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Darren Lemke

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Darren Lemke
Born1969 or 1970 (age 54–55)
Alma materSchool of Visual Arts
Occupation
Years active1997–present

Darren Lemke (born 1969 or 1970) is an American screenwriter who has been active in the film industry since the late 1990s. With his work on the films Shrek Forever After (2010), Turbo (2013), Goosebumps (2015), Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018), Shazam! (2019), and Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024), The Hollywood Reporter called Lemke "a known player in the family feature space".[1]

Background

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Lemke was born in 1969 or 1970. Raised in Carlstadt, New Jersey, he went to Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus, New Jersey. After high school, he attended the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, New York to study screenwriting.[2] In 1997, he sold two pitches to Touchstone Pictures for Tony Scott to direct;[3] one of the pitches became Gemini Man, which was released in 2019.[4] In 2004, Lemke wrote and directed the thriller film Lost.[5] In the following year, Lemke pitched the idea of adapting the English fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk" with computer-generated imagery. By 2013, Jack the Giant Slayer was directed by Bryan Singer.[6]

Lemke's first major screenwriting credit was for Shrek Forever After (2010), which he wrote with Josh Klausner.[5] Since then, he wrote and helped write for mostly family-oriented feature films.[1] He also became one of the executive producers for the TV series The Wheel of Time (2021–present).[7]

In 2024, Disney hired Lemke to write a script for a detective film set in Disneyland's private dining club Club 33.[1]

Credits

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Lemke's credits
Year Title Medium Notes
2004 Lost Film Wrote, also directed
2010 Shrek Forever After Film Writing credit with Josh Klausner
2013 Jack the Giant Slayer Film Story credit with David Dobkin; screenplay credit with Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney
2013 Turbo Film Screenplay credit with Robert D. Siegel and David Soren; story credit for Soren
2015 Goosebumps Film Screenplay credit; story credits for Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski
2018 Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween Film Story credit with Rob Lieber; screenplay credit for Lieber
2019 The Parts You Lose Film Writing credit
2019 Shazam! Film Story credit with Henry Gayden; screenplay credit for Gayden
2019 Gemini Man Film Story credit with David Benioff; screenplay credit with Benioff and Billy Ray[nb 1]
2021–present The Wheel of Time Television Executive producer; 16 episodes (two seasons)
2024 Kung Fu Panda 4 Film Writing credit with Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger[8]

Notes

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  1. ^ Despite Lemke's credits, he was not involved with the film directed by Ang Lee.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Kit, Borys (May 21, 2024). "Disney's Club 33 Getting Movie Treatment From 'Goosebumps' Writer Darren Lemke, Shawn Levy's 21 Laps (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  2. ^ Siemaszko, Corky (July 12, 1997). "Cart of the deal screenplay lets him bag job in store". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  3. ^ Busch, Anita M. (June 6, 1997). "Lemke hits H'w'd with 2-pic pitch". Variety. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  4. ^ McNary, Dave (February 27, 2018). "Film News Roundup: Production Starts on Will Smith's Thriller 'Gemini Man'". Variety. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Kit, Borys (October 11, 2019). "Meet the Writer of 'Gemini Man' (Who Didn't Actually Write 'Gemini Man')". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  6. ^ Sperling, Nicole (February 27, 2013). "'Jack the Giant Slayer' director faced some towering challenges". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  7. ^ Pedersen, Erik (August 14, 2019). "'The Wheel Of Time': Amazon Adds Five To Cast Of Series Based On Fantasy Books". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  8. ^ "Find Your Inner Peace with Po: DreamWorks Animation Unveils 'Be Calm and Po' Custom Animation Livestream for 'Kung Fu Panda 4'". PR Newswire. February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
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