Paul Weitz

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Weitz_(filmmaker)

Paul John Weitz (born November 19, 1965) is an American film producer, screenwriter, playwright, actor, and film director. He is the older brother of filmmaker Chris Weitz. He is best known for his work with his brother, Chris Weitz, on the comedy films American Pie and About a Boy, for which the brothers, who co-directed, were nominated for an Oscar.[1]

Contents [show] Early life[edit] Weitz was born in New York City, the son of actress Susan Kohner and Berlin-born novelist/menswear designer John Weitz.[2] His brother is filmmaker Chris Weitz. Weitz is the grandson of Czech-born agent and producer Paul Kohner (Billy Wilder, William Wyler, Ingmar Bergman) and actress Lupita Tovar on his maternal side.[3][4] Tovar, who was from Oaxaca, Mexico,[5] starred in Santa, Mexico's first talkie, in 1932, as well as a Mexican version of Drácula.[6] On the paternal side, Weitz' grandparents escaped Nazi Germany, before which his grandfather was a successful textile manufacturer, with the family close intimates of Christopher Isherwood and Marlene Dietrich.[4]

Weitz's father and maternal grandfather were Jewish, and his maternal grandmother was Catholic; he was raised in a nonreligious household.[7][8]

Weitz attended the Allen-Stevenson School and Collegiate. In 1988, he graduated from Wesleyan University.[9] While at Wesleyan, Weitz studied under film instructor Jeanine Basinger.[10]

Career[edit] Early career[edit] Weitz' early career involved many collaborations with his brother.[11][12][13] Some of the work they have done as screenwriters has been both credited and uncredited.[14]

Weitz began his film career as a co-writer on the 1998 animated film Antz. He followed this with work on various sitcoms such as Off Centre and the 1998 revival of Fantasy Island. In 1999, he and Chris directed and produced American Pie, which was written by Adam Herz, and became a major box office success. Weitz returned as executive producer on the film's two theatrical sequels.

In 2002, the Weitz brothers co-wrote and co-directed About a Boy, the Hugh Grant film based on the book by Nick Hornby.[15][16] The film was originally set up at New Line Cinema with Robert De Niro producing, and the main character as an American. The brothers felt that it was important that the character is British. Inspiration came from the 1960 film The Apartment. They were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.[6]

Weitz has written and directed the well-received romantic comedy In Good Company and the political satire American Dreamz, which faced mixed reviews. Additional writing credits include the television show Cracking Up.

He has also directed an adaptation of Darren Shan's young adult novel Cirque du Freak called The Vampire's Assistant. He directed the 2010 film Little Fockers, the sequel to Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers.

Subsequently he wrote and directed Being Flynn, an adaptation of Nick Flynn's memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, starring Robert De Niro.[12] Weitz said he worked collaboratively with Flynn to translate the dense original source material into its film adaptation.[13]

Weitz also directed the movie Admission, starring Tina Fey.

Grandma[edit] In 2015, Weitz directed the film, Grandma, which starred Lily Tomlin.[17][18][19] The film premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 2015 and served as the closing night film.[20] The film was Lily Tomlin's first leading role in 27 years after co-starring with Bette Midler in 1988's comedy film Big Business. It is the second collaboration between Tomlin and Weitz, who previously directed her in his 2013 film Admission.[19] The film was released on August 21, 2015, by Sony Pictures Classics.[21]

Weitz had the story idea for many years but it never really fully formed until he met and worked with Tomlin on the film, Admission,[17] saying that "After meeting Lily, the voice and the character really clicked, I had thought about it for years, so I had a lot of it worked out in my head, and then I just went to a coffee shop and wrote it longhand."[19]

Weitz said the film cost under $600,000 to make.[22] It was well received.[23][24][25]

In development[edit] Weitz has a production company with his brother Chris Weitz and producer Andrew Miano called Depth of Field. In March 2016, Weitz and his brother signed a two-year first look deal with Amazon Studios.[26]

A live-action adaptation Michael Moorcock's Elric saga, which his brother Chris said he enjoyed as a child. Weitz's Depth of Field production company was meant to create the films as a potential trilogy for Universal Pictures. In a May 2007 interview with Empire magazine Weitz's brother announced that he had met with Moorcock, who trusted him with the films, and described his wish for Paul to direct the film.[27] Shield of Straw – producing an English remake of the 2013 Japanese action thriller, Shield of Straw[28][29] Ghost Train – producing a remake of the 2006 Japanese horror film, Soul Reviver[28] Birthright – producing a remake of the 2010 Japanese thriller[28][30] Sinatoro – producing TV series with Grant Morrison for Universal Television[31] Playwright[edit] While in college at Wesleyan, Weitz wrote the play Mango Tea, which was performed Off-Broadway.

Weitz has written a number of plays, including Roulette, Privilege, Show People, and Trust, all of which have been produced Off-Broadway in New York City.[32] Trust starred Zach Braff, Bobby Cannavale, Sutton Foster, and Ari Graynor, and was directed by Peter DuBois at Second Stage Theatre. It will be produced in Brazil, Germany and Greece in 2013. Second Stage previously produced Privilege and Show People and produced Lonely, I'm Not, starring Topher Grace and Olivia Thirlby a new comedy by Weitz in 2012. Lonely, I'm Not was a New York Times critics pick.

As a writer, Weitz has discussed semi-jokingly the fact that he avoids the discomfort in his life by turning to the act of writing.[12] He sees a good play structure as being very different from a good film structure, and thinks that it is rare for plays as source material to be easily adapted into film.[13]

Personal life[edit] In 2001, Weitz married Patricia Brown, with whom he has one daughter, Jane Antonia Weitz, who was born in 2004.

Filmography[edit] Films[edit] 1992: Ribs (short) – writer 1998: Antz – co-wrote screenplay with his brother Chris Weitz and Todd Alcott 1999: American Pie – co-director with his brother, Chris Weitz 2000: Nutty Professor II: The Klumps – screenplay with Barry W. Blaustein, David Sheffield, and Chris Weitz 2001: Down to Earth – co-director with his brother, Chris Weitz 2001: American Pie 2 – executive producer 2002: About a Boy – screenplay with Peter Hedges and Chris Weitz; co-director with his brother, Chris Weitz 2003: American Wedding – executive producer 2004: See This Movie – executive producer, actor as Filmmaker Who Isn't Wim Wenders 2004: In Good Company – producer; written by; director 2006: Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas – producer 2006: American Dreamz – producer; written by; director 2007: The Golden Compass – executive producer 2008: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist – producer 2009: Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant – producer; screenplay; director 2010: Little Fockers – director 2012: Being Flynn – producer; written by; director 2012: American Reunion – executive producer 2013: Admission – producer; director 2015: Grandma – producer; writer; director 2016: Good Kids – producer Television[edit] 1998–1999: Fantasy Island – co-executive producer, 13 episodes; story, 2 episodes; teleplay, 1 episode 2000–2001: Off Centre – executive producer, 28 episodes; creator, 19 episodes 2004–2006: Cracking Up – executive producer, 12 episodes; director, 1 episode (pilot); consultant, 2 episodes 2010: Lone Star – executive producer, 2 episodes 2014: Mozart in the Jungle – executive producer, 10 episodes; story, 1 episode; teleplay, 1 episode; written by, 1 episode; director, 3 episodes (including pilot) 2014–2015: About a Boy – based on the screenplay by, 27 episodes Documentaries[edit] 2002: Dylan's Run – executive producer As actor[edit] 2000: Chuck & Buck – as Sam 2000: The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy – as Assistant Director (character) 2014: Life After Beth – as Mr. Levin 2016: Joshy – as Private Investigator 2017: The Little Hours