It isn’t uncommon to talk about the highest-grossing movies of all time or even the highest-grossing actors or directors, but the importance of screenwriters can often go overlooked. Their stories are a big part of what brings audiences to pay for movie theater tickets, and it deserves to be recognized as such.
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From writers of beloved classics such asDavid Koeppto writers of blockbuster juggernauts such asJames Cameron, there have been a few screenwriters fortunate enough to be counted among the highest-grossing of all time.
10) One of Pixar’s Most Creative Artists — Andrew Stanton
Writing for modern animation owes a lot toAndrew Stanton, who has written movies likeToy Story,Finding Nemo, andWALL·E, having won a Best Animated Feature FilmOscarfor the latter two, which he also directed.
Stanton has one of the most creative, fun, and wild imaginations of any writer working today, injecting emotional and compelling arcs into his characters and proving with almost every script he writes that no one knows audiences quite like him. For this, his movies have earned $5,649,675,696 across the world.
9) One of the Minds Behind the MCU’s Spider-Man — Erik Sommers
Erik Sommersis mainly a television writer, but he has also co-written a few films, such as theMCU’s Spider-Man trilogy,Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, andCloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.
Sommers is a very creative and insightful writer who loves having fun watching each movie he works on. He aims to inspire young children withhis powerful and capable heroes, which has earned the films he collaborated on $5,792,513,707 at the worldwide box office.
8) The Other Mind Behind the MCU’s Spider-Man — Chris McKenna
Chris McKennahas collaborated with Erik Sommers on every feature film he has written except 2008’sIgor, where he was the only writer, and the duo has definitely been quite prolific.
Known for his creativity and unique sense of humor, McKenna has proved to be exceptionally talented as a screenwriter despite having less than ten feature films under his belt. His promising career has earned $5,823,527,056 at the box office.
7) Peter Jackson’s Longtime Writing Partner — Philippa Boyens
Philippa Boyens, whose movies have earned $6,025,640,892 worldwide, has co-written several ofPeter Jackson’s films, including 2005’sKing Kongand the Middle-earth Saga, having won an Oscar forReturn of the King.
Boyens is an immensely dedicated artist with a keen eye for characterization. She has collaborated with Jackson andFran Walshin each film she has written. Her presence is most definitely fortunate since it has resulted in some fascinating and entertaining movies.
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6) One of Hollywood’s Most Prolific Modern Writers — David Koepp
David Koepp(pronounced “Kep”) hasn’t been having a good streak as of late, writing critical flops likeThe Mummy(2017) andInferno. Still, the legendary quality of his early work is undeniable since he has penned films such asSam Raimi’sSpider-ManandSteven Spielberg’sJurassic Park.
Koepp’s body of work has been abundant and diverse, proving that writers can explore a wide range of genres and styles to keep things fresh. The writer’s films have made $6,182,699,722 across the globe.
5) A Fast and Furious Writing Style — Chris Morgan
Seven of the tenFast & Furiousmovies that have thus far been released have been written byChris Morgan, who has also written movies like47 RoninandWanted.
Morgan’s films haven’t exactly been praised for their writing, yet he has proved to be an audacious and lighthearted screenwriter with an admirable imagination for thrilling action set pieces,endearing characters, and narratives with a lot of heart. No further proof of this should be required than the $6,567,115,359 his films have garnered at the box office.
4) Elevating Art Above Life Itself — Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson
The final pieces of the Boyens-Walsh-Jackson trifecta are Walsh and Jackson themselves, who are married and have co-written ten feature films. Aside from those they have worked on alongside Boyens, they have also penned some of the other films that Jackson has directed, such asThe FrightenersandHeavenly Creatures.
The duo doesn’t like to see art imitating life; rather, they strive to make all their screenplays feel inventive, fresh, and larger-than-life. They certainly succeed at that since all of their narratives are creative and incredibly entertaining, for which their films have made $6,592,712,675 worldwide.
3) One of the Most Ambitious Writers to Ever Do It — James Cameron
Canadian filmmaker James Cameron, known for his ambitious films with riveting narratives, may be better known as a director, but he has been equally productive as a writer. He has written every film that he’s directed, from his debutPiranha Part Two, to much more memorable and beloved classics likeTheTerminator,Terminator 2,Titanic, andAvatar.
Cameron loves to marry groundbreaking visual effects with grand and epic storytelling. He’s a master of transporting audiences to new and different worlds through his creative screenplays, earning an astonishing $6,960,344,106 worldwide.
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2) A Writer With a Magical Touch — Steve Kloves
Australian screenwriterSteve Kloveswas nominated for an Oscar for his work onWonder Boys. Still, he is undoubtedly better-known for having penned the script of everyHarry Pottermovie exceptOrder of the Phoenix.
Passionate and dedicated to a tee, Kloves has shown a real talent for good storytelling,even in his not-so-good screenplays. He has also directed two movies he wrote himself: the Oscar-nominatedThe Fabulous Baker Boysand the star-studdedFlesh and Bone. His work has made a staggering $7,932,613,176, a number that is sure to grow over time.
1) The MCU’s Highest-Grossing Writers — Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
A duo,Christopher MarkusandStephen McFeely,have written some of the MCU’s most successful films, such asAvengers: Infinity WarandEndgame, as well as other films like the threeNarniamovies and, most recently,The Gray Man.
The pair’s work has made an unparalleled $9,367,535,948 worldwide; it isn’t hard to see why. Flawed as they may be, their scripts are always fresh, ambitious, and exciting. They always keep their stories fun, their themes interesting, and their characters endearing, which makes them worthy of being the highest-grossing screenwriters of all time.
