Jeff Nathanson
Birth nameJeffrey D. Nathanson
Birth placeLos Angeles County, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of California, Santa Barbara
AFI Conservatory
OccupationScreenwriter · director · producer
Years active1993–present

Jeffrey D. Nathanson (born October 12, 1965) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for writing two films of the Rush Hour series, as well as the Steven Spielberg films Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal.

Early life and education

Nathanson was born in Los Angeles County, California.[1] He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara as an English major from 1983 to 1985.[2][3] While at UC Santa Barbara, he worked on the school's newspaper, the Daily Nexus, and has stated that the courses he took at UC Santa Barbara led him to want to become a screenwriter.[2][4] He later enrolled in the screenwriting program at the AFI Conservatory for one year.[3][5]

Career

He is best known for his work on the Rush Hour sequels Rush Hour 2 and Rush Hour 3, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, and The Last Shot. He co-wrote a story draft for the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) with George Lucas; the film was directed by Steven Spielberg. He wrote the screenplay for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), on which he also received a story by co-credit, the latter with Terry Rossio.[6][7] He wrote the script for the 2019 live-action remake of The Lion King for Disney, directed by Jon Favreau.[8] He also wrote its 2024 prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King, directed by Barry Jenkins.[9]

On October 3, 2017, it was reported that Nathanson would be penning a script for a biographical film directed by Brett Ratner based on the life of the Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, who will be portrayed by Academy Award winner Jared Leto.[10] However the film was put indefinitely on hold and was confirmed that Leto would not portray the Playboy founder following emergence of sexual harassment allegations against Ratner that November.[11]

Awards and honors

Nathanson was nominated for a Best Original Screenplay British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award for his work on Catch Me If You Can.[12]

Film writer credits

YearTitleDirectorNotes
1995For Better or WorseJason AlexanderAlso executive producer
1997Speed 2: Cruise ControlJan de Bont
2001Rush Hour 2Brett Ratner
2002Catch Me If You CanSteven Spielberg
2004The Terminal
The Last ShotHimself
2007Rush Hour 3Brett Ratner
2008Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal SkullSteven SpielbergStory only, co-written with George Lucas and David Koepp
New York, I Love YouBrett RatnerSegment #5
2011Tower Heist
2017Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No TalesJoachim Rønning
Espen Sandberg
2019The Lion KingJon Favreau
2024Young Woman and the SeaJoachim RønningAlso producer
Mufasa: The Lion KingBarry Jenkins

Uncredited

References

  1. ^ "Gertrude Penner". Funeralinnovations.com. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  2. ^ Quiambao, Carissa (October 31, 2011). "Former Gaucho Unveils New Film". Daily Nexus. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  3. ^ Neumer, Chris. "Jeff Nathanson Interview". Stumpedmagazine.com. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  4. ^ Quiambao, Carissa (October 27, 2011). "Renowned Director To Visit Campus". Daily Nexus. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  5. ^ "AFI ALUMNI". Afi.com. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  6. ^ Trumbore, Dave (January 11, 2013). "Disney Enlists Screenwriter Jeff Nathanson for PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 5". Collider. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  7. ^ Kroll, Justin (January 11, 2013). "Disney hires writer for 'Pirates of the Caribbean 5'". Variety. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  8. ^ McCabe, Adam (October 13, 2016). "Disney's Live-Action 'Lion King' hires Jeff Nathanson to pen script". Inside the Magic.
  9. ^ Rubin, Rebecca & Lang, Brent (September 29, 2020). "'The Lion King' Follow-Up in the Works With Director Barry Jenkins". Variety. Archived September 29, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  10. ^ "Jared Leto to star in Hugh Hefner biopic". BBC News. October 3, 2017.
  11. ^ "Brett Ratner's Hugh Hefner Biopic is Dead in the Water". Screen rant. November 2, 2017.
  12. ^ "TAKING A LOOK AT CONFIRMED PANELIST JEFF NATHANSON". Austinfilmfestival.com. Retrieved September 1, 2015.[dead link]
  13. ^ "Jeff Nathanson Doing 'Men in Black 3D' Rewrite/Polish; Production Split into Two Segments". 17 November 2010.
  14. ^ https://directories.wga.org/member/jeffreydnathanson/
  15. ^ "Haunted Mansion". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved October 25, 2025.