Paul John Weitz (; born November 19, 1965) is an American screenwriter, director and producer. He is the older brother of filmmaker Chris Weitz. Together they worked on the comedy films American Pie and About a Boy; for the latter, they were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Weitz is also a writer, executive producer, and director of the Amazon Prime Video dramedy series Mozart in the Jungle.

Early life

Weitz was born in New York City, the son of actress Susan Kohner and Berlin-born novelist/menswear designer John Weitz. His brother is filmmaker Chris Weitz. Weitz is the grandson of Bohemian-born (Austrian-Jewish) agent and producer Paul Kohner and actress Lupita Tovar on his maternal side. Tovar, who was from Oaxaca City, Mexico, starred in Santa, Mexico's first talkie, in 1932, as well as a Mexican version of Drácula. Weitz' paternal grandparents, who were Jewish, escaped Nazi Germany, where his grandfather had been a successful textile manufacturer, and family intimates of Christopher Isherwood and Marlene Dietrich.

Weitz's father and maternal grandfather were Jewish, whereas his maternal grandmother was Catholic. He was raised in a nonreligious household.

Weitz attended the Allen-Stevenson School with his brother and Collegiate. In 1988, he graduated from Wesleyan University. While at Wesleyan, Weitz studied under film instructor Jeanine Basinger.

Career

Early career

Weitz' early career involved many collaborations with his brother. Some of the work they have done as screenwriters has been both credited and uncredited.

Weitz began his film career as a co-writer on the 1998 animated film Antz. He followed this with work on various sitcoms such as Off Centre and the 1998 revival of the 1977 series Fantasy Island. In 1999, he and Chris directed and produced American Pie, which was written by Adam Herz, and became a major box office success. Weitz returned as executive producer on the film's two theatrical sequels.

In 2002, the Weitz brothers co-wrote and co-directed About a Boy, the Hugh Grant film based on the book by Nick Hornby. The film was originally set up at New Line Cinema with Robert De Niro producing, and the main character as an American. The brothers felt that it was important that the character is British. Inspiration came from the film The Apartment (1960). They were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 30, as the closing night film. The film was Tomlin's first leading role in 27 years, after co-starring with Bette Midler in the comedy film Big Business (1988). It is the second collaboration between Tomlin and Weitz, who previously directed her in his film Admission (2013).

Weitz had the story idea for many years, but it never fully formed until he met and worked with Tomlin on Admission, It was well received.

In development

Weitz has a production company with his brother Chris Weitz and producer Andrew Miano called Depth of Field. In March 2016, Weitz and his brother signed a two-year first look deal with Amazon Studios.

  • A live-action adaptation of Michael Moorcock's Elric saga, which his brother Chris said he enjoyed as a child. Weitz's Depth of Field production company was meant to create the films as a potential trilogy for Universal Pictures. In a May 2007 interview with Empire magazine Weitz's brother announced that he had met with Moorcock, who trusted him with the films, and described his wish for Paul to direct the film.
  • Shield of Straw – producing an English remake of the 2013 Japanese action thriller, Shield of Straw
  • Ghost Train – producing a remake of the 2006 Japanese horror film, Soul Reviver
  • Sinatoro – producing a TV series with Grant Morrison for Universal Television

Playwright

While in college at Wesleyan, Weitz wrote the play Mango Tea, which was performed Off-Broadway.

Weitz has written a number of plays, including Roulette, Privilege, Show People and Trust, all of which have been produced Off-Broadway in New York City. Trust starred Zach Braff, Bobby Cannavale, Sutton Foster, and Ari Graynor, and was directed by Peter DuBois at Second Stage Theatre. It will be produced in Brazil, Germany and Greece in 2013. In 2012, Second Stage, which had previously produced Privilege and Show People, produced Lonely, I'm Not, a new comedy by Weitz starring Topher Grace and Olivia Thirlby. Lonely, I'm Not was a New York Times critics pick.

As a writer, Weitz has discussed semi-jokingly the fact that he avoids the discomfort in his life by turning to the act of writing.

  • Weitz, Paul. Privilege. New York: Dramatists Play Service, Inc, 2006.
  • Second Stage Theatre in New York City, opened April 25, 2005. With Harry Zittel, Conor Donovan, Carolyn McCormick, Florencia Lozano, Bob Saget
  • 2006: Nominated for Lucille Lortel Award - Conor Donovan, Outstanding Lead Actor
  • 2005: Won the Theatre World Award - Conor Donovan
  • Weitz, Paul. Show People. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 2007.
  • Second Stage Theatre in New York City, opened April 6, 2006. With Ty Burrell, Judy Greer, Debra Monk, Lawrence Pressman
  • Weitz, Paul. Trust. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 2011.
  • Second Stage Theatre in New York City, opened August 12, 2010. With Zach Braff, Sutton Foster, Ari Graynor, Bobby Cannavale
  • 2011: Won, Artios Award - Best New York Theatre, Comedy/Musical (Mele Nagler)
  • Weitz, Paul. Lonely, I'm Not. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 2013.
  • Second Stage Theatre in New York City, opened May 7, 2012. With Mark Blum, Lisa Emery, Topher Grace, Christopher Jackson, Maureen Sebastian, Olivia Thirlby
  • 2012: Nominated for Henry Hewes Design Award - Mark Wendland for Scenic Design, Emily Rebholz for Costume Design

References