David Reynolds (screenwriter)

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Occupations
  • Screenwriter
  • actor
  • film producer
Yearsactive1986–present
Notable work
David Reynolds
Reynolds in 2025
Occupations
  • Screenwriter
  • actor
  • film producer
Years active1986–present
AgentThe Gersh Agency[1]
Notable work

David Reynolds is an American screenwriter. He is known for having written animated movies such as The Emperor's New Groove (2000), Finding Nemo (2003) and The Garfield Movie (2024).

In the early 1990s, he became a television writer.[2] He made his writing debut on the late-night television series, Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Afterwards, he started to transition into film with his theatrical debut providing additional story material on Mulan. After the success of Mulan, Disney gave Reynolds a 'six-year contract' deal to work for both Walt Disney Feature Animation and Pixar Animation Studios. Some later works with the "Mouse-House" included additional writing on the story for A Bug's Life, writer of the host segments on Fantasia 2000, and got his official writing debut with The Emperor's New Groove.

He went on to write with other writers on films like on Atlantis: The Lost Empire with Tab Murphy, The Jungle Book 2 with Karl Geurs and Evan Spiliotopoulos, and his most acclaimed work yet, Finding Nemo, with Andrew Stanton and Bob Peterson. He received numerous nominations and awards for Nemo, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, a BAFTA nomination for Best Original Screenplay, a Hugo Award nomination for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form, and a Nebula Award nomination for Best Script, and won an Annie for Writing in a Feature Production. Reynolds was attached to co-write, alongside Ken Kaufman, the 2006 animated film Curious George. His name was featured in the film’s trailer but was left uncredited in the film.[3]

His last movie credit was for working on Chimpanzee where he was a creative consultant and wrote the short film The Polar Bears in 2012. In 2007, Reynolds was slated to write a film adaptation of the book Nightmare Academy.[4] In 2010, it was reported that he was working at Sony Pictures Animation for a feature titled Futuropolis that would've been co-written and directed by Stephan Franck.[5] As of 2018, no updates have emerged for Nightmare Academy and Futuropolis. On June 7, 2015, Reynolds and New Groove director Mark Dindal attended a conversation event for the Austin Film Festival where they shared their knowledge, secrets, and strategies.

In 2021, Reynolds was announced as screenwriter for The Garfield Movie, along with the announcement that Chris Pratt would voice the titular character.[6] Writing alongside Paul A. Kaplan and Mark Torgove,[7] the film reunited Reynolds with New Groove director Mark Dindal. The film was released on May 24, 2024, and while it was met with mixed-to-negative reviews, the film was a box-office hit.

Filmography

Title Year Role
One More Saturday Night 1986 Actor: Russ Cadwell
Crime Story Actor: Driver #2 ("The War")
Soul Man Actor: Ernie
China Beach 1988 Actor: Pilot #1 ("Somewhere Over the Radio")
Raising Miranda Unknown ("Black Monday")
Late Night with Conan O'Brien 1993-94 Writer (230 episodes)
Dumb and Dumber: The Animated Series 1996 Writer:
  • Overbites in Paradise segment
Mulan 1998 Additional story material
A Bug's Life Additional writer: story
Saturday Night Live Writer:
  • Alec Baldwin/Luciano Pavarotti, Vanessa Williams (Saturday TV Funhouse segment)
Tarzan 1999 Additional screenplay material
Toy Story 2
Fantasia 2000 Writer: Live-Action segments (along with Don Hahn and Irene Mecchi)
TV Funhouse 2000 Writer:
  • Christmas Day (Globetrotters Christmas segment)
The Emperor's New Groove Screenplay, voice: Checkers Player
Atlantis: The Lost Empire 2001 Additional screenplay material
The Sweatbox 2002 Himself
The Jungle Book 2 2003 Additional written material
Finding Nemo Screenplay (along with Andrew Stanton and Bob Peterson)
Finding Nemo: Studio Tour of Pixar Himself
Chicken Little 2005 Additional dialogue
Sita Sings the Blues 2008 Donor
Toy Story 3 2010 Additional dialogue
Chimpanzee 2012 Creative consultant
The Polar Bears Screenplay
Aldabra: Once Upon an Island 2015 Creative consultant
Sprite Fright 2021 Short; special thanks
The Garfield Movie[6] 2024 Screenplay (along with Paul A. Kaplan and Mark Torgove), executive producer, lyricist for Lactose Farms Jingle (with Mark Dindal)

Unrealized projects

Awards and nominations

References

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