Scott Teems

Last updated

Scott Teems
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
  • producer
Years active2009–present

Scott Teems is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his work on That Evening Sun (2009), The Quarry (2020), Halloween Kills (2021), Firestarter (2022) and Insidious: The Red Door (2023).

Contents

Career

In 2009, Teems started his career by directing and writing the drama film That Evening Sun . [1] In February 2012, Teems signed on to script a film version of Cutting for Stone . [2] In October 2012, he was attached to script Scott Derrickson's horror film The Breathing Method, based on Stephen King's novella of the same name. [3] In 2014, he wrote and directed the documentary film Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey . [4] By 2016, he scripted six episodes for the drama series Rectify , directing two of them. [5]

In November 2018, he drafted the script for an episode of Narcos: Mexico . [6] In 2020, he directed the mystery thriller film The Quarry , from a screenplay he wrote alongside Andrew Brotzman. [7] He wrote the script and story for horror sequel Halloween Kills (2021), [8] and also scripted the horror-thriller remake Firestarter , released in 2022. [9] [10]

In July 2019, Teems drafted the story for David Gordon Green's The Exorcist: Believer . [11] [12] In October 2020, he was brought on board to script Insidious: The Red Door . [13] [14]

Filmography

Short film

YearTitleDirectorWriterExecutive
Producer
EditorNotes
2004Root.YesYesNoNo
2006Le ChaseYesNoNoYesCo-directed with Charlie Shahnaian
2007A Death in the WoodsYesYesNoYes
2012The Network Effect Featuring Dr. Steven ShepardYesNoNoNoDocumentary short
2018Interpreting TwainNoNoYesNo

Feature film

YearTitleDirectorWriterExecutive
Producer
NotesRef.
2009 That Evening Sun YesYesNo [15]
2014 Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey YesYesYesDocumentary film [16]
2020 The Quarry YesYesNo [7]
2021 Halloween Kills NoYesNo [8]
2022 Firestarter NoYesYes [9] [17]
2023 Insidious: The Red Door NoYesNo [18]
The Exorcist: Believer NoStoryNo [19]

Television

YearTitleDirectorWriterExecutive
Producer
NotesRef.
2014–16 Rectify YesYesYes6 episodes [5]
2018 Narcos: Mexico NoYesYesEpisode: "Rafa, Rafa, Rafa" [6]

Accolades

For That Evening Sun, he won awards at the 2006 IFP Market Award for "Emerging Narrative Screenplay Award", [20] the 2009 Atlanta Film Festival for "Jury Award for Best Narrative", [21] the 2009 Newport International Film Festival for "Special Narrative Feature Jury Prize" and "Student Jury Narrative Grand Prize", [22] and the 2009 Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival for "Best Director". [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Gordon Green</span> American filmmaker

David Gordon Green is an American filmmaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regan MacNeil</span> Fictional character from The Exorcist franchise

Regan Teresa MacNeil is a fictional character in the 1971 novel The Exorcist and one of the supporting characters in its 1973 film adaptation and the 1977 film Exorcist II: The Heretic, while being one of the main protagonists in the first season of the television series The Exorcist (2016–2017). She was portrayed by Linda Blair in both films and by Geena Davis in the television series. Blair reprised the role in the 2023 film, The Exorcist: Believer.

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

Scott Derrickson is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work in the horror genre, directing films such as The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005), Sinister (2012) and The Black Phone (2022). He is also known for the superhero film Doctor Strange (2016), based on the Marvel Comics character.

<i>Firestarter</i> (1984 film) 1984 film by Mark L. Lester

Firestarter is a 1984 American science fiction horror film based on Stephen King's 1980 novel of the same name. The plot concerns a girl who develops pyrokinesis and the secret government agency known as The Shop which seeks to control her. The film was directed by Mark L. Lester, and stars David Keith, Drew Barrymore, Martin Sheen and George C. Scott. Firestarter was shot in and around Wilmington, Chimney Rock, and Lake Lure, North Carolina.

<i>Insidious: Chapter 2</i> 2013 horror film by James Wan

Insidious: Chapter 2 is a 2013 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan. The film is a sequel to the 2010 film Insidious, and the second installment in the Insidious franchise, and the fourth in terms of the series's in-story chronology. The film stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, reprising their roles as Josh and Renai Lambert, a husband and wife who seek to uncover the secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world. The film was released September 13, 2013.

Blumhouse Productions, LLC., doing business as Blumhouse is an American film and television production company founded in 2000 by Jason Blum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Blum</span> American film producer

Jason Ferus Blum is an American film and television producer. He is the founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions, which produced the horror franchises Paranormal Activity (2007–2021), Insidious (2010–2023), and The Purge (2013–2021). Blum also produced Sinister (2012), Oculus (2013), Whiplash (2014), The Gallows (2015), The Gift (2015), Hush (2016), Split (2016), Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), Get Out (2017), Happy Death Day (2017), Upgrade (2018), Halloween (2018), Us (2019), The Invisible Man (2020), Freaky (2020), The Black Phone (2021), M3GAN (2022) and Five Nights at Freddy's (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. Robert Cargill</span> American writer

Christopher Robert Cargill is an American screenwriter, novelist, podcast host, and former film critic known under the pseudonyms Massawyrm and Carlyle. Cargill currently resides in Austin, Texas with his wife. He is best known for writing the films Sinister (2012), Sinister 2 (2015), Doctor Strange (2016), and The Black Phone (2021). He is a frequent writing collaborator of Scott Derrickson.

<i>The Exorcist</i> (franchise) American horror media franchise

The Exorcist is an American horror media franchise that originated with William Peter Blatty's 1971 horror novel of the same name and most prominently featured in a 1973 film adaptation of the novel, and many subsequent prequels and sequels. All of these installments focus on fictional accounts of people possessed by Pazuzu, the main antagonist of the series, and the efforts of religious authorities to counter this possession.

<i>Insidious</i> (film series) Horror film franchise

Insidious is an American horror franchise created by Leigh Whannell and James Wan. The films in the franchise include, Insidious (2011), Chapter 2 (2013), Chapter 3 (2015), The Last Key (2018), and The Red Door (2023). The films have grossed over $730 million worldwide on a combined budget of $42.5 million.

<i>Halloween</i> (2018 film) American slasher film

Halloween is a 2018 American slasher film directed by David Gordon Green and co-written by Green, Jeff Fradley and Danny McBride. It is the eleventh installment in the Halloween film series and a direct sequel to the 1978 film of the same name, while disregarding all previous sequels. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis who reprises her role as Laurie Strode. James Jude Courtney portrays Michael Myers, with Nick Castle returning to the role for a cameo. Halloween also stars Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Haluk Bilginer, and Virginia Gardner. Its plot follows a post-traumatic Laurie Strode who prepares to face Michael Myers in a final showdown on Halloween night, forty years after she survived his killing spree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Carpenter's unrealized projects</span>

The following is a list of unproduced John Carpenter projects in roughly chronological order. During a career that has spanned over 40 years, John Carpenter has worked on projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage. Some of the films were produced after he left production.

<i>Halloween Kills</i> 2021 American slasher film

Halloween Kills is a 2021 American slasher film directed by David Gordon Green and co-written by Green, Danny McBride and Scott Teems. It is the sequel to 2018's Halloween and the twelfth installment in the Halloween franchise. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, and Will Patton. The film begins on the same night where the previous film ended with James Jude Courtney reprising his role as Michael Myers whose presence has become apparent to the residents of Haddonfield.

Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey is a 2014 American documentary film directed by Scott Teems about actor Hal Holbrook's six decades performing his one-man show Mark Twain Tonight! The film was released in 2019. The idea for the documentary came from Dixie Carter, Holbrook's wife. It was shot in black and white.

<i>Firestarter</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by Keith Thomas

Firestarter is a 2022 American science fiction horror film directed by Keith Thomas, from a screenplay by Scott Teems, based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, and a remake of the 1984 film of the same name. The film stars Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes, and Gloria Reuben. It is produced by Jason Blum and Akiva Goldsman under their Blumhouse Productions and Weed Road Pictures banners, respectively, alongside BoulderLight Pictures and Night Platform.

<i>The Exorcist: Believer</i> 2023 film by David Gordon Green

The Exorcist: Believer is a 2023 American supernatural horror film directed by David Gordon Green, who co-wrote the screenplay with Peter Sattler from a story by Scott Teems, Danny McBride, and Green. The sixth installment in The Exorcist franchise, it serves as a direct sequel to The Exorcist (1973). The film stars Leslie Odom Jr., Lidya Jewett, Olivia O‘Neill in her film debut, Jennifer Nettles, Norbert Leo Butz, and Ann Dowd. Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair reprise their roles from the original film. Its plot follows a photographer who must confront the nadir of evil when his daughter and her best friend are possessed.

<i>Insidious: The Red Door</i> 2023 film by Patrick Wilson

Insidious: The Red Door is a 2023 American supernatural horror film directed by Patrick Wilson from a screenplay by Scott Teems based on a story by Leigh Whannell and Teems. It is a direct sequel to Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013), and the fifth installment in the Insidious franchise. Original director James Wan serves as a producer, as does Jason Blum through his Blumhouse Productions banner. Wilson, Ty Simpkins, Rose Byrne, Andrew Astor, Steve Coulter, Joseph Bishara, Whannell, Angus Sampson, and Lin Shaye reprise their roles from previous films. Sinclair Daniel and Hiam Abbass join the cast.

<i>The Black Phone</i> 2021 film by Scott Derrickson

The Black Phone is a 2021 American supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, who both produced with Jason Blum. It is an adaptation of the 2004 short story of the same name by Joe Hill. The film stars Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone, and Ethan Hawke. In the film, an abducted teenager (Thames) uses a mysterious black rotary dial phone to communicate with the previous victims of his deranged captor (Hawke) in order to escape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Derrickson's unrealized projects</span>

The following is a list of unproduced Scott Derrickson projects in roughly chronological order. During his long career, American filmmaker Scott Derrickson has worked on a number of projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these projects fell into "development hell" or were officially cancelled, while others were taken over and completed by other filmmakers after he left them due to creative differences.

References

  1. Tully, Michael (November 5, 2009). "A Conversation with Scott Teems". Hammer to Nail. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  2. Jeff Sneider (February 9, 2012). "Anonymous Content pic adapts Abraham Verghese novel". Variety . Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  3. Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 15, 2012). "Sinister's Blumhouse And Scott Derrickson Re-Team On Stephen King Novella 'Breathing Method'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  4. Susan King (June 13, 2014). "'American Odyssey' chronicles 60 years of Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Trumbore, Dave (April 28, 2017). "'Firestarter' Remake in the Works for Director Akiva Goldsman, 'Rectify' Writer". Collider . Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Andrew, Stephen (February 7, 2019). "'Halloween 2': 'Narcos: Mexico' Scribe Scott Teems In Talks to Write". PopCulture. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  7. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 8, 2019). "Michael Shannon & Shea Whigham Reteam 'The Quarry' Starts Production". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  8. 1 2 Sneider, Jeff (February 6, 2019). "Exclusive: Halloween Sequel to Be Written by Firestarter Scribe Scott Teems". Collider . Archived from the original on February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  9. 1 2 Kroll, Justin (June 28, 2018). "'In the Fade' Director to Take on Stephen King's 'Firestarter' for Universal, Blumhouse (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  10. Kroll, Justin (December 16, 2019). "'Firestarter' Reboot Taps 'Vigil' Filmmaker to Direct". Variety . Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  11. Welk, Brian (July 26, 2021). "Universal Pays $400 Million for New Exorcist Trilogy Featuring Leslie Odom Jr. and Ellen Burstyn". TheWrap . Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  12. Lussier, Germain (July 26, 2021). "A New Exorcist Trilogy Is Coming From Universal and Blumhouse [Updated]". Gizmodo. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  13. "Patrick Wilson to Make Directing Debut With 5th 'Insidious' for Blumhouse". TheWrap . October 29, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  14. "Patrick Wilson to Make Directorial Debut With 'Insidious 5'". The Hollywood Reporter . October 29, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  15. Akers, Greg (October 8, 2009). "Indie Memphis Outtakes: Filmmaker Scott Teems". Memphis Flyer . Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  16. Andrew Gans (October 29, 2019). "Watch Trailer for Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey". Playbill.
  17. Sneider, Jeff (December 16, 2019). "Blumhouse's 'Firestarter' Remake Heats Up with 'The Vigil' Director Keith Thomas". Collider . Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  18. John, Squires (August 22, 2022). "Fear the Dark: Filming Has Wrapped on 'Insidious Chapter 5'". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  19. Outlaw, Kofi (June 2, 2022). "The Exorcist Star Ellen Burstyn Already Shot Scenes for New Movie". ComicBook.com. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  20. "IFP Market '06".
  21. "'09 ATLFF - Jury Award Winners". April 20, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  22. "NIFF Announced 2009 Award Winners". June 7, 2009. Archived from the original on December 18, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  23. "Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival". September 27, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2022.