| 2015 | Miles Ahead | Story | Executive |
| 2016 | Birth of the Dragon | Yes | Yes |
| 2026 | The Dog Stars | Yes | No |
Documentary film
Uncredited rewrites
- The River (1984)
- Nuts (1987)
- Moneyball (2011)
- All Eyez on Me (2017)
- Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
- A Star Is Born (2018)
- Gemini Man (2019)
Other credits
| Year | Title | 2nd Unit Director |
Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The River | Yes | No | |
| 1991 | For the Boys | Yes | Associate | Played the part of Niles LaGuardia |
| 1994 | Intersection | Yes | Post-Production Supervisor |