Chris Terrio

Last updated

Chris Terrio
Born (1976-12-31) December 31, 1976 (age 47)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma mater Harvard University
University of Cambridge
USC School of Cinematic Arts
Occupations
Years active2000–present

Chris Terrio (born December 31, 1976) is an American screenwriter and film director. He is best known for writing the screenplay for the 2012 film Argo , for which he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. [1] Terrio also won the Writers Guild Award for Best Adapted Screenplay of 2012 [2] and was nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay, a BAFTA, and the 2013 Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for this work.

Contents

Terrio wrote the screenplay for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice , the follow-up to Zack Snyder's Man of Steel , based on an earlier draft by David S. Goyer, and is credited as co-writer for the 2017 film Justice League , alongside Joss Whedon for the theatrical cut and Zack Snyder and Will Beall for the 2021 director's cut for Warner Bros. [3] He completed another screenplay, A Foreigner, based on an article by the journalist David Grann. Terrio also co-wrote the script for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker with director J. J. Abrams.

Early life and education

Terrio was raised in a Catholic family in Staten Island, and graduated from St. Joseph by the Sea High School. [4] [5] [6] He is of Italian, Irish, [7] and Acadian descent. [8] He graduated in 1997 from Harvard University, where he studied English literature and German phenomenology, lived in Adams House, and participated in the Harvard Radcliffe Dramatic Club and the Hasty Pudding Theatricals. [9]

Terrio attended University of Cambridge for his MLitt, [10] but eventually decided to enroll in film school. [5] He received his master's degree from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 2002. [11]

Career

Directing

At age 26, Terrio directed the feature film Heights (Sony Pictures Classics, 2005), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. It follows a pivotal twenty-four hours in the interconnected lives of five New Yorkers. It stars Glenn Close, Elizabeth Banks, James Marsden and Jesse Bradford, and features Isabella Rossellini, George Segal and Rufus Wainwright in small roles. It was one of the final films produced by Ismail Merchant and Richard Hawley. The film won a "Best Independent Feature Film Casting" award from the Casting Society of America, USA in 2005.

In 2010, he directed the episode "I Look Like Frankenstein", which was Episode 8 in Season 3 of Damages on FX.

In 2002, he directed, wrote and produced a short film titled Book of Kings, which starred Aasif Mandvi among others. It premiered at the first annual Tribeca Film Festival in 2002.[ citation needed ]

Screenwriting

Terrio wrote the script for Argo , winning the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the screenplay, and the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. His screenplay was also nominated for Best Screenplay awards from the Golden Globes and the BAFTA Awards. For the Argo screenplay, he also won Best Screenplay or Best Adapted Screenplay honors from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, the Online Film Critics Society Awards, the Austin Film Critics Association, the Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards, the San Diego Film Critics Society Awards, the Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards, the 2013 University of Southern California (USC) Scripter Award, and the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards. He loosely adapted the screenplay based on a Wired article by Joshuah Bearman titled "The Great Escape" and the memoir of Tony Mendez, The Master of Disguise, supplementing that material with extensive research of his own.

Terrio recalls the experience of writing a dialogue-intensive scene for Argo:

Scene 58--nine men sitting in a conference room talking through scenarios for cover stories to get Americans out of Iran--was difficult. There's nothing to cut to except the actors' faces. The tension has to come from the subtle shifts of power. CIA and State Department officials debate ideas, each worse than the last. I knew the crucial beat would come when our hero, Tony Mendez, speaks up. He couldn't seem disrespectful, yet he had to make his case. I settled on the idea that Mendez would throw a spitball into the conversation with a joke about giving the bicycle escapees Gatorade. The table would go silent. The attention of the room would shift to the court jester. I also had to determine whether Gatorade was on the market and a commonly recognized brand in December 1979. I celebrated when I found a magazine from the year before featuring a dehydrated athlete with a Village People moustache: 'Gatorade: When You're Thirsty to Win.' [12]

Terrio also had previously written the screenplays for two films he directed: the feature film Heights , which screened at the Sundance Film Festival, and the award-winning short film Book of Kings.

Terrio re-wrote David S. Goyer's script for Warner Bros.' Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), [13] and also wrote the screenplay for the ensemble film Justice League (2017). [14] On January 30, 2017, it was announced that Terrio had performed a re-write on Ben Affleck's script for an untitled Batman movie, which Affleck co-wrote with DCEU co-runner and producer Geoff Johns. [15]

Terrio has also been hired by Paramount Pictures and Indian Paintbrush to write the script for the drama A Murder Foretold, based on an article in The New Yorker by David Grann related to a number of high-profile murders in Guatemala. [16] Terrio hopes to direct his own screenplay.

Terrio has completed the adaptation of Harlan Coben's novel Tell No One for Warner Bros., with Ben Affleck being attached to direct. [17] Guillaume Canet has already directed a French film in an independent adaptation of this novel.

In addition, Terrio wrote a screenplay for a film adaptation of Richard II , which director James Ivory intends to film in 3D. [18]

On September 12, 2017, it was announced that Terrio would be co-writing the script for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker with director J. J. Abrams. The film was released on December 20, 2019. [19] [20]

On May 20, 2020, it was announced that Zack Snyder's Justice League will be released on HBO Max in 2021. Terrio is credited with the screenplay and story. [21]

Other work

Terrio has also edited the documentary short First Out.

He worked on the Ivory–Merchant films (directed by James Ivory) Le Divorce and The Golden Bowl . He was also previously an assistant to Ivory.

Terrio also served as an assistant director on the short film Equation, directed by Anuj Majumdar, and was also a grip on the short film Awake, directed by Lori Lovoy-Goran. She won a DGA Student Film Award and a SXSW Competition Award for her documentary short film In Between Days.

Filmography

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes
2002Book of KingsYesYesYesShort film; also editor
2005 Heights YesAdditionalNo Directorial debut
2010 Damages YesNoNoTelevision series (episode "I Look Like Frankenstein")
2012 Argo NoYesNo Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominated - BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay
2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice NoYesNo
2017 Justice League NoYesExecutive
2019 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker NoYesNoAlso voice cameo as "Aftab Ackbar"
2021 Zack Snyder's Justice League NoYesExecutiveDirector's cut of Justice League

Other credits

YearTitleRoleNotes
2000 The Golden Bowl Assistant to James Ivory
2002EquationAssistant directorShort film
2003 Le Divorce Electronic press kit
2004AwakeGripShort film
2006First OutEditor (segment "Meet Joe Gay")Documentary

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Affleck</span> American actor and filmmaker (born 1972)

Benjamin Géza Affleck is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educational series The Voyage of the Mimi (1984–1988). He later appeared in the independent comedy Dazed and Confused (1993) and several Kevin Smith comedies, including Chasing Amy (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David S. Goyer</span> American filmmaker, novelist, and comic book writer

David Samuel Goyer is an American filmmaker, novelist and comic book writer. He is best known for writing the screenplays for several superhero films, including Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (1998), the Blade trilogy (1998–2004), Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy (2005–2012), Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). He has also directed four films: Zig Zag (2002), Blade: Trinity (2004), The Invisible (2007) and The Unborn (2009). He is the creator of the science fiction television series Foundation which is loosely based upon the Foundation series written by Isaac Asimov.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Ivory</span> American film director (born 1928)

James Francis Ivory is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was a principal in Merchant Ivory Productions along with Indian film producer Ismail Merchant and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. The trio is known for making film adaptations of stories by authors such as E.M. Forster and Henry James. Their body of work is celebrated for its elegance, sophistication, literary fidelity, strong performances, complex themes, and rich characters.

<i>Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice</i> 2016 DC Comics superhero film

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a 2016 American superhero film based on the DC Comics characters Batman and Superman. Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, DC Entertainment, Atlas Entertainment, and Cruel and Unusual Films, and distributed by Warner Bros., it is a follow-up to the 2013 film Man of Steel and the second film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film was directed by Zack Snyder, written by Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer, and features an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck as Batman and Henry Cavill as Superman, alongside Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, and Gal Gadot. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the first live-action film to feature Batman and Superman together, as well as the first live-action cinematic portrayal of Wonder Woman. In the film, criminal mastermind Lex Luthor manipulates Batman into a preemptive battle with Superman, who Luthor is obsessed with destroying.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zack Snyder</span> American filmmaker (born 1966)

Zachary Edward Snyder is an American filmmaker. He made his feature film debut in 2004 with Dawn of the Dead, a remake of the 1978 horror film of the same name. Since then, he has directed or produced a number of comic book and superhero films, including 300 (2006) and Watchmen (2009), as well as the Superman film that started the DC Extended Universe, Man of Steel (2013), and its follow-ups, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017), the latter of which had a director's cut released in 2021. He also directed the animated film Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010), the psychological action film Sucker Punch (2011), the zombie heist film Army of the Dead (2021), and the two-parter space opera films Rebel Moon (2023) and Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver (2024).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Craig</span> American novelist and screenwriter

Peter Craig is an American novelist and screenwriter. He is best known for co-writing the screenplays to The Town (2010), The Batman, and Top Gun: Maverick, earning an Academy Award nomination for the lattermost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justice League in other media</span> Fictional superhero team

The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Since their first appearance in The Brave and the Bold #28, various incarnations of the team have appeared in film, television, and video game adaptations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman in film</span> Film adaptations of the DC superhero

The Batman franchise, based on the fictional superhero Batman who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, has seen the release of various films. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the character first starred in two serial films in the 1940s, Batman and Batman and Robin. The character also appeared in the 1966 film Batman, which was a feature film adaptation of the 1960s television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, who also starred in the film. Toward the end of the 1980s, the Warner Bros. studio began producing a series of feature films starring Batman, beginning with 1989's Batman, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton. Burton and Keaton returned for the 1992 sequel Batman Returns, and in 1995, Joel Schumacher directed Batman Forever, with Val Kilmer as Batman. Schumacher also directed the 1997 sequel Batman & Robin, which starred George Clooney. Batman & Robin was poorly received by both critics and fans, leading to the cancellation of a sequel titled Batman Unchained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman in film</span> Film adaptations of DC Comics Superman franchise

DC Comics's Superman franchise, based on the character of the same name created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in June 1938, has seen the release of various films since its inception. The character debuted in cinemas in a series of animated shorts beginning in 1941, and then was the protagonist of two movie serials in 1948 and 1950. An independent studio, Lippert Pictures, released the first Superman feature film, Superman and the Mole Men, starring George Reeves, in 1951. In 1973, the film rights to the Superman character were purchased by Ilya Salkind, Alexander Salkind, and Pierre Spengler. After numerous scripts and several years in development, Richard Donner was hired as their director, and he shot two films, Superman (1978), and Superman II (1980), at the same time, both starring Christopher Reeve. Donner had already shot eighty percent of Superman II before it was decided to finish shooting the first film. The Salkinds fired Donner after Superman's release and commissioned Richard Lester as the director to finish Superman II. Lester returned to direct Superman III (1983). The Salkinds also produced the related spin-off Supergirl (1984). They then sold the rights to Cannon Films, which produced the poorly reviewed Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). Ilya Salkind commissioned a fifth Superman script before Warner Bros. acquired the rights entirely in 1993.

<i>Argo</i> (2012 film) 2012 American historical drama thriller film by Ben Affleck

Argo is a 2012 American biographical historical drama thriller film directed, produced by, and starring Ben Affleck. The screenplay, written by Chris Terrio, was adapted from the 1999 memoir The Master of Disguise by U.S. C.I.A. operative Tony Mendez and the 2007 Wired article "The Great Escape: How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran" written by Joshuah Bearman and edited by Nicholas Thompson. The film deals with the "Canadian Caper", in which Mendez led the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Tehran, Iran, under the guise of filming a science-fiction film during the 1979–1981 Iran hostage crisis.

The 11th Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards were held on December 10, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Affleck filmography</span> List of films featuring Ben Affleck

American actor and filmmaker Ben Affleck began his career as a child, appearing in several television shows, including the PBS educational program The Voyage of the Mimi (1984). He played an antisemite in the sports film School Ties (1992) and featured as a regular on the television drama Against the Grain (1993). He gained attention for playing the supporting part of a high-school senior in Richard Linklater's cult film Dazed and Confused (1993), after which he had his first leading role in Rich Wilkes's comedy Glory Daze (1995). In 1997, Affleck played a comics artist in Smith's art-house success Chasing Amy. He co-wrote the script and starred with Matt Damon in Gus Van Sant's drama film Good Will Hunting, for which they won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

<i>The Flash</i> (film) 2023 superhero film by Andy Muschietti

The Flash is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash. Directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Christina Hodson and a story by Joby Harold and the writing team of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, it is the 13th film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Ezra Miller stars as Barry, who travels back in time to prevent his mother's death and becomes stranded in an alternate past. Sasha Calle also stars in her film debut, alongside Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, and Michael Keaton.

<i>Justice League</i> (film) 2017 film produced by DC Films

Justice League is a 2017 American superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name. Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Atlas Entertainment, and Cruel and Unusual Films, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the fifth installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Directed by Zack Snyder who was replaced by Joss Whedon after Snyder left the project and written by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon, the film features an ensemble cast including Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and J. K. Simmons. In the film, following the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) Batman and Wonder Woman recruit The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg after the death of Superman to save the world from the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Extended Universe</span> Shared fictional universe

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comics. The DCEU also includes comic books, short films, novels, and video games. Like the original DC Universe in comic books, the DCEU is established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.

The 2017 film Justice League had a troubled production history, undergoing major changes before and during production, including a change in directors. This resulted in the theatrical release being markedly different from its conception in pre-production and principal photography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Wayne (DC Extended Universe)</span> DC Extended Universe character

Bruce Wayne, also known by his superhero vigilante alias Batman, is a fictional character in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The character was portrayed by Ben Affleck in Zack Snyder's 2016 superhero film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the 2017 film Justice League, Suicide Squad (2016), and The Flash (2023). Fans nicknamed this iteration of the character "Batfleck", a portmanteau of "Batman" and "Affleck". In the films' universe, Bruce had already been active as Batman for twenty years before the emergence of Superman, and despite being initially at odds with him to the point of paranoia and anger, Batman comes to appreciate the former, starting the Justice League in his honor after Superman's sacrifice to stop Doomsday. The Justice League, under Wayne's leadership, fights to prevent Steppenwolf from collecting the three Mother Boxes and destroying Earth alongside his master Darkseid, eventually resurrecting Superman to aid in their collective efforts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Development of the DC Extended Universe</span>

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) media franchise has experienced a turbulent history since its inception in 2013, characterized by highly publicized clashes between studio executives and talent, constantly changing approaches to worldbuilding, and repeated changes in management. Warner Bros. Pictures originally announced plans for a shared universe of live-action films based on the DC Comics, starting with the release of Man of Steel (2013), with director Zack Snyder set to spearhead the franchise. Following the negative reception to Snyder's follow-up film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Warner Bros. created DC Films, a new division led by Geoff Johns and Jon Berg tasked with overseeing development of the DCEU. DC Films attempted to correct the course of the franchise, culminating in the troubled production and disastrous release of the crossover film Justice League (2017), which significantly deviated from Snyder's original vision.

The following is a list of unproduced Ben Affleck projects in roughly chronological order. During his long career, American filmmaker Ben Affleck has worked on several projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these projects fell in development hell, were officially canceled, were in development limbo or would see life under a different production team.

References

  1. ↑ Pulver, Andrew (February 25, 2013). "Oscars 2013: Chris Terrio wins best adapted screenplay for Argo". The Guardian . Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  2. ↑ Finke, Nikki (February 17, 2013). "WGA Awards Winners: 'Zero Dark Thirty's Mark Boal, 'Argo's Chris Terrio, 'Breaking Bad', 'Louie', 'Girls', 'Portlandia', 'Searching For Sugar Man's Malik Bendjelloul (Live)". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Warner Bros. confirms Lex Luthor and a 'Wonder Woman' character for 'Justice League'". batman-news.com. December 22, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  4. ↑ Staten Island native Chris Terrio wins the Oscar for "Argo" screenplay Retrieved January 6, 2021
  5. 1 2 Benson, Sheila (October 9, 2006). "Chris Terrio". Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  6. ↑ Fox, Michael. "Heights Director Taps into Jewish Neuroses". interfaithfamily. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Affleck Responds to Why a Non-Latino (Him) Played Latino Hero in ARGO". Latino Rebels. December 11, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  8. ↑ movie Acadie Américaine by Monique LeBlanc, 2014
  9. ↑ Peterson, Susan (February 27, 1997). "New Scholarship Brings Harvard-Cambridge Total to Four". Harvard Gazette. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  10. ↑ Mapes, Marty (June 26, 2005). "Interview with Chris Terrio". Movie Habit. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Hot Sheet August 2012". USC Cinematic Arts. August 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  12. ↑ Buchanan, Kyle (December 20, 2012). "The Toughest Scene I Wrote: Screenwriter Chris Terrio on Argo". Vulture. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  13. ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (December 18, 2013). "Batman-Superman Film Enlists 'Argo' Writer (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter .
  14. ↑ Kroll, Justin (July 25, 2014). "Warners Eyes Chris Terrio for 'Justice League'". Variety .
  15. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 31, 2017). "Ben Affleck Not Directing Batman". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  16. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 13, 2011). "Chris Terrio To Write 'A Murder Foretold' For Paramount And Indian Paintbrush". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  17. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 15, 2011). "Ben Affleck To Turn French-Flavored Harlan Coben Novel 'Tell No One' Into Feature" . Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  18. ↑ McKittrick, Christopher (May 15, 2017). "James Ivory on Screenwriting" . Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  19. ↑ Kroll, Justin (September 12, 2017). "J. J. Abrams to Replace Colin Trevorrow as Director of 'Star Wars: Episode IX'" . Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  20. ↑ Kroll, Justin. "'Star Wars: Episode IX' Release Date Moves to December 2019". Variety . Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  21. ↑ "HBO Max to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut". Warner Media. May 20, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.