Worst Screenwriters
by dannyanaylor | created - 13 May 2020 | updated - 14 Dec 2022 | PublicInsipid dialogue, stupid plots, and more cinematic crime can be linked to these audacious writers.
1. Brian Taylor
Writer | Crank
Brian Taylor grew up in the suburban wastelands of Southern California. After a gloriously well-spent youth traveling around the world in punk bands he took an abrupt change of direction in the early naughts, enrolling in a ten-month film program to study camera. Brian wrote, shot and edited what ...
2. Justin Haythe
Writer | Revolutionary Road
Justin Haythe is known for Revolutionary Road (2008), The Lone Ranger (2013) and A Cure for Wellness (2016).
3. Phil Hay
Writer | Destroyer
Phil Hay is a screenwriter and producer who works in partnership with Matt Manfredi. Together with director Karyn Kusama, the pair has made the critically-acclaimed films The Invitation (2015) and Destroyer (2018), the latter of which premiered at Telluride in 2018, garnered Nicole Kidman a Golden ...
4. Matt Manfredi
Writer | The Invitation
Matt Manfredi is a screenwriter, producer, and director. His credits, with writing partner Phil Hay, include The Invitation (2015), crazy/beautiful (2001), Ride Along (2014), Ride Along 2 (2016), and Clash of the Titans (2010). Manfredi and Hay also directed the independent feature Bug (2002), ...
5. Tom Vaughan
Writer | Winchester
Tom Vaughan was born on October 9, 1969 in the USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Winchester (2018), Unstoppable (2004) and Playing House (2011).
6. Michael Spierig
Director | Predestination
Michael Spierig was born in Germany. He is known for Predestination (2014), Daybreakers (2009) and Winchester (2018).
7. Peter Spierig
Director | Predestination
Peter Spierig was born in Germany. He is known for Predestination (2014), Daybreakers (2009) and Undead (2003).
8. Rafael Moreu
Writer | Hackers
Rafael was born and raised in Miami, Florida. His earliest memories of influence as a young artist are of standing eye-level to his father's architectural drafting table to watch blueprints take three-dimensional form as buildings, and of adding the finishing brush strokes to his mother's paintings...
9. Evan Spiliotopoulos
Writer | Beauty and the Beast
Evan Spiliotopoulos is known for Beauty and the Beast (2017), The Unholy (2021) and The Pope's Exorcist (2023).
10. Craig Mazin
Writer | Chernobyl
Craig Mazin was born on April 8, 1971 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Chernobyl (2019), The Last of Us (2023) and Mythic Quest (2020).
11. Kaori Okamura
Writer | Makai toshi: Shinjuku
Kaori Okamura is known for Demon City Shinjuku (1988) and Madonna (1988).
12. Linda Woolverton
Writer | Maleficent
Linda Woolverton was born in Long Beach, California, graduating from high school in 1969 and having been an honors student in her schools theater program. She enrolled at California State University, Long Beach, graduating with a BFA in Theater Arts in 1973. She worked full-time for a year in the ...
13. Noah Harpster
Actor | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Noah Harpster was born in California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019), For All Mankind (2019) and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019).
14. Micah Fitzerman-Blue
Producer | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Micah Fitzerman-Blue was born on June 17, 1982 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. Micah is a producer and writer, known for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019), Transparent (2014) and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019).
15. Mark Steven Johnson
Director | Finding Steve McQueen
Mark Steven Johnson is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is known for writing and directing the hit Marvel films "Daredevil" and "Ghost Rider" as well as writing "Grumpy Old Men" and its successful sequel "Grumpier Old Men." Johnson recently wrote, directed and produced "Love...
16. Mark Gatiss
Actor | The League of Gentlemen
Mark Gatiss is an accomplished author, actor and playwright. Originally from Sedgefield, County Durham, he graduated from Bretton Hall Drama College with a BA (honors) in Theatre Arts.
He was one-quarter of the award-winning comedy team The League of Gentlemen (1999), and became heavily involved in ...
17. Steven Moffat
Writer | Sherlock
Steven Moffat was born on November 18, 1961 in Paisley, Scotland, UK. He is a writer and producer, known for Sherlock (2010), Doctor Who (2005) and The Adventures of Tintin (2011). He has been married to Sue Vertue since 1999. They have two children. He was previously married to Maggie.
18. Steven Knight
Writer | Locke
Steven Knight is a British screenwriter and film director. He is best known for screenplays he wrote for the films Dirty Pretty Things (2002) and Eastern Promises (2007), and also directed as well as written the film Locke (2013).
Knight is also one of three creators of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire...
19. Geoff Johns
Writer | The Flash
Geoff Johns is an American comic book and television writer, film and television producer.
He is the Chief Creative Officer at DC Comics, a position he has served in since 2010. His most notable work in different media has used the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, The Flash and Superman.
...
20. Kazuki Nakashima
Writer | Kamen raidâ × Kamen raidâ Wizâdo & Fôze: Movie taisen arutimeitamu
Kazuki Nakashima is known for Kamen Rider Movie War Ultimatum: Kamen Rider vs. Kamen Rider Wizard & Fourze (2012), BNA (2020) and Kamen Rider Movie War Mega Max: Kamen Rider vs. Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO (2011).
21. Leo Chu
Producer | Supah Ninjas
Leo Chu is known for Supah Ninjas (2011), Alexa & Katie (2018) and Batman Ninja (2018).
22. Eric Garcia
Producer | Supah Ninjas
Eric Garcia is known for Supah Ninjas (2011), Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion (2022) and Alexa & Katie (2018).
23. Pat Casey
Writer | Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Patrick Casey is a writer and producer originally from Bloomington, Minnesota. After working in community television as a teenager, he graduated from Boston University before moving to California. He often collaborates with Josh Miller. He is best known for his work on the Fox animated series '...
24. Josh Miller
Writer | Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Josh Miller was born on September 23, 1978 in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022), Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and Violent Night (2022).
25. Brett Neveu
Writer | Night's End
Film/TV productions include Eric LaRue (dir. Michael Shannon) with Big Indie Pictures, Brace Cove Productions and CaliWood Pictures, Night's End (dir. Jennifer Reeder) with Shudder/AMC, the short Convo with Breakwall Pictures and the feature The Earl with Intermission Productions. Upcoming theatre ...
26. Anthony Jaswinski
Writer | The Shallows
Anthony Jaswinski is known for The Shallows (2016), Vanishing on 7th Street (2010) and Killing Time (2002).
27. Adam Sztykiel
Writer | Black Adam
Adam John Sztykiel is an American actor, producer, and screenwriter, working in Hollywood. He was born on 9 January 1978 at Detroit, Michigan, and completed his education at the University of Southern California. He is famous as a writer and actor in Rampage (2018). He also worked on Undateable, ...
28. Jonathan Hensleigh
Writer | Armageddon
One of the most prolific screenwriters in the action/adventure genre, Jonathan started his career writing episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992) for George Lucas and ABC. He wrote Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), re-conceived from his original spec script "Simon Says". He followed ...
29. J.J. Abrams
Producer | Lost
Jeffrey Jacob Abrams was born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles, the son of TV producer parents. At 15, he wrote the music for Don Dohler's Nightbeast (1982). In his senior year of college, he and Jill Mazursky teamed up to write a feature film, which became Taking Care of Business (1990)....
30. Tony Gilroy
Writer | Michael Clayton
Tony Gilroy was born in Manhattan, New York, New York, USA; and raised in upstate New York. His father, Frank D. Gilroy, was a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, director, and screenwriter. Tony has penned many films, including The Devil's Advocate (1997) and The Cutting Edge (1992).
31. Shane Salerno
Writer | Armageddon
Shane Salerno is the co-screenwriter of the forthcoming Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), Avatar 3 (2025), Avatar 4 (2029), Avatar 5 (2031) produced and directed by Oscar winner James Cameron. He has been a professional screenwriter since the age of 19. In the years that have followed Detour ...
32. Robert Roy Pool
Writer | Armageddon
Robert Roy Pool is known for Armageddon (1998), Outbreak (1995) and The Big Town (1987).
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