Women Screenwriters
by sixdabomb | created - 20 Jan 2014 | updated - 10 Jul 2014 | PublicA list of any and all women screenwriters. So far, does not include TV writers, but I will try to add some soon. This is not by any means a complete list. Soon, I may rank them.
1. Jane Goldman
Producer | Kick-Ass
Jane Goldman was born on June 11, 1970 in England, UK. She is a producer and writer, known for Kick-Ass (2010), Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and Stardust (2007). She has been married to Jonathan Ross since August 1988. They have three children.
2. Jane Campion
Writer | Bright Star
Jane Campion was born in Wellington, New Zealand, and now lives in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Having graduated with a BA in Anthropology from Victoria University of Wellington in 1975, and a BA, with a painting major, at Sydney College of the Arts in 1979, she began filmmaking in the early...
3. Diablo Cody
Writer | Juno
Diablo Cody is originally from Chicago, Illinois, and moved to Minnesota to live with her Internet boyfriend, Jonny who later became her husband. While there, she decided on a whim to take up stripping as a hobby of sorts.
She was working at an ad agency and got a promotion. The job wore her ragged ...
4. Sofia Coppola
Actress | The Godfather Part III
Sofia Coppola was born on May 14, 1971 in New York City, New York, USA as Sofia Carmina Coppola. She is a director, known for Somewhere (2010), Lost in Translation (2003), and Marie Antoinette (2006). She has been married to Thomas Mars since August 27, 2011. They have two daughters, Romy and ...
5. Karen McCullah
Writer | The House Bunny
Karen McCullah is known for The House Bunny (2008), The Ugly Truth (2009) and 10 Things I Hate About You (1999).
6. Kirsten Smith
Writer | Trinkets
Kirsten Smith was born on August 12, 1970 in Contra Costa County, California, USA. She is a writer and producer, known for Trinkets (2019), The House Bunny (2008) and 10 Things I Hate About You (1999).
7. Cathy Yuspa
Producer | The King of Queens
Cathy Yuspa was born in 1971. She is known for The King of Queens (1998), What Men Want (2019) and 13 Going on 30 (2004). She is married to Josh Goldsmith.
8. Philippa Boyens
Writer | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Philippa Boyens is a New Zealand writer and producer who has co-written several of Peter Jackson's films. She co-wrote the Academy Award winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Hobbit trilogy which is a prequel to the Lord of the Rings films, The Lovely Bones, Mortal Engines, and the 2005 remake of ...
9. Fran Walsh
Writer | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Fran Walsh is a New Zealand writer and wife of New Zealand film director Peter Jackson. She co-wrote The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, which is seen by many as Jackson's magnum opus and one of the most significant film series ever made. She also wrote The Hobbit trilogy, a prequel to Jackson's ...
10. Leigh Dunlap
Writer | A Cinderella Story
Leigh Dunlap is known for A Cinderella Story (2004), 16-Love (2012) and The Standoff (2016).
11. Karen Janszen
Writer | Mars
Karen Janszen is known for Mars (2016), Dolphin Tale (2011) and A Walk to Remember (2002).
12. Brenda Chapman
Writer | Brave
Brenda Chapman is an American animator, animation film director and writer from Beason, Illinois. She directed the Pixar film Brave and the DreamWorks Animation film The Prince of Egypt. She wrote the storylines of The Lion King and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She is married to Kevin Lima, fellow ...
13. Irene Mecchi
Writer | The Lion King
Irene Mecchi was born on September 21, 1949 in San Francisco, California, USA. She is a writer, known for The Lion King (1994), Brave (2012) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996).
14. Jennifer Lee
Writer | Frozen
Jennifer Lee was born on October 22, 1971 in Barrington, Rhode Island, USA. She is a producer and writer, known for Frozen (2013), Frozen II (2019) and Wreck-It Ralph (2012). She has been married to Alfred Molina since August 2021. She was previously married to Robert Joseph Monn.
15. Jessica Bendinger
Writer | Bring It On
Jessica Bendinger was born on November 10, 1966 in Oak Park, Illinois, USA. She is a writer and producer, known for Bring It On (2000), Stick It (2006) and Aquamarine (2006).
16. D.C. Fontana
Writer | Star Trek: The Next Generation
American science fiction author and story editor who worked primarily for television. An aspiring novelist from the age of eleven, Fontana began as a writer of horror and adventure stories. After graduating with an associate arts degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey she got her ...
17. Katie Ford
Writer | Miss Congeniality
Katie Ford is co-Creator and Executive Producer for AppleTV's comedy High Desert starring Patricia Arquette, Brad Garrett and Matt Dillon. Katie has written for both TV and film and is best known for writing the film Miss Congeniality. She started as a stand up comic in Toronto and a playwright in ...
18. Caryn Lucas
Writer | Miss Congeniality
Caryn Lucas is known for Miss Congeniality (2000), Happily Divorced (2011) and The Nanny (1993).
19. Barbara Hall
Writer | I'll Fly Away
Barbara Hall was born on July 17, 1961 in Chatham, Virginia, USA. She is a writer and producer, known for I'll Fly Away (1991), Joan of Arcadia (2003) and Homeland (2011).
20. Lydia Woodward
Producer | ER
Lydia Woodward is known for ER (1994), China Beach (1988) and Pan Am (2011).
21. Rita Hsiao
Writer | Mulan
Rita Hsiao was born and raised in Poughkeepsie, NY, USA, the American-born daughter of Chinese parents. At UC San Diego, she majored in artificial intelligence, but decided t olook for a job in writing. After writing a spec script fo r"The Wonder Years, " she joined Disney. She wrote a pilot of her...
22. Eugenia Bostwick-Singer
Writer | Mulan
Eugenia Bostwick-Singer is known for Mulan (1998), Iron Jawed Angels (2004) and Joseph: King of Dreams (2000).
23. Lorna Cook
Director | Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Lorna Cook directed of "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron", nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and winner of four Annie Awards. Her extensive credits as an animator include 'The Land Before Time' and the Universal Picture's "An American Tail". Ms. Cook was an animator on two ...
24. Linda Woolverton
Writer | Maleficent
Linda Woolverton was born in Long Beach, California, graduating from high school in 1969 and having been an honors student in her schools theater program. She enrolled at California State University, Long Beach, graduating with a BFA in Theater Arts in 1973. She worked full-time for a year in the ...
25. Jodi Ann Johnson
Writer | Mulan
Jodi Ann Johnson is known for Mulan (1998) and Pope Joan (2009).
26. Bonnie MacBird
Writer | Tron
Born in San Francisco, Bonnie MacBird received her BA in Music and Masters in Film from Stanford in 1973. From 1975-79 she was a Development Executive in Feature Films at Universal Studios reporting to President Ned Tanen. During her four years at Uni she read thousands of scripts, and worked as a ...
28. Melissa Rosenberg
Producer | Jessica Jones
Melissa Rosenberg was born on August 28, 1962 in Marin County, California, USA. She is a producer and writer, known for Jessica Jones (2015), Dexter (2006) and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010). She has been married to Lev L. Spiro since 1995.
29. Penelope Spheeris
Director | Suburbia
Spheeris is often referred to as a 'rock 'n roll anthropologist'.
In 1974 she formed the first Los Angeles music video production company, ROCK 'N REEL. She concluded her music video work with the Grammy-nominated, "Bohemian Rhapsody" video for "Wayne's World". Spheeris' feature film debut was the ...
30. Nina Wilcox Putnam
Writer | The Mummy
Starting out as the breadwinner for her family, Nina Wilcox Putnam made many sacrifices to succeed. Although she is most known today by her connection to the 1932 classic, "The Mummy", throughout her long life Nina had many claims to fame. In her early career as an accountant she is attached to the...
31. Gina Prince-Bythewood
Writer | Love & Basketball
Gina Prince-Bythewood (Writer/Producer/Director) studied at UCLA Film School, where she received the Gene Reynolds Scholarship for Directing and the Ray Stark Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding Undergraduate. She was a member of UCLA's track and field team, qualifying for the Pac-10 Championships...
32. Abby Kohn
Writer | I Feel Pretty
Abby Kohn was born on April 9, 1971 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is a writer and producer, known for I Feel Pretty (2018), How to Be Single (2016) and Never Been Kissed (1999).
33. Deborah Moggach
Writer | Pride & Prejudice
Deborah Moggach was born on June 28, 1948. She is a writer and actress, known for Pride & Prejudice (2005), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) and Tulip Fever (2017).
34. Bridget O'Connor
Writer | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Bridget was born and raised in Harrow, London. From a large family, she was the second of 5 children. Her parents are Irish, her mother Bridie hails from Limerick and her father Jim is from Cork. As a result, Bridget grew up around Ceilidh bands and dancing. She attended Catholic schools and went ...
35. Jane English
Writer | Sugar Rush
Jane English is known for Sugar Rush (2005), StreetDance 3D (2010) and Harlots (2017).
36. Emma Thompson
Actress | Sense and Sensibility
Emma Thompson was born on April 15, 1959 in Paddington, London, into a family of actors - father Eric Thompson and mother Phyllida Law, who has co-starred with Thompson in several films. Her sister, Sophie Thompson, is an actor as well. Her father was English-born and her mother is Scottish-born. ...
37. Julie Taymor
Director | Frida
Julie Taymor is an Academy Award-nominated director, known for such films as Frida (2002) and Across the Universe (2007).
She was born on December 15, 1952, in Newton, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. Her father, Melvin Lester Taymor, was a gynecologist. Her mother, Elizabeth Bernstein, was a ...
38. Caroline Thompson
Writer | Edward Scissorhands
Caroline Thompson was born on April 23, 1956 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. She is a writer and producer, known for Edward Scissorhands (1990), The Addams Family (1991) and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). She is married to Steve Nicolaides. She was previously married to Henry ...
39. Pamela Pettler
Writer | Corpse Bride
Pamela Pettler was born on November 11, 1952 in the USA. She is a writer and producer, known for Corpse Bride (2005), 9 (2009) and Monster House (2006).
40. Isabelle Sobelman
Writer | La Môme
Isabelle Sobelman is known for La Vie En Rose (2007), Larry & Viv and Piaf, sans amour on n'est rien du tout (2003).
41. Kristen Buckley
Writer | Untitled Attica Project
Kristen Buckley is known for Untitled Attica Project and Jungle La La.
42. Sarah Williams
Writer | Becoming Jane
Sarah Williams is known for Becoming Jane (2007), The Long Song (2018) and Flesh and Blood (2020). She has been married to Joel McHale since 1995.
43. Naomi Foner
Producer | Running on Empty
Naomi Foner was born on March 15, 1946 in New York City, New York, USA. She is a producer and writer, known for Running on Empty (1988), Very Good Girls (2013) and Moon Flower of Flying Tigers. She was previously married to Stephen Gyllenhaal and Eric Foner.
44. Anne Spielberg
Producer | Big
Anne Spielberg was born on December 25, 1949 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She is a producer and writer, known for Big (1988), Amazing Stories (1985) and The Killings at Outpost Zeta (1980).
45. Kimberly Peirce
Director | Boys Don't Cry
Kimberly Peirce was born on September 8, 1967 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA. She is a director and producer, known for Boys Don't Cry (1999), Stop-Loss (2008) and Carrie (2013).
46. Diana Ossana
Writer | Brokeback Mountain
Diana Ossana was born on August 24, 1949 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She is a writer and producer, known for Brokeback Mountain (2005), Streets of Laredo (1995) and Dead Man's Walk (1996).
47. Dana Stevens
Writer | The Woman King
Dana grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and is a summa cum laude graduate of UCLA. After early forays into acting, guest-starring on shows like "Family Ties," she turned to writing. Her screenplays include "Fatherhood," starring Kevin Hart, the romantic adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' novel, "Safe Haven," ...
48. Gail Parent
Writer | Tracey Takes On...
Gail Parent was born in 1940 in the USA. She is a writer and producer, known for Tracey Takes On... (1996), The Golden Girls (1985) and The Carol Burnett Show (1967).
49. Pamela Gray
Writer | A Walk on the Moon
Pamela Gray is known for A Walk on the Moon (1999), Conviction (2010) and Music of the Heart (1999).
50. Shirley Pierce
Shirley has written for films with a cumulative box office of over half a billion dollars. She has multiple films slated for production in 2024. Romantic comedy Mating Game for Radioactive Pictures. Hip-hop drama for Born Hungry and legal drama Hearts of Stone for Full Circle Prods. Her work on ...
51. Tamara Lusher
Art_department | The Sea Beast
Tamara Lusher is a story artist, writer, and director. She attended CCAD in Columbus, Ohio and was part of a 1990 Walt Disney Animation Studios animation internship in Orlando, Florida. In 1994, she was part of a Disney story internship in Los Angeles, California lead by Vance Gerry. She has since ...
52. Hillary Seitz
Writer | Insomnia
Hillary Seitz is known for Insomnia (2002), Eagle Eye (2008) and The Unforgivable (2021). She has been married to Steve Crystal since September 1, 1996.
53. Nancy Meyers
Writer | It's Complicated
Nancy Jane Meyers is an American filmmaker. She has written, produced, and directed many critically and commercially successful films including Private Benjamin (1980), Irreconcilable Differences (1984), Baby Boom (1987), Father of the Bride (1991), Father of the Bride Part II (1995), The Parent ...
54. Leslie Dixon
Producer | Limitless
Leslie Dixon is known for Limitless (2011), Freaky Friday (2003) and Overboard (1987).
55. Heather Hach
Writer | Freaky Friday
Heather Hach is known for Freaky Friday (2003), What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012) and French Women Don't Get Fat.
56. Audrey Wells
Writer | The Hate U Give
Audrey Wells was born on January 25, 1960 in San Francisco, California, USA. She was a writer and producer, known for The Hate U Give (2018), Guinevere (1999) and Under the Tuscan Sun (2003). She was married to Brian Lane Larky, John James Radzik, Jeffrey D Robinson and Mr Wells. She died on ...
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