Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver | |
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Born | Rick Jaffa May 8, 1956 Dallas County, Texas, U.S. Amanda Silver May 24, 1963 New York City, U.S. |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1992–present |
Children | 2 |
Rick Jaffa (born May 8, 1956) and Amanda Silver (born May 24, 1963) are an American husband-and-wife screenwriting and film production duo. [1]
A married couple since 1989 who have been working together since 1992, they came to prominence for writing and producing the Planet of the Apes reboot Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), and co-wrote and produced its subsequent sequels Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024). They were also co-writers on Jurassic World (2015), In the Heart of the Sea (2015) and Mulan (2020).
In 2013, the two were announced as co-writers of all four sequels to James Cameron's 2009 film Avatar , starting with Avatar: The Way of Water , [2] which was theatrically released in 2022. [3]
Jaffa and Silver have been married since 1989 and have two children. Silver is the sister of actor Michael B. Silver and the granddaughter of screenwriter and producer Sidney Buchman. [4] In 2015, she was named one of the "Most Influential Women In Hollywood" by Elle Magazine . [5]
Year | Title | Functioned as | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | |||
1992 | The Hand That Rocks the Cradle | Yes (Silver) | Executive (Jaffa) | |
1993 | Fallen Angels | Yes (Silver) | No | TV series, episode "Murder, Obliquely" |
1996 | Eye for an Eye | Yes | No | |
1997 | The Relic | Yes | No | |
2010 | Love Shack | No | Yes | Also featured in cameos |
2011 | Rise of the Planet of the Apes | Yes | Yes | |
2014 | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes | Yes | Yes | |
2015 | Jurassic World | Yes | No | |
In the Heart of the Sea | Story | No | ||
2017 | War for the Planet of the Apes | No | Yes | |
2020 | Mulan | Yes | No | |
2022 | Avatar: The Way of Water | Yes | No | |
2024 | Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes | No | Yes | Post-production |
2025 | Avatar 3 | Yes | No | Post-production |
2029 | Avatar 4 | Story | No | Filming |
2031 | Avatar 5 | Story | No | Pre-production |
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Planet of the Apes is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on French author Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel La Planète des singes, translated into English as Planet of the Apes or Monkey Planet. Its 1968 film adaptation, Planet of the Apes, was a critical and commercial hit, initiating a series of sequels, tie-ins, and derivative works. Arthur P. Jacobs produced the first five Apes films through APJAC Productions for distributor 20th Century Fox; following his death in 1973, Fox controlled the franchise.
Avatar: The Way of Water is a 2022 American epic science fiction film directed and co-produced by James Cameron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver from a story the trio wrote with Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno. Distributed by 20th Century Studios, it is the sequel to Avatar (2009) and the second installment in the Avatar franchise. It features Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao and Matt Gerald reprising their roles from the first film, with Sigourney Weaver returning in an additional role and Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Trinity Bliss, Jamie Flatters, Britain Dalton, and Jack Champion joining the cast. It follows a blue-skinned humanoid Na'vi named Jake Sully (Worthington) as he and his family, under renewed human threat, seek refuge with the aquatic Metkayina clan of Pandora, a habitable exomoon on which they live.
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Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a 2011 American science fiction action film directed by Rupert Wyatt and written by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. It is a reboot of the Planet of the Apes film series and its seventh film overall. The film stars Andy Serkis as Caesar, alongside James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, and David Oyelowo. In the film, Caesar, a chimpanzee genetically enhanced and raised by William Rodman (Franco), goes from living in captivity to eventually leading an ape uprising against humanity.
Avatar 3 is an upcoming American epic science fiction film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. Distributed by 20th Century Studios, it is the third film in Cameron's Avatar franchise, and a sequel to Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). Cameron is producing the film with Jon Landau. Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Josh Friedman, and Shane Salerno were involved in the writing process. Cast members Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jemaine Clement, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, and Filip Geljo reprise their roles from previous films, with Michelle Yeoh, David Thewlis, and Oona Chaplin portraying new characters. In 2018, several titles for the Avatar sequels reportedly leaked, which included the accurate title The Way of Water. Landau says not to expect Avatar 5, or any of the rest, to line up: "We have decided on titles, but I would not go by those other three titles that were out there. You know, if you roll the dice one in six times, you'll pick the right number."
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a 2014 American science fiction action film directed by Matt Reeves and written by Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. The sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), it is the second installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise and the eighth film overall. It stars Andy Serkis as Caesar, alongside Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. In Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, human survivors battle to stay alive in the wake of a deadly pandemic, while Caesar tries to maintain control over his expanding ape community which could lead to an all-out war between apes and humans.
Avatar is an American media franchise created by James Cameron. It centers on a series of epic science fiction films produced by Lightstorm Entertainment and distributed by 20th Century Studios, and consists of associated merchandise, video games, and theme park attractions. Avatar is set in the mid-22nd century on Pandora, a lush habitable moon of a gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system. The film's central conflict is between the indigenous Na'vi led by Jake Sully and Neytiri, and humans led by Colonel Miles Quaritch from the Resources Development Administration (RDA), a megacorp which has arrived on Pandora to colonize and pillage it for its natural resources. The title of the series refers to the genetically engineered Na'vi body operated from the brain that humans pilot to interact with on Pandora.
War for the Planet of the Apes is a 2017 American science fiction action film directed by Matt Reeves, who co-wrote it with Mark Bomback. The sequel to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), it is the third installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise and the ninth film overall. It stars Andy Serkis as Caesar, alongside Woody Harrelson and Steve Zahn. In the film, conflict between apes and humans has escalated into full war, and Caesar sets out to avenge those he has lost.
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Avatar 4 is an upcoming American epic science fiction film co-written, co-edited, co-produced and directed by James Cameron. Distributed by 20th Century Studios, it will be the sequel to the upcoming 2025 Avatar 3, and the fourth installment in the Avatar franchise. It will star Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña, among others from the original cast, reprising their roles. The screenplay is written by James Cameron and Josh Friedman. Cameron stated that Avatar: The Tulkun Rider is being considered as a possible title for the film.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is an upcoming American science fiction action film directed by Wes Ball and written by Josh Friedman. The sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), it is the fourth installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise and the tenth film overall. The film stars Owen Teague in the lead role alongside Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy.