Chris Weitz

Biography

Christopher John Weitz, known as Chris Weitz, was born in New York City on November 30, 1969. He is an American producer, screenwriter, director and actor, best known for his work with his brother Paul Weitz on the comedies American Pie and About a Boy, the latter earning the pair a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. His career, which started in the late 1990s, took him from teen comedy to large studio productions and adaptations of bestselling novels.

He began as a co-writer on the animated film Antz (1998). The following year he and his brother directed and produced American Pie, a box office hit that spawned sequels, on which Weitz served as executive producer. In 2001 he directed the Chris Rock comedy Down to Earth on his own, and in 2002 the brothers co-wrote and co-directed About a Boy, based on the Nick Hornby novel. That period gave him a reputation in Hollywood and opened the door to bigger budgets.

In 2007 he directed The Golden Compass, an adaptation of the first novel in Philip Pullman's trilogy for New Line Cinema. The production was difficult: Weitz left the project in 2005, citing its technical challenges and the pressure from fans, and returned after a letter from Pullman himself. The film received mixed reviews and underperformed in the United States relative to its budget, though it did better abroad. In 2009 he directed The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which set records for its midnight and opening-day grosses.

Weitz has also moved between genres. He directed the drama A Better Life (2011), largely cast with Hispanic actors, and wrote the screenplay for Disney's live-action Cinderella (2015). He co-wrote Rogue One (2016) with Tony Gilroy. In 2018 he directed Operation Finale, a historical thriller about the capture of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina. His family ties to Mexico, through his grandmother, actress Lupita Tovar of Santa, Mexico's first sound film, have surfaced in several of his projects.

His legacy rests more on his craft as a screenwriter and producer than on a single signature style. Weitz remains active, with recent work including the film The Creator (2023).

Key films

• American Pie (1999), directed with his brother Paul, which introduced Weitz as a director.
• About a Boy (2002), co-written and co-directed with Paul, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
• The Golden Compass (2007), his adaptation of the first novel in Philip Pullman's trilogy.
• The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), directed by Weitz, with box office records on its opening.
• A Better Life (2011), a drama about an immigrant gardener in Los Angeles, with an Oscar nomination for Demián Bichir.
• Star Wars: Rogue One (2016), for which Weitz shared screenwriting duties with Tony Gilroy.