Jon Spaihts (/speɪts/)^[1] (born February 4, 1970) is an American screenwriter and author. He is best known for co-writingDenis Villeneuve'sDune (2021) and its sequelsPart Two (2024) and the upcomingPart Three (2026), all films based onthe novel series of the same name byFrank Herbert. He also wrote the screenplays for the filmsPrometheus (2012),Passengers (2016) andDoctor Strange (2016). For his work onDune, Spaihts was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Spaihts was born in New York City, the son of Jean, acomputer programmer, and Jim Spaihts, anelectronics engineer.^[2] Spaihts is an alumnus ofPrinceton University.^[3]

Hisscience fiction romancePassengers was included on the 2007Black List of unproduced high-value screenplays.^[4] At the request ofKeanu Reeves and Stephen Hamel, Relativity Media co-founder Lynwood Spinks^[5] had hired Spaihts to write the film after Reeves originally became^[6] attached to Spaihts's abandoned science fiction scriptShadow 19.^[7] After Reeves agreed to produce with Hamel and star inPassengers,^[8] Spaihts was commissioned byScott Free to write the next installments in theAlien saga, twoprequel films to be directed byRidley Scott, which eventually turned into the more autonomous storyPrometheus, ultimately revised byDamon Lindelof.^[9] ForNew Regency Spaihts also wrote the screenplay to the alien invasion thrillerThe Darkest Hour, based on a story byLeslie Bohem and M. T. Ahern.^[10]

Spaihts has worked on a film version ofSt. George and the Dragon forSony Pictures, and originated aDisney film project calledChildren of Mars. In 2012 he entered a two-picture deal atJerry Bruckheimer Films to adaptAshley Wood's graphic novelWorld War Robot^[11] and write a space adventure film based on his own originalpitch.^[12]

He co-wrote the script forMarvel Studios' 2016 live actionDoctor Strange film.^[13] Spaihts also co-wrote thereboot ofThe Mummy franchise forUniversal, directed byAlex Kurtzman.^[14]

In 2013, Spaihts began work on the story for theBlack Hole remake byWalt Disney Studios.^[15] The rights to his early science fiction screenplay had originally been sold to theWeinstein Company, with Keanu Reeves andReese Witherspoon set to star, andGame of Thrones directorBrian Kirk at the helm.^[16] The project was later made into the 2016 filmPassengers bySony Pictures, produced byOriginal Film and Company Films, directed byMorten Tyldum, and starringJennifer Lawrence andChris Pratt.^[17]

In 2018, it was revealed that Spaihts would be co-writingLegendary Pictures's feature film adaptation of the science fiction novelDune, alongsideEric Roth and directorDenis Villeneuve.^[18] For his work onDune, Spaihts was nominated alongside Roth and Villeneuve for theAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.^[19]

He has written several books forThe Princeton Review.^[20] Spaihts lives and works inVenice, California,^{[3][unreliable source?]} and is married to actress Johanna Watts.^{[21][unreliable source?]} He is also a photographer.^[22]

• Jon Spaihts atIMDb
• Jon Spaihts's portfolio atphoto.net

• 1970 births
• American male screenwriters
• Hugo Award–winning writers
• Living people
• Nebula Award winners
• Princeton University alumni
• Screenwriters from New York (state)
• Writers from New York City

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