Simon Kinberg

About Me

Simon Kinberg went to Brown University, where he studied film and literature. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude in 1995. He entered Columbia University's Film School in 1998. While at Columbia, he received the school's highest screenwriting award, the Zaki Gordon Fellowship.

While still in film school, Simon sold an original pitch to Warner Brothers, and went on to write scripts for Disney, Sony, and Dreamworks, working with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Jonathan Mostow, Stephen Sommers, and McG.

His final thesis project for film school was the original script Mr and Mrs Smith. The film starred Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, directed by Doug Liman. The film was released in June of 2005. It went on to gross over $475 million worldwide, making it one of the seventy-five most successful films in history. It also garnered an MTV Movie Award, and several People's Choice Awards.

That same summer, Simon had two more films in wide release: XXX: State of the Union, and Fantastic Four, which he rewrote throughout production.

In 2005, Simon was named by Premiere Magazine as "New Power" Screenwriter of the Year, and given Movieline Magazine's "Breakthrough Award" for screenwriting.

In 2006, he wrote X-Men: The Last Stand, which opened on Memorial Day to box office records, and went on to become the most successful film in the franchise.

In 2008, Simon wrote and produced Doug Liman's film Jumper for Regency and 20th Century Fox, which opened number one at the box office.

This year, he has the film Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr, directed by Guy Ritchie, to be released on Christmas Day. And he co-wrote Date Night, starring Steve Carrell and Tina Fey, directed by Shawn Levy.

He is currently writing an original script for Nicole Kidman at 20th Century Fox, as well as Hardy Men starring Tom Cruise and Ben Stiller, Spy vs Spy for director David Dobkin, and adapting Robert Ludlum's best-selling novel Osterman Weekend to direct.

In addition, Kinberg is producing the prequel X-Men: First Class, and an untitled film starring Jake Gyllenhaal, directed by Doug Liman.

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