Oren Uziel
American film screenwriter
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Oren Uziel (born June 28, 1974) is an American film screenwriter, director, and producer best known for his work on Mortal Kombat: Rebirth (2010), 22 Jump Street (2014), The Cloverfield Paradox (2018), and The Lost City (2022).
- Film screenwriter
- Director
- Producer
Oren Uziel | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 28, 1974 Evanston, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Notable work | |
Early life
Oren Uziel was born on June 28, 1974, in Evanston, Illinois.[1]
Career
In April 2010, Uziel began his career when he co-wrote the fan film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth,[2][3] which led to New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. hiring him to script a feature-length Mortal Kombat film in September 2011.[4][5] After languishing in development hell for nearly a decade, the film was eventually released in April 2021, with Uziel credited as a co-story writer.[6] In December 2010, his screenplay for the comedy horror film The Kitchen Sink appeared on The Black List,[7] before being picked up by Sony Pictures in February 2012[8] and eventually released as Freaks of Nature in October 2015.[9] In 2011, he scripted the horror film Shimmer Lake,[10][11] which he eventually directed in 2016, making his directorial debut.[12]
In November 2012, he wrote the screenplay for the science fiction horror film God Particle, which was eventually released in February 2018 as The Cloverfield Paradox.[11][10] In May 2013, he was writing the screenplay for Men in Black 4.[13] In September 2013, he scripted the action comedy film 22 Jump Street.[14] In December 2013, he teamed up with John Krasinski to write an action-adventure film for Warner Bros.[15] In April 2018, he wrote a draft for the action comedy film Borderlands,[16][17] but after several rewrites, he was officially credited for "additional literary material".[18] In August 2018, he wrote a screenplay for a Supergirl film.[19][20] In January 2019, he was writing the sequel to Detective Pikachu,[21][22] however he eventually left the project by February 2023.[23]
In April 2019, he co-wrote the screenplays for Sonic the Hedgehog and Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, but went uncredited in the former.[24][25][26] In September 2019, he was hired to write a Face/Off remake,[27] however he eventually left the project by February 2021.[28] In October 2020, he drafted the screenplay for the romantic comedy film The Lost City,[29][30] prior to providing additional literary material for Strays,[31][32] Kraven the Hunter,[33] Sonic the Hedgehog 3,[34] and A Minecraft Movie.[35] In August 2022, he wrote the screenplay for a Clue remake.[36] In February 2023, he was hired as showrunner and executive producer on the superhero streaming series Spider-Noir.[37][38] In April 2023, he was hired to draft the screenplay for Fast Forever, alongside Christina Hodson.[39][40][41] However, by June 2024, they were replaced by Zach Dean.[42]
Filmography
Feature films
| Year | Title | Director | Notes/Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 22 Jump Street | Phil Lord Christopher Miller |
[14] |
| 2015 | Freaks of Nature | Robbie Pickering | [9] |
| 2017 | Shimmer Lake | Himself | [12] |
| 2018 | The Cloverfield Paradox | Julius Onah | [11] |
| 2020 | Sonic the Hedgehog | Jeff Fowler | Uncredited screenwriter[24] |
| 2021 | Mortal Kombat | Simon McQuoid | Story only[6] |
| Escape Room: Tournament of Champions | Adam Robitel | Also co-producer[26] | |
| 2022 | The Lost City | Aaron and Adam Nee | [30] |
Additional literary material only
- Strays (2023)[31][32]
- Borderlands (2024)[18]
- Kraven the Hunter (2024)[33]
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)[34]
- A Minecraft Movie (2025)[35]
Short films
| Year | Title | Director | Notes/Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Mortal Kombat: Rebirth | Kevin Tancharoen | [3] |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Notes/Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Mortal Kombat: Legacy | Kevin Tancharoen | Episode: "Scorpion and Sub-Zero II (Part 2)" |
| 2026 | Spider-Noir † | Various | Post-production 8 episodes Also executive producer, developer and showrunner[43] |