Rob Edwards (screenwriter)

Last updated
Rob Edwards
Rob Edwards at CHO Dinner.jpg
Rob Edwards at CHO Awards Dinner
Born (1963-06-22) June 22, 1963 (age 61)
Notable work The Princess and the Frog
Treasure Planet [1] [2]
SpouseMichele
Children2

Rob Edwards (born June 22, 1963) is an American television and feature film screenwriter and producer. His writing includes the Disney animated feature films Treasure Planet [2] and The Princess and the Frog , both of which were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. [1] In 2009, along with Ron Clements and John Musker, Edwards was awarded the Best Screenplay award from the African-American Film Critics Association for The Princess and the Frog. [3]

Contents

Early career

After graduating from the Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Edwards attended Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts in the Transmedia Department. [4]

Edwards moved to Los Angeles following graduation and gained success as a television writer. After writing for the long-running ABC-TV series Full House , Edwards went on to become a writer, story editor, and consultant for several prime time series including Bill Cosby's A Different World and the Golden Globe nominated The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air .

Edwards was also an Emmy Award nominee for the long-running sketch comedy show In Living Color . [5]

Edwards is also credited with creating the NBC sitcom Out All Night which starred Patti LaBelle, Morris Chestnut and Vivica A. Fox. Throughout the 1990s, Edwards wrote and produced for television networks and on series including Roc , The Parent 'Hood , and In the House . [6]

Film

Edwards next shifted his focus to feature films and joined Walt Disney Animation Studios as a writer. His first film, Treasure Planet , was released in 2002 and starred a voice cast that included Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Martin Short, Emma Thompson, Patrick McGoohan, as well as famed voice-over actors Corey Burton and Tony Jay. [7] Though the film fared poorly at the box office, [8] it was a critical success [9] for Edwards and went on to earn eight Annie Award nominations [10] and an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature. [11]

Edwards returned to the screen with 2009's The Princess and the Frog , a critical [12] and box office success. [13] The film was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Animated Feature Oscar. [14]

On both films, Edwards worked with the Disney Animation team of Ron Clements and John Musker ( The Little Mermaid , Aladdin ).[ citation needed ] In 2011, Variety reported that Edwards was collaborating on projects with producers Robert Zemeckis, Bob Cooper, Jack Rapke and with Will Smith, Dan Fogelman, and Reggie Hudlin. [15] In October 2021, Edwards was announced to write the script and make his directorial debut on the animated film Sneaks . [16]

Filmography

YearTitleCreditDirector
2001 WaSanGo executive producer Tae-gyun Kim
2002 Treasure Planet writer (screenplay) Ron Clements, John Musker
2009 The Princess and the Frog writer (screenplay), actor (voice)Ron Clements, John Musker
2025 Captain America: Brave New World story Julius Onah
Sneaks writer (screenplay), directorRob Edwards
The King of Kings writer (screenplay)Seong-ho Jang
TBAAn Animated American [15] writer (screenplay)TBD
Amulet [15] writer (screenplay)TBD

Television

Related Research Articles

<i>Hercules</i> (1997 film) American animated musical fantasy film

Hercules is a 1997 American animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation for Walt Disney Pictures. It is loosely based on the legendary hero Heracles, a son of Zeus in Greek mythology. The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, both of whom also produced the film with Alice Dewey Goldstone. The screenplay was written by Clements, Musker, Donald McEnery, Bob Shaw, and Irene Mecchi. Featuring the voices of Tate Donovan, Danny DeVito, James Woods, and Susan Egan, the film follows the titular Hercules, a demigod with super-strength raised among mortals, who must learn to become a true hero in order to earn back his godhood and place in Mount Olympus, while his evil uncle Hades plots his downfall.

<i>The Little Mermaid</i> (1989 film) Animated Disney film

The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation in association with Silver Screen Partners IV and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is loosely based on the 1837 Danish fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen. The film was written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements and produced by Musker and Howard Ashman, who also wrote the film's songs with Alan Menken, who also composed the film's score. Featuring the voices of René Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Paddi Edwards, Buddy Hackett, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars, Ben Wright, and Samuel E. Wright, The Little Mermaid tells the story of a teenage mermaid princess named Ariel, who dreams of becoming human and falls in love with a human prince named Eric, which leads her to make a magic deal with the sea witch, Ursula, to become human and be with him.

<i>Treasure Planet</i> 2002 film by John Musker and Ron Clements

Treasure Planet is a 2002 American animated science fiction adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is a science fiction adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's adventure novel Treasure Island (1883), and it is the third retelling of the story in an outer space setting, following the Bulgarian film Treasure Planet (1982) and the Italian miniseries Treasure Island in Outer Space (1987). It is the third Disney adaptation of the novel, following Treasure Island (1950) and Muppet Treasure Island (1996). In the film's setting, spaceships are powered by solar sails and resemble the 18th-century sailing vessels of the original Treasure Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Disney Animation Studios</span> American animation studio

Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene from its first synchronized sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie (1928). Founded on October 16, 1923, by brothers Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney after the closure of Laugh-O-Gram Studio, it is the longest-running animation studio in the world. It is currently organized as a division of Walt Disney Studios and is headquartered at the Roy E. Disney Animation Building at the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California. Since its foundation, the studio has produced 63 feature films, with its first release being Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), which is also the first hand drawn animated feature film, and its most recent release was Moana 2 (2024). The studio has also produced hundreds of short films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rich Moore</span> American film director

Richard L. Moore is an American film and television animation director, screenwriter and voice actor. He is best known for serving as a director on primetime animated television series such as The Simpsons, The Critic and Futurama as well as directing the films Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Zootopia (2016) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) for Walt Disney Animation Studios. He is a two-time Emmy Award winner, a three-time Annie Award winner and an Academy Award winner.

<i>Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer</i> 1985 film by Kimio Yabuki, Bernard Deyriès

Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer is a 1985 American animated fantasy film directed by Bernard Deyriès and Kimio Yabuki. The film was produced by DIC Enterprises, Inc. and Hallmark Cards, and was released in the United States on November 15, 1985 by Warner Bros. It is the only film to feature the greeting card character Rainbow Brite; she also appeared in a few television specials prior to its release, and later in a Kideo TV series. In the film, Rainbow Brite tries to bring spring to an Earth that is already facing a perpetual winter. She must stop a wicked princess who wants all of Spectra, a planet-sized diamond through which all the light in the universe must pass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Clements</span> American animation filmmaker (born 1953)

Ronald Francis Clements is an American animator, film director, screenwriter, and film producer. He often collaborates with fellow director John Musker and is best known for writing and directing the Disney animated films The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997), Treasure Planet (2002), The Princess and the Frog (2009), Gigglebiz (2009-2015) and Moana (2016).

<i>Enchanted</i> (film) 2007 film directed by Kevin Lima

Enchanted is a 2007 American live-action/animated hybrid musical fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Kevin Lima and written by Bill Kelly. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Josephson Entertainment, and Right Coast Productions, the film stars Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Timothy Spall, Idina Menzel, and Susan Sarandon, with Julie Andrews as the narrator. It focuses on an archetypal Disney princess-to-be named Giselle, who is exiled from her animated world into the live-action world of New York City metropolitan area.

<i>The Princess and the Frog</i> 2009 Disney animated film

The Princess and the Frog is a 2009 American animated musical romantic fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is inspired in part by the 2002 novel The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker, which in turn is based on the German folk tale "The Frog Prince" as collected by the Brothers Grimm. The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements and produced by Peter Del Vecho, from a screenplay that Clements and Musker co-wrote with Rob Edwards. The directors also co-wrote the story with the writing team of Greg Erb and Jason Oremland. The film stars the voices of Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jim Cummings, Jennifer Cody, John Goodman, Keith David, Peter Bartlett, Jenifer Lewis, Oprah Winfrey, and Terrence Howard. Set in New Orleans during the 1920s, the film tells the story of a hardworking waitress named Tiana who dreams of opening her own restaurant. After kissing prince Naveen, who has been turned into a frog by the evil voodoo witch doctor Facilier, Tiana becomes a frog as well and the two must find a way to turn human again before it is too late.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Musker</span> American animation filmmaker (born 1953)

John Edward Musker is an American animator, film director, screenwriter, and film producer. He often collaborates with fellow director Ron Clements and is best known for writing and directing the Disney animated films The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997), Treasure Planet (2002), The Princess and the Frog (2009), and Moana (2016).

Tiana (<i>The Princess and the Frog</i>) Fictional character from Disneys 2009 animated film The Princess and the Frog

Tiana is a fictional character in Walt Disney Pictures' animated film The Princess and the Frog (2009). Created by writers and directors Ron Clements and John Musker and animated by Mark Henn, Tiana is voiced by Anika Noni Rose, with Elizabeth M. Dampier voicing the character as a child. She will appear in the Disney+ series Tiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney Renaissance</span> Period of Disney animated films, 1989–1999

The Disney Renaissance was a period from 1989 to 1999 during which Walt Disney Feature Animation returned to producing critically and commercially successful animated films. The ten feature films associated with this period are The Little Mermaid (1989), The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Mulan (1998), and Tarzan (1999).

<i>Toy Story</i> (franchise) Disney media franchise created by Pixar

Toy Story is an American media franchise created by Pixar Animation Studios and owned by The Walt Disney Company. It centers on toys that, unknown to humans, are secretly living, sentient creatures. It began in 1995 with the release of the animated feature film of the same name, which focuses on a diverse group of toys featuring a classic cowboy doll named Sheriff Woody and a modern spaceman action figure named Buzz Lightyear.

<i>Waking Sleeping Beauty</i> 2009 American film

Waking Sleeping Beauty is a 2009 American documentary film directed by Disney film producer Don Hahn and produced by Hahn and former Disney executive Peter Schneider. The film documents the history of Walt Disney Feature Animation from 1984 to 1994, covering the rise of a period referred to as the Disney Renaissance.

<i>Moana</i> (2016 film) Animated Disney film by John Musker and Ron Clements

Moana is a 2016 American animated musical fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, co-directed by Chris Williams and Don Hall, and produced by Osnat Shurer, from a screenplay written by Jared Bush, and based on a story conceived by Clements, Musker, Williams, Hall, Pamela Ribon, and the writing team of Aaron Kandell and Jordan Kandell.

References

  1. 1 2 "Rob Edwards on IMDb". IMDb . Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  2. 1 2 Lee, Alana (2003). "Interview with Rob Edwards". BBC Home. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  3. "African-American Film Critics Association Picks 'Precious'". 16 December 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  4. "Alumni | Syracuse University College of Visual and Performing Arts". Archived from the original on 8 January 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  5. ""In Living Color" Emmy Award History" . Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  6. "Rob Edwards Biography, filmreference.com" . Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  7. "Treasure Planet on IMDb". IMDb . Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  8. "The 25 Biggest Box Office Bombs of All Time Adjusted for Inflation". 15 August 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  9. "Treasure Planet on RottenTomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  10. "30th Annie Awards" . Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  11. "75th Academy Awards Winners" . Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  12. "The Princess and the Frog on RottenTomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  13. "The Princess and the Frog on Box Office Mojo" . Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  14. "Nominess & Winners for the 82nd Academy Awards" . Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  15. 1 2 3 Kroll, Justin (May 17, 2011). "'Princess' scribe lands pic pair". Variety.com. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  16. Grobar, Matt (2021-10-27). "Laurence Fishburne's Animated Feature 'Sneaks' Adds Grammy Winners Roddy Ricch, Ella Mai & Macy Gray, Swae Lee And NBA Star Chris Paul". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-03-25.