Jon Spaihts is an American screenwriter and author.
Career[]
Background[]
Jon Spaihts was born in New York City, New York. His father Jim Spaihts is an electronics engineer, and his mother Jean a computer programmer. Spaihts is an alumnus of Princeton University and has written several books for The Princeton Review. Spaihts lives and works in Venice, California, and is married to actress Johanna Watts. He is also a photographer.
Early work[]
As a screenwriter Spaihts became known in the film industry as a "go-to-guy for space thrillers" when his science fiction romance Passengers was included on the 2007 Black List of unproduced high-value screenplays. Keanu Reeves had hired Spaihts to write the film after originally becoming attached to Spaihts' now abandoned science fiction script Shadow 19. After Reeves agreed to produce and star in Passengers, Spaihts was commissioned by Scott Free to write the next installments in the Alien saga, two prequel films to be directed by Ridley Scott, which eventually turned into the more autonomous story Prometheus, co-written by Damon Lindelof.
Shadow 19[]
Terraforming is a central theme in Spaihts' Alien prequel script, it is also a central theme in Spaihts' Shadow 19. Both Alien prequel and Shadow 19 cover the dilemmas of space travel, specifically "time dilation." In Shadow 19, two superpowers on Earth fight each other for what's left of the remaining natural resources spread out across the solar system. It begins with space battles, sentient machines, mechanoid carnage and off-world battles. One of these superpowers have created and sent a giant terraforming ship to a distant planet. Their hope is to take this living world and reshape it so that humans can live there. This enormous terraforming spacecraft is called "Prometheus" which lands on the planet "Erix," a harsh and uninhabitable planet, it dispenses six smaller mobile units called "Crawlers" which spread across the planet and sow seeds which terraform the planet. The Prometheus in Shadow 19 is connected to Earth by a device called a "Lang Transporter", it allows objects to travel instantaneously from one point to another. There is a problem, one of Prometheus‘ submachines has broken down so a special science agency sends off-world Marine Corps to repair it via transporters.
Passengers[]
Keanu Reeves had hired Spaihts to write the film after originally becoming attached to Spaihts' now abandoned science fiction script Shadow 19.
A science fiction romance story now included on the 2007 Black List of unproduced high-value screenplays.
The Darkest Hour[]
2011 The Darkest Hour writer (screenplay)
For 'New Regency' Spaihts wrote the screenplay to the alien invasion thriller The Darkest Hour, based on a story by Leslie Bohem and M.T. Ahern.
Prometheus[]
2012 Prometheus co-writer (screenplay and story)
After Reeves agreed to produce and star in Passengers, Spaihts was commissioned by Scott Free to write the next installments in the Alien saga, two prequel films to be directed by Ridley Scott, which eventually turned into the more autonomous story Prometheus, co-written by Damon Lindelof.
Other[]
Spaihts worked on a film version of St. George and the Dragon for Sony Pictures, and originated a Disney film project called Children of Mars. He is currently engaged in a two-picture deal at Jerry Bruckheimer Films to adapt Ashley Wood's graphic novel World War Robot and write a space adventure film based on his own original pitch. Spaihts has also been commissioned to write the reboot of The Mummy (2014) franchise for Universal to be produced by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Sean Daniel.
Style[]
Awards[]
Trivia[]
Filmography[]
Upcoming films[]
Released films[]
- Prometheus (2012)
Interviews[]
2012 The Furious Gods: Making Prometheus (documentary) .
Exclusive Interview: Prometheus Co-Screenwriter Jon Spaihts.