Akiva Goldsman | |
|---|---|
 Goldsman at the 2019San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | (1962-07-07)July 7, 1962 (age 63) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1994–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay A Beautiful Mind (2001) |
Akiva Goldsman (born July 7, 1962) is an American screenwriter, producer, and director. His filmography as ascreenwriter includesThe Client;Batman Forever and its sequelBatman & Robin;I, Robot;I Am Legend;Cinderella Man, and numerous rewrites that are both credited and uncredited. He also wrote more than a dozen episodes for the science fiction television seriesFringe.
In 2002, Goldsman received theOscar forBest Adapted Screenplay and theGolden Globe Award forBest Screenplay for the 2001 filmA Beautiful Mind, which also won theAcademy Award for Best Picture. In 2006, Goldsman re-teamed withA Beautiful Mind directorRon Howard to adaptDan Brown's novelThe Da Vinci Code for Howard'sfilm. He also wrote the screenplay for its 2009 sequelAngels & Demons.
Goldsman is also known for co-developing theDC Comics TV seriesTitans and theParamount+ seriesStar Trek: Picard, a sequel toStar Trek: The Next Generation andStar Trek: Nemesis. He is also the co-creator ofStar Trek: Strange New Worlds, a prequel toStar Trek: The Original Series.
Goldsman was born in New York City toJewish parents and raised inBrooklyn Heights. His parents, Tev Goldsman and Mira Rothenberg, were both clinical child psychologists who ran a group home for emotionally disturbed children.[1] He graduated fromSaint Ann's School, also in Brooklyn Heights, where he says he made many friends with whom he later worked in the entertainment industry. He received his bachelor's degree fromWesleyan University and attended the graduate fiction-writing program atNew York University.
Goldsman’s first major breakthrough in feature film screenwriting came in 1994 withThe Client, a legal thriller directed byJoel Schumacher. The film, based onJohn Grisham’s 1993 novel of the same name, starredSusan Sarandon andTommy Lee Jones.The Client was a box-office success and received positive reviews from critics.[2][3]
In 1995, Goldsman wrote the screenplay forBatman Forever, marking his second collaboration with Schumacher. The film was produced byTim Burton and starredVal Kilmer,Tommy Lee Jones,Jim Carrey,Nicole Kidman, andChris O'Donnell.[4] Batman Forever was a commercial success, grossing over $330 million worldwide and becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 1995.[5] The film received mixed reviews from critics, though its critical reception did not impact its strong box office performance and audience scores.[6]
In 1996, Goldsman collaborated for a third time with director Schumacher onA Time to Kill, a legal drama based onJohn Grisham’s 1989 novel of the same name. The film featured a cast that includedSandra Bullock,Samuel L. Jackson,Matthew McConaughey, andKevin Spacey, withDonald andKiefer Sutherland in supporting roles andOctavia Spencer making her film debut.A Time to Kill was a commercial success and received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics.[7][8]
In 1997, Goldsman collaborated with Schumacher for a fourth time on the superhero filmBatman & Robin. The film starredGeorge Clooney,Chris O'Donnell,Arnold Schwarzenegger,Uma Thurman, andAlicia Silverstone. Unlike their previous collaborations, the film underperformed relative to expectations at the box office.[9] While it roughly broke even, the film received overwhelmingly negative reviews from both critics and audiences and is widely regarded as one of the worst films ever made.[10][11][12] Despite the film’s poor reception,Warner Bros. initially planned a sequel and offered Goldsman the opportunity to write it with Schumacher set to direct. However, Goldsman declined, and after failed attempts to develop the sequel with another writer, Warner Bros. ultimately canceled the project.[13]
In 1998, Goldsman wrote the screenplay for the sci-fi action-adventure filmLost in Space, directed byStephen Hopkins. Based on theIrwin Allentelevision series of the same name, the film starredWilliam Hurt,Matt LeBlanc,Gary Oldman, andHeather Graham. WhileLost in Space received mostly negative reviews from critics, it performed moderately well at the box office.[14] It debuted at number one, ending the 15-week streak ofJames Cameron'sTitanic at the top of the box office.[15][16]
That same year, Goldsman co-wrote the screenplay for the fantasy dramaPractical Magic alongsideRobin Swicord andAdam Brooks. Directed byGriffin Dunne, the film starredSandra Bullock,Nicole Kidman, andAidan Quinn and was based onAlice Hoffman’s novel of the same name.[17] The film received mostly negative reviews from critics and had an underwhelming box office performance.[18][19] However, it has since developed a cult following.[20]
In 2001, Goldsman wrote the screenplay forA Beautiful Mind, a biographical drama based on the life of mathematicianJohn Nash, a Nobel Laureate in Economics known for his contributions to game theory. Directed byRon Howard and starringRussell Crowe as Nash, the film depicts Nash’s time as aPrinceton student and his struggles with schizophrenia.[21] The film received eight nominations and won four, including Best Picture at the74th Academy Awards. Goldsman received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, marking his first Oscar nomination and win.[22]
In 2008, Goldsman joined thefirst season crew of theFoxhorror/mystery seriesFringe as writer, director, and consulting producer. The first episode Goldsman directed and wrote was "Bad Dreams".[23][24] In itsfifth season, Goldsman remained a consulting producer.
He produced theUniversal Pictures featureLone Survivor, from writer/directorPeter Berg, based on the bookLone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 byMarcus Luttrell. It tells the story of Luttrell'sNavy SEAL team in 2005Afghanistan, on a mission to kill a terrorist leader. It starredMark Wahlberg,Emile Hirsch,Ben Foster andTaylor Kitsch, and was released in 2013.[25]
In 2014, Goldsman made his feature film directorial debut withWinter’s Tale, a film adaptation ofMark Helprin’s novel. The film starredColin Farrell,Russell Crowe,Jessica Brown Findlay,Jennifer Connelly,Will Smith, andWilliam Hurt.[26] Warner Bros. originally optioned thenovel for Goldsman, but its complexity and his other projects delayed progress. Following the passing of his wife in 2010, Goldsman found renewed inspiration in the story, prompting him to resume writing and ultimately direct the film himself.[27]
To bring the project to fruition, Goldsman sought support from industry connections and contributed personal funds to the production.[28][29] With Warner Bros. cutting the budget in half, he adjusted the screenplay by streamlining the novel’s fantasy elements and love story. Despite production challenges, including setbacks fromHurricane Sandy and the bankruptcy of the film’s visual effects company, Goldsman completed the project. He describedWinter’s Tale as an exploration of finding meaning, hope, and connection in life’s hardships, themes he hoped would resonate with audiences.[27] The film was released on February 14, 2014.
In 2017, Goldsman also directed the horror thriller filmStephanie (2017)[30] withFrank Grillo in the leading role.[31]
In 2015,Paramount Pictures announced that Goldsman would head a team of writers and filmmakers to create a multifilmcinematic universe branching out fromHasbro'sTransformers franchise.[32]
He co-wrote and produced thefilm adaptation ofStephen King'sThe Dark Tower series, released on August 4, 2017, which was one of Goldsman's post-Apotheosis films.[33]
In July 2017, Akiva Goldsman signed a two-year first-look deal with Paramount Pictures for his production company, Weed Road, after previously working with Warner Bros for many years. As part of the agreement, Goldsman planned to produce an adaptation ofTom Clancy’s novelRainbow Six, withJosh Appelbaum and Corin Nemec attached as screenwriters. The deal also included Goldsman’s involvement in developing adaptations of theOlogies series of fantasy books, which includeAlienology,Dragonology,Monsterology, andVampireology.[34]
Goldsman was revealed in September 2018 to have been on the writing staff forStar Trek: Picard, a series focusing on the later years of CaptainJean-Luc Picard.[35] In 2020, he was signed as creator and co-showrunner of theParamount+ seriesStar Trek: Strange New Worlds.
In February 2025, it was announced that Goldsman was developing a new television universe atLegendary Television, featuring three reimagined sci-fi series originally created byIrwin Allen. The project is expected to include updated versions ofVoyage to the Bottom of the Sea,Land of the Giants, andThe Time Tunnel, drawing inspiration from Allen’s original works.[36]
Goldsman's first wife, film producerRebecca Spikings-Goldsman, died of a heart attack on July 6, 2010, at the age of 42.[37] Rebecca was the daughter of producerBarry Spikings.
In 2012, Akiva met his second wife, Joann Richter. Married in 2014, they now have two daughters. The family divides its time between Los Angeles and New York.[38]
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Client | No | No | Yes | |
| Silent Fall | No | No | Yes | ||
| 1995 | Batman Forever | No | No | Yes | |
| 1996 | A Time to Kill | No | No | Yes | Nominated -Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Written Film grossing over $100 million |
| 1997 | Batman & Robin | No | No | Yes | Nominated -Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay |
| 1998 | Lost in Space | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Practical Magic | No | No | Yes | ||
| 2001 | A Beautiful Mind | No | No | Yes | Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay Nominated –BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay |
| 2004 | I, Robot | No | No | Yes | |
| 2005 | Cinderella Man | No | No | Yes | Nominated -BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay |
| 2006 | The Da Vinci Code | No | No | Yes | |
| 2007 | I Am Legend | No | Yes | Yes | |
| 2009 | Angels & Demons | No | No | Yes | |
| 2014 | Winter's Tale | Yes | Yes | Yes | Directorial debut |
| 2015 | The Divergent Series: Insurgent | No | No | Yes | |
| 2016 | The 5th Wave | No | No | Yes | |
| 2017 | Rings | No | No | Yes | |
| Transformers: The Last Knight | No | No | Story | Nominated -Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay | |
| The Dark Tower | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| Stephanie | Yes | No | No | ||
| 2026 | Practical Magic 2 | No | No | Yes |
Producer only
| Executive producer
|
| Year | Title | Director | Executive producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–2013 | Fringe | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 episode (director); 18 episodes (writer); 2 episodes (executive producer) |
| 2017 | Star Trek: Discovery | Yes | Yes | Yes | 3 episodes (writer); 2 episodes (director) |
| 2018–2019 | Titans | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2 episodes (writer); 2 episodes (director) |
| 2018–2020 | Star Trek: Short Treks | No | Yes | No | |
| 2020–2022 | Star Trek: Picard | Yes | Yes | Yes | 5 episodes (writer); 2 episodes (director) |
| 2022[39] | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | Yes | Yes | Yes | 3 episodes (writer); 1 episode (director) |
| 2023 | The Crowded Room | No | Yes | Yes | Creator |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Hancock | Executive |
| 2009 | Star Trek | Vulcan Council Member |
| 2013 | Star Trek Into Darkness | Starfleet Admiral |
| 2021 | Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity | Himself[40] |
