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David Franzoni | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1947-03-04)March 4, 1947 (age 78) |
| Alma mater | University of Vermont |
| Occupation(s) | Screenwriter,producer |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Picture Gladiator (2000) BAFTA Award for Best Film Gladiator (2000) |
David Harold Franzoni (born March 4, 1947) is an Americanscreenwriter andfilm producer. He conceived the story for, co-wrote and co-produced the 2000 filmGladiator,[1][2] for which he was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won theAcademy Award for Best Picture.[2][3][4][5] His other screenplays includeKing Arthur (2004),[6][7][8][3][4]Amistad (1997),[9] andJumpin’ Jack Flash (1986).[10]
Franzoni's script forGladiator was a revival of thesword-and-sandal genre,[11] using characters very different from the original and drawing upon available historic and archaeological sources.[12] He started to write the story in the 1970s, after reading the 1958 non-fiction bookThose About to Die byDaniel P. Mannix, which detailed the Romangladiatorial games.[13]
ForAmistad, Franzoni decided not to use a standard narrative, explaining, "the typical slant in this sort of film is to have the poor, chained black man arrive in the presence of the white guy, who has a good soul and fights the good faith to liberate the black man."[14] Franzoni was also the one who convincedSteven Spielberg to direct the film.[11]
Franzoni stated that the screenplay ofKing Arthur "aims more for history than myth,"[15] and again relied upon archaeological evidence in an attempt to create a more realistic human and political interpretation of the character.[16][17]
| Year | Title | Writer | Producer | Director(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Jumpin' Jack Flash | Yes | No | Penny Marshall | co-written withCharles Shyer,Nancy Meyers andChris Thompson |
| 1992 | Citizen Cohn | Yes | No | Frank Pierson | television film |
| 1997 | Amistad | Yes | No | Steven Spielberg | |
| 2000 | Gladiator | Yes | Yes | Ridley Scott | co-written withJohn Logan andWilliam Nicholson |
| 2004 | King Arthur | Yes | No | Antoine Fuqua | |
| 2018 | Black and White Stripes: The Juventus Story | No | Executive | La Villa Brothers | documentary film |
| 2024 | Gladiator II | No | Yes | Ridley Scott | based on characters created by |
| TBA | JSA | Yes | No | Himself | directorial debut |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
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