Dana Fox
Dana Fox (born July 16, 1976) is an American screenwriter best known as the writer of The Wedding Date (2005), What Happens in Vegas (2008) and the television comedy series Ben and Kate.
Dana Fox | |
---|---|
Born | Brighton, New York, United States | July 16, 1976
Occupation | Screenwriter |
Alma mater | Stanford University |
Notable works | What Happens in Vegas (2008) |
Spouse | Quinn Emmett (m. 2010) |
Career
Fox graduated from Stanford University in 1998 with a degree in English and art history,[1] and went on to attend the University of Southern California (USC), where she took part in the USC School of Cinematic Arts' Peter Stark Producing Program and graduated in 2000.[2] She had originally intended to become a film producer, but when assigned a homework task at USC to write a 30-page screenplay, she found that she enjoyed writing more and decided to become a screenwriter instead.[1] She became an assistant to writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar while they were creating the Superman television series Smallville, and later worked for writer-director John August.[3]
While represented by Gough and Millar's agent, established screenwriter Jessica Bendinger sought after an unpublished writer who would work inexpensively on a screenplay. Fox had not yet written a sample screenplay, but Bendinger was so impressed with her ideas for the story that Fox was hired to write the script. The produced film was The Wedding Date, which ultimately was panned by critics but a financial success.[1] After The Wedding Date's release, she was attached to three separate writing projects.[1] Her next produced screenplay was What Happens in Vegas, which was bought by 20th Century Fox in a high six-figure deal for the script's first draft, and which stars Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher.[3] After What Happens in Vegas was bought, Fox performed rewrites on 27 Dresses (2008) and Knight and Day (2010), and was named one of Variety magazine's "10 Screenwriters to Watch" of 2007.[3]
In 2012, Fox developed a half hour comedy for FOX based loosely on her older brother. The show, Ben and Kate, premiered on September 25, 2012.
Fox is good friends with fellow writers Diablo Cody (Juno), Lorene Scafaria (Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist), and Liz Meriwether (No Strings Attached) with whom she collaborates in a writing group they call the "Fempire".[4] In 2012, Fox and the "Fempire" received the Athena Film Festival Award for Creativity and Sisterhood.[5]
Personal life
Fox was born in Brighton, New York. She lives in Los Angeles, California, where she works with fellow writers—who call themselves best friends—Diablo Cody (Juno) and Lorene Scafaria (Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist) in a writing group they jokingly call "The Fempire".[6] Fox married Quinn Emmett on October 23, 2010 at Historic Jamestowne in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Filmography
Film
Year | Film | Writer | Producer | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | The Wedding Date | Yes | No | Clare Kilner | |
2008 | What Happens in Vegas | Yes | No | Tom Vaughan | |
2009 | Couples Retreat | Yes | No | Peter Billingsley | Co-wrote with Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn |
2015 | Hot Pursuit | No | Yes | Anne Fletcher | |
2016 | How to Be Single | Yes | Yes | Christian Ditter | Co-wrote screenplay with Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein |
2019 | Isn't It Romantic | Yes | No | Todd Strauss-Schulson | Co-wrote screenplay with Erin Cardillo and Katie Silberman |
2021 | Cruella | Yes | No | Craig Gillespie | Post-production Co-wrote screenplay with Aline Brosh McKenna, Jez Butterworth, Kelly Marcel & Tony McNamara and Steve Zissis |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Children's Hospital | Writer | Episode: "Show Me on Montana" |
2012–13 | Ben and Kate | Creator Writer |
|
2020–present | Home Before Dark | Creator Writer |
References
- Jesse Oxfeld (2005). "Screen Player". Stanford Magazine. Stanford University. Archived from the original on 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
- "Alum Dana Fox News". USC School of Cinematic Arts. May 30, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-11-27. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
- Sharon Swart (June 21, 2007). "10 Screenwriters to Watch: Dana Fox". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
- Kelly, Kevin (September 2008). "Lorene Scafaria Interview, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Toronto 2008". Spout.com. Archived from the original on 2009-11-26. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
- The Athena Film Festival: http://athenafilmfestival.com
- Peter Howell (September 10, 2008). "Gal pal screenwriters bask in TIFF spotlight". The Toronto Star. Star Media Group. Retrieved 2008-12-19.