British and American screenwriter (born 1976)
Jonathan Nolan
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![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Jonathan_Nolan_%2848452507037%29_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-Jonathan_Nolan_%2848452507037%29_%28cropped%29.jpg) |
Born
| (
1976-06-06
)
6 June 1976
(age 48)
London, England
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Other names
| Jonah Nolan
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Citizenship
| - United Kingdom
- United States
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Alma mater
| Georgetown University
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Occupations
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Years active
| 1997?present
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Spouse
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Children
| 2
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Relatives
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Jonathan Nolan
(born 6 June 1976) is a British and American screenwriter and producer. He is the creator of the
CBS
science fiction series
Person of Interest
(2011?2016) and
co-creator
of the
HBO
science fiction/Western series
Westworld
(2016?2022).
Nolan has collaborated on several films with his brother, film director
Sir Christopher Nolan
, who adapted Jonathan's short story "
Memento Mori
" into the neo-noir thriller film
Memento
(2000). Together, the brothers
co-wrote
the mystery-thriller film
The Prestige
(2006), the superhero films
The Dark Knight
(2008) and
The Dark Knight Rises
(2012), and the science-fiction film
Interstellar
(2014). In 2024, he executive produced and directed episodes of the television series adaptation of
Fallout
.
Nolan was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay
for
Memento
, and for the
Primetime Emmy Award
for
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
and
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
for
Westworld
, among a number of other awards.
Early life
[
edit
]
Nolan was born on 6 June 1976 in
London
,
[1]
[2]
the youngest of three boys. His father Brendan Nolan is British and his mother Christina Nolan is American. He was raised in both London and
Chicago
. Nolan attended
Georgetown University
, where he majored in English and was a staff writer for
The Hoya
.
[3]
Career
[
edit
]
Nolan at the
Paley Center for Media
in 2012
Nolan's short story "
Memento Mori
" was used by his older brother, director
Christopher Nolan
, as the basis for the film
Memento
.
[4]
Although Jonathan received a "based on a story by" credit, not a screenwriting credit, the brothers shared a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay
as the film was released before the story was published.
[5]
In 2005, Jonathan and Christopher co-wrote the screenplay for
The Prestige
, which is based on
Christopher Priest
's novel of the same title.
[6]
Jonathan also wrote the story springboards for the six animated short films of
Batman: Gotham Knight
.
[7]
The brothers collaborated on the screenplay for the 2008 film
The Dark Knight
. The film went on to become the most financially successful
Batman film
, which has since been surpassed by its sequel,
The Dark Knight Rises
.
[8]
On 10 February 2011,
CBS
picked up Nolan's pilot
Person of Interest
. The show was officially picked up by CBS on 13 May 2011 to air in fall 2011. The series ran for five seasons and starred
Jim Caviezel
,
Taraji P. Henson
and
Michael Emerson
. Nolan served as executive producer along with
J. J. Abrams
.
[4]
Nolan wrote the screenplay for
Interstellar
, a science-fiction feature based on the works of theoretical physicist
Kip Thorne
, who served as the film's executive producer.
[9]
Christopher Nolan co-wrote, directed and produced the film, with Paramount distributing domestically, while Warner Bros. distributed internationally.
[10]
[11]
[12]
Nolan and
Lisa Joy
wrote a pilot for an adaptation of
Westworld
,
Michael Crichton
's
1973 science fiction Western thriller of the same name
. On 31 August 2013, it was announced that
HBO
had ordered a pilot for a show, with Nolan, Joy, Weintraub,
J. J. Abrams
, and
Bryan Burk
as executive producers, and Nolan making his directorial debut.
[13]
The pilot was subsequently picked up to series, with Nolan and Joy as co-
showrunners
, and premiered on 2 October 2016. In November 2016, HBO renewed the show for a 10-episode second season, that started in April 2018.
[14]
[15]
On 1 May 2018, following the first two episodes of Season 2, the series was renewed for a third season.
[16]
In 2019, it was announced that Nolan and Joy had signed a $150 million deal to create
The Peripheral
for
Amazon Prime Video
.
[17]
Since they signed on, they earned at least $20 million a year as part of their first-look deal with
Amazon Studios
. Alongside
The Peripheral
, they executive produced the series
Fallout
, based on the popular
video game series
, as part of the deal.
[18]
[19]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Nolan (
middle
) with
Evan Rachel Wood
(
left
) and
Lisa Joy
(
right
) at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con promoting
Westworld
Nolan interviewed by astrophysics professor
Janna Levin
at the
2024 Sundance Film Festival
event "Science vs. Fiction"
Nolan found that having an English accent was "very unpopular" after moving to Chicago, so he learnt to "sound like a good Chicago kid."
[6]
When contemplating the artistic differences between himself and
his brother
, Nolan remarked: "I've always suspected that it has something to do with the fact that he's left-handed and I'm right-handed, because he is somehow able to look at my ideas and flip them around in a way that's just a bit more twisted and interesting. It's great to be able to work with him that way."
[20]
Nolan is married to
Burn Notice
writer and
Westworld
co-creator and executive producer
Lisa Joy
.
[21]
[22]
[23]
They have a daughter and a son together.
[24]
[25]
Filmography
[
edit
]
Film
[
edit
]
Writer
Uncredited writer
Producer
Story springboards
Television
[
edit
]
Year
|
Title
|
Credited as
|
Notes
|
Ref.
|
Creator
|
Writer
|
Director
|
Executive
producer
|
2011?2016
|
Person of Interest
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Writer (9 episodes), director (1 episode)
|
[30]
|
2016?2022
|
Westworld
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Writer (13 episodes), director (3 episodes)
|
[31]
|
2022
|
The Peripheral
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
[32]
|
2024
|
Fallout
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Director (3 episodes)
[33]
|
[34]
|
TBA
|
The Son
|
TBA
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
HBO miniseries
|
|
Publications
[
edit
]
- Short fiction
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Flans, Lindsay (6 June 2013).
"FilmDistrict's Kimberly Smith Weds, Producer-Director Neil Mandt Engaged: Hitched, Hatched, Hired"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
.
Archived
from the original on 12 October 2016
. Retrieved
6 October
2016
.
- ^
"Jonathan Nolan"
.
Rotten Tomatoes
. Retrieved
30 July
2023
.
- ^
McGrath, Amanda (17 May 2002).
"Class of 2002 Gathers For Senior Convocation"
.
The Hoya
.
Archived
from the original on 8 November 2017
. Retrieved
24 August
2014
.
- ^
a
b
White, James (10 September 2010).
"Jonah Nolan Pitching TV Crime Thriller"
.
Empire
.
Archived
from the original on 16 November 2012
. Retrieved
20 July
2012
.
- ^
Taylor, Judd (16 February 2002).
"The Memento Screenplay Category Controversy: Memento is an Adapted Screenplay"
. Archived from
the original
on 7 March 2014
. Retrieved
8 September
2014
.
- ^
a
b
Roberts, Sheila.
"Jonathan Nolan Interview, The Prestige"
.
Movies Online
. Archived from
the original
on 29 November 2014
. Retrieved
18 August
2014
.
- ^
a
b
Adler, Shawn (3 July 2008).
"
'Batman: Gotham Knight' Offers Anime Mutant, Cyborg Versions Of The Dark Knight"
.
MTV.com
. Retrieved
29 July
2023
.
- ^
"Christopher Nolan: The Movies. The Memories"
.
Empire
.
Archived
from the original on 29 December 2013
. Retrieved
20 July
2012
.
- ^
Masters, Kim; Kit, Borys (9 January 2013).
"Christopher Nolan in Talks to Direct 'Interstellar' for Paramount and Warner Bros. (Exclusive)"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
.
Archived
from the original on 20 May 2013
. Retrieved
8 February
2013
.
- ^
Sperling, Nicole (8 March 2013).
"Christopher Nolan's time-travel film 'Interstellar' to bow in 2014"
.
Los Angeles Times
.
Archived
from the original on 11 March 2013
. Retrieved
8 March
2013
.
- ^
Finke, Nikki (8 March 2013).
"Christopher Nolan's 'Interstellar' To Be Paramount-Warner Bros Co-Production And Joint Distribution"
.
Deadline Hollywood
.
Archived
from the original on 24 June 2014
. Retrieved
8 March
2013
.
- ^
Hayden, Erik (8 March 2013).
"It's Official: Christopher Nolan's 'Interstellar' to be Warner Bros., Paramount Co-Production"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
.
Archived
from the original on 12 October 2014
. Retrieved
13 March
2013
.
- ^
Gelman, Vlada (31 August 2013).
"HBO Greenlights Sci-Fi Pilot Westworld From J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan"
.
TVLine
. Archived from
the original
on 15 October 2014
. Retrieved
15 January
2018
.
- ^
Porter, Rick (24 April 2018).
"Sunday cable ratings: 'Westworld' Season 2 opens on par with series debut"
.
TV by the Numbers
. Archived from
the original
on 24 April 2018
. Retrieved
24 April
2018
.
- ^
Andreeva, Nellie (14 November 2016).
"
'Westworld', 'Divorce' & 'Insecure' Renewed For Season 2 By HBO"
.
Deadline Hollywood
.
Archived
from the original on 14 November 2016
. Retrieved
15 January
2018
.
- ^
"
'Westworld' Renewed For Season 3 By HBO"
.
Deadline Hollywood
. 1 May 2018.
Archived
from the original on 13 November 2019
. Retrieved
14 January
2019
.
- ^
Goldberg, Lesley (13 November 2019).
"
'Westworld' Creators' Futuristic Drama 'The Peripheral' Gets Amazon Pickup"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
.
Archived
from the original on 11 February 2021
. Retrieved
15 November
2019
.
- ^
Masters, Kim (3 April 2023).
"Inside Amazon Studios: Big Swings Hampered by Confusion and Frustration"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
.
Archived
from the original on 3 April 2023
. Retrieved
5 April
2023
.
- ^
Moreau, Jordan (25 October 2022).
"Amazon's 'Fallout' Series From 'Westworld' Creators Gives a First Look at Its Vault 33"
.
Variety
.
Archived
from the original on 9 January 2023
. Retrieved
5 April
2023
.
- ^
ADMIN (30 June 2010).
"Theatre of the Mind: A Christopher Nolan Profile (Part 1)"
. flickeringmyth.com.
Archived
from the original on 21 July 2023
. Retrieved
5 September
2014
.
- ^
Goldberg, Lesley (14 July 2011).
"Comic-Con 2011: 'Person of Interest' EPs Jonathan Nolan and Greg Plageman on Stormtroopers and Spandex (Q&A)"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
.
Archived
from the original on 5 September 2014
. Retrieved
5 September
2014
.
- ^
"On The Rise 2014: 13 Screenwriters To Watch"
. Indie Wire. 19 August 2014. Archived from
the original
on 4 May 2016
. Retrieved
14 November
2014
.
- ^
Bissell, Tom (15 December 2016).
"On the Ranch with the Creators of "Westworld"
"
.
The New Yorker
.
ISSN
0028-792X
. Retrieved
9 May
2018
.
- ^
King, Larry (15 April 2014).
"What Does A Showrunner Bring To A Deserted Island?"
.
Archived
from the original on 17 November 2021
. Retrieved
12 September
2016
– via
YouTube
.
- ^
"Is 'Westworld' HBO's Next Big Hit?"
.
The New York Times
. 29 September 2016.
Archived
from the original on 13 November 2019
. Retrieved
2 March
2017
.
- ^
"
Interstellar
poster billing block"
.
Archived
from the original on 18 May 2014
. Retrieved
21 July
2014
.
- ^
"
'Westworld' Creators Explore The 'Dark Thrills' Of The Digital Age"
.
NPR.org
.
Archived
from the original on 9 November 2017
. Retrieved
5 April
2018
.
- ^
Sciretta, Peter (28 April 2009).
"Confirmed: Jonathan Nolan Not Credited For Terminator Salvation"
.
Archived
from the original on 14 November 2019
. Retrieved
13 April
2015
.
- ^
Sancton, Julian (27 May 2009).
"Did Christian Bale's Seriousness Ruin Terminator Salvation?"
.
Vanity Fair
.
Archived
from the original on 13 April 2015
. Retrieved
13 April
2015
.
- ^
Andreeva, Nellie (10 February 2011).
"CBS Picks Up Jonah Nolan/J.J. Abrams Pilot 'Person Of Interest'
"
.
Archived
from the original on 14 November 2019
. Retrieved
4 October
2016
.
- ^
Gelman, Vlada (31 August 2013).
"HBO Greenlights Sci-Fi Pilot Westworld From J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan"
.
TVLine
. Archived from
the original
on 15 October 2014
. Retrieved
3 September
2014
.
- ^
Maas, Jennifer (13 November 2019).
"Amazon Greenlights Sci-Fi Series 'The Peripheral' From 'Westworld' Creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy"
.
The Wrap
.
Archived
from the original on 24 November 2019
. Retrieved
3 February
2020
.
- ^
Breznican, Anthony (28 November 2023).
"
'Fallout' First Look: This Is How the World Ends?With a Smiling Thumbs-Up"
.
Vanity Fair
.
Archived
from the original on 28 November 2023
. Retrieved
7 February
2024
.
- ^
Kim, Matt (1 July 2020).
"Fallout TV Show In the Works at Amazon From Westworld Creators"
.
IGN
.
Archived
from the original on 15 January 2021
. Retrieved
2 July
2020
.
External links
[
edit
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Short-stories
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TV series
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Awards for Jonathan Nolan
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1970s
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Related
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