David S. Goyer | |
|---|---|
 Goyer at the 2013San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | David Samuel Goyer (1965-12-22)December 22, 1965 (age 59) Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation | |
| Spouse | Marina Black |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
David Samuel Goyer (born December 22, 1965) is an American filmmaker, novelist, and comic book writer. He is best known for writing thescreenplays and stories for severalsuperhero films, includingNick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (1998), theBlade trilogy (1998–2004),Christopher Nolan'sDark Knight trilogy (2005–2012),Man of Steel (2013), andBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). He has also directed four films:Zig Zag (2002),Blade: Trinity (2004),The Invisible (2007), andThe Unborn (2009). He is the creator of the science fiction television seriesFoundation which is loosely based upon theFoundation series written by Isaac Asimov.
Goyer was co-writer of the video gamesCall of Duty: Black Ops,Call of Duty: Black Ops II, andCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. He won aSaturn Award for Best Writing forBatman Begins (2005) and received another nomination forDark City, and has been nominated for fourHugo Awards.
Goyer and his brother Jeff were born inAnn Arbor, Michigan, and were raised by their mother. He isJewish on his mother's side, and attendedHebrew school.[1][2][3] Goyer is an alumnus ofHuron High School and theUniversity of Southern California, graduating from theSchool of Cinema-Television in 1988.[4]
Goyer was a student of screenwriterNelson Gidding atUSC and frequently returned to Gidding's class as a guest speaker. He graduated in 1988 and sold his first screenplay forDeath Warrant in 1989, which starredJean-Claude Van Damme. With his first paycheck, he bought anIsuzu Trooper, which was stolen the first night he drove it home.[5]
A professed comic book fanatic[6] who often wrote toletter columns,[7] Goyer has written or co-written several screenplays based on comic book characters and series, includingBatman,Superman,Ghost Rider, andBlade.[8] and had written a script treatment for a film adaptation ofVenom, which was rejected. Goyer wrote a title based around theJustice Society of America forDC Comics titledJSA, which debuted in August 1999. For the first five issues, he collaborated withJames Robinson and, until his departure following issue 51, withGeoff Johns, who would take over as solo writer. AlongsideBrannon Braga, Goyer co-createdFlashForward, a science-fiction TV series that premiered on ABC in 2009. The series was based on the novel byRobert J. Sawyer. He stepped in asshow runner in October 2009 after the series struggled out of the gate. On February 5, 2010, Goyer announced he would be stepping down asFlashForward showrunner to focus on feature films and directing.
Goyer's comicbook films explore the consequences of becoming a symbolic figure, a topic he has long been interested in.[7] In 2011, Goyer wrote a short story titled "The Incident" in which Superman renounces his United States citizenship.[9] Goyer worked withLegendary Pictures on three of their projects. He co-wrote the scripts forThe Dark Knight Rises (2012) andMan of Steel (2013). In addition, he did a one-step 4-week rewrite for Legendary Pictures'Godzilla reboot. During the same year, Goyer published his first novel,Heaven's Shadow, the first in a trilogy co-written byMichael Cassutt forAce/Penguin. The novel received generally positive reviews. Goyer subsequently sold the film rights toWarner Bros. and is adapting the first novel for the big screen.[10]
In late October 2011, cable channelStarz andBBC Worldwide greenlit his TV project,Da Vinci's Demons, which followed the life of a 25-year-oldLeonardo da Vinci. "This will be a show about secret histories, genius, madness and all things profane," according to Goyer.[11] The show ran for three seasons and received generally favorable reviews, including an 81% rating from Rotten Tomatoes.[12] In March 2013,The Hollywood Reporter announced that Goyer would be directing a film adaptation of the novelThe Count of Monte Cristo byAlexandre Dumas.[13]
In June 2013, he was announced to work on bothJustice League and a sequel toMan of Steel.[14] In September 2013, Goyer delivered a screenwriting lecture as part of the BAFTA and BFI Screenwriters' Lecture Series.[15] Goyer produced the horror filmThe Forest, directed byJason Zada.[16]Focus Features has the North American distribution rights to the film,[17][18] which was Zada'sfeature film directorial debut.[16]
By 2014, having already earned a reputation as a veteran of the superhero genre, Goyer shifted his focus to the independent production genre, hiring producer Kevin Turen to run his company.[19] Explaining his thinking, Goyer said: "Everybody talks about how it seems like studios increasingly are relying on these big tentpoles and some micro-budget horror films, and that's the majority of the slate," Goyer said. "I've been a benefactor of that movement, but there are a ton of films out there I've really admired over the last few years that studios aren't making, and I wanted to see if I could help get more of them made."[19] In 2015, soon after embracing independent producing, Goyer won a competitive situation to produce the feature version ofMiles.[20] Furthermore, he executive-producedNate Parker's featureThe Birth of a Nation, which sold for a record $17.5 million at theSundance Film Festival, before sweeping the festival's awards.[21][22]
In addition to producing, Goyer continues to write. In 2014, he was tapped to write and produce the featureFantastic Voyage, based on the 1966 original, forJames Cameron.[23] Breaking the news,The Hollywood Reporter announced: "The project has been quiet since 2011, but Goyer's involvement kick-starts and will re-engineer what the studio and producers hope to be an event-sized tentpole. It is also now placing the project on the fast track"[23] In January 2016, acclaimed directorGuillermo del Toro signed on to direct the feature.[24] Goyer co-wroteWarner Bros.' blockbusterBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), withZack Snyder andChris Terrio. In July 2016, it was announced that Goyer will write and direct an upcoming interactivevirtual reality film aboutDarth Vader. Goyer stated that he found creating VR content very different from other media, but said "it's surprising how much you feel and how emotional [the VR experience] is [...] there is stuff that makes you tear up and cry, and it's really phenomenal."[25]
In January 2017, Goyer signed on to co-produce and co-writeGreen Lantern Corps, an installment in theDC Extended Universe, with Justin Rhodes, based on a story treatment by Goyer andGeoff Johns.[26] By April of the same year, it was announced that he had signed on to write the script for the reboot ofMasters of the Universe, intended to be released in 2019.[27] Goyer was later announced as director along with Lindsey Beer writing a new draft of the screenplay in January 2018. Filming was set to begin April 2018.[28] By February of that year, Goyer dropped out as the film's director and writer.[29] According to Carlos Huante, a creature designer hired for the film and who worked on the original cartoon,Sony felt that Goyer's script would be too expensive to bring to life as Goyer intended for the movie to be on the epic scale ofThe Lord of the Rings trilogy.[30]
In September 2017,Deadline reported that Goyer and hisGreen Lantern Corps partner Justin Rhodes, as well as Chris Eglee andJosh Friedman were hired to take part in a writers room in order to write the nextTerminator trilogy, under the direction of collaborating teamTim Miller andJames Cameron.[31]
In the early 2020s, Goyer producedThe Night House, starringRebecca Hall, as well as theScott Cooper filmAntlers.The Night House premiered at the 2020Sundance Film Festival;Searchlight purchased the rights to the film,[32] and released it to critical acclaim in August 2021. Goyer produced the 2021 filmThe Tomorrow War, starringChris Pratt forSkydance andAmazon. He has been signed on as a producer forthe sequel.[33]
Goyer executive produces and serves as showrunner forFoundation, which premiered onApple TV+ on September 24, 2021, and is based onIsaac Asimov'snovels of the same name. He wrote the first and last episodes as well as directing the season finale.[34] Goyer co-wrote the pilot and serves as executive producer forThe Sandman, which was released onNetflix on August 5, 2022. Goyer had been involved with an adaptation ofNeil Gaiman's comic bookThe Sandman since he had pitched a story idea in December 2013.[35] By February 2014, he was set to produce a feature film, starringJoseph Gordon-Levitt, but the film's development stalled and transitioned into a television show.[36]
For the 2022 filmHellraiser, a reimagining of thefranchise of the same name, Goyer wrote the story and produced the film under the Phantom Four banner forSpyglass andHulu.[37] His Phantom Four company had signed a deal withVillage Roadshow Pictures.[38]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Death Warrant | No | Yes | No |
| 1991 | Kickboxer 2 | No | Yes | Associate |
| 1992 | Demonic Toys | No | Yes | No |
| 1993 | Arcade | No | Yes | No |
| 1994 | The Puppet Masters | No | Yes | No |
| 1996 | The Crow: City of Angels | No | Yes | No |
| 1998 | Dark City | No | Yes | No |
| Blade | No | Yes | No | |
| 2002 | Zig Zag | Yes | Yes | No |
| Blade II | No | Yes | Executive | |
| 2004 | Blade: Trinity | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2005 | Batman Begins | No | Yes | No |
| 2007 | The Invisible | Yes | No | No |
| 2008 | Jumper | No | Yes | No |
| The Dark Knight | No | Story | No | |
| 2009 | The Unborn | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2011 | Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance | No | Yes | Executive |
| 2012 | The Dark Knight Rises | No | Story | No |
| 2013 | Man of Steel | No | Yes | No |
| 2016 | Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice | No | Yes | Executive |
| 2019 | Terminator: Dark Fate | No | Yes | Executive |
| 2022 | Hellraiser | No | Story | Yes |
Producer only
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Mission to Mars | Co-producer |
| 2007 | Ghost Rider | Executive producer |
| 2016 | The Forest | |
| The Birth of a Nation | Executive producer | |
| 2018 | Assassination Nation | |
| A.X.L. | ||
| Tau | ||
| 2020 | The Night House | |
| 2021 | The Tomorrow War | |
| Antlers | ||
| 2024 | The First Omen |
Uncredited writing roles
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Creator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Substitute | No | Yes | No | No | Television film Credited as Cynthia Verlaine |
| 1996 | Enemy | No | Yes | No | No | Television film |
| 1997 | Perversions of Science | No | Yes | No | No | Wrote "Dream of Doom" |
| 1997 | Sleepwalkers | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Wrote "Something Is Buried in Bethlehem" and "Counting Sheep" |
| 1998 | Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. | No | Yes | No | No | Television film |
| 2000 | FreakyLinks | No | Yes | No | Yes | Wrote "Subject: Fearsum" Credited as Ricardo Festiva |
| 2005 | Threshold | Yes | Yes | Executive | No | Directed episode "Trees Made of Glass: Part 1"; Wrote episode "Trees Made of Glass: Part 2" |
| 2006 | Blade: The Series | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Wrote "Pilot" and "Conclave" |
| 2009–2010 | FlashForward | Yes | Yes | Executive | Yes | Wrote 5 episodes, directed 2 episodes |
| 2012–2015 | Da Vinci's Demons | Yes | Yes | Executive | Yes | Wrote 7 episodes, directed 2 episodes |
| 2014–2015 | Constantine | No | Yes | Executive | Yes | Wrote "Non Est Asylum" and "The Devil's Vinyl" |
| 2018–2019 | Krypton | No | Yes | Executive | Yes | Wrote "Pilot" and "Light-Years From Home" |
| 2021–present | Foundation | Yes | Yes | Executive | Yes | Wrote 11 episodes, directed 4 episodes |
| 2022–2025 | The Sandman | No | Yes | Executive | Yes | Wrote "Sleep of the Just" |
| 2022 | Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities | No | Yes | No | No | "The Autopsy" |
| 2025 | Murderbot | No | No | Executive | No | Ongoing series |
| Year | Title | Publisher(s) | Series | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Call of Duty: Black Ops | Activision | Call of Duty | Story consultant |
| 2012 | Call of Duty: Black Ops II | |||
| 2018 | Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire | Disney Interactive Studios | Star Wars | |
| 2019 | Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series | |||
| 2020 | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | Activision | Call of Duty |
| Year | Title | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Batman Unburied | Yes | Yes | |
| 2023 | The Riddler: Secrets in the Dark | Yes | Yes |
