Jon Hurwitz
Jonathan Benjamin Hurwitz (born November 15, 1977) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer best known for his work on Cobra Kai (with Hayden Schlossberg and Josh Heald) and the Harold & Kumar and the American Reunion films (with Schlossberg).
Jon Hurwitz | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Hurwitz at the American Reunion premiere in 2012 | |
| Born | Jonathan Benjamin Hurwitz November 15, 1977 |
| Occupation | screenwriter, director, producer |
| Known for | Cobra Kai Harold & Kumar |
| Spouse(s) | Randy Hurwitz (2007–present; 2 children) |
Early life
Hurwitz was born in Byram, New Jersey,[1] to Jewish parents.[2][3] and lived there for two years. He then moved to Roxbury for 5 years, although following that he grew up mostly in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania and Randolph, New Jersey.[1] He met Hayden Schlossberg when they both attended Randolph High School. He graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2000.[4]
Career
Hurwitz was studying finance at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, while Schlossberg was a history major at the University of Chicago with plans of attending law school. It was during this time that they sold their first script Filthy to MGM. Upon selling Filthy, they moved to Hollywood to begin their career in the entertainment industry.[5]
The idea for the first Harold and Kumar film, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle developed while they were living in Los Angeles. Hurwitz and Schlossberg decided to write a low-budget stoner film and base the main characters on their high school friends from Randolph High School. They based the character of Harold on their real-life friend Harold Lee. Hurwitz got the idea to base the film around White Castle from his own experience craving White Castle burgers when he lived in Pennsylvania for several years. At the time, Pennsylvania did not have any White Castle locations and Hurwitz had to have family members bring him frozen White Castle burgers from New Jersey.[6] It was later followed by Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas. They also wrote and directed the fourth theatrical entry in the American Pie franchise, writing and directing American Reunion (2012).[7] In 2015, the trio signed a deal with Lionsgate.[8]
They are currently working on Cobra Kai, a continuation of The Karate Kid franchise for YouTube Premium. Hurwitz & Schlossberg created the show, along with their close friend Josh Heald. The trio serve as executive producers, show runners, writers, and directors on the series.[9]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle | No | Yes | No | |
| 2008 | Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay | Yes | Yes | co-producer | |
| Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam | Yes | Yes | No | short film | |
| 2011 | A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas | No | Yes | co-producer | |
| 2012 | American Reunion | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2018 | Blockers | No | No | Yes | |
| Cobra Kai | Yes | Yes | executive | also Creator, web series | |
See also
References
- Hurwitz, Jon [@jonhurwitz] (August 31, 2020). "Nice to hear from a Randolphian. I was born in Byram, NJ, but only lived there 2 years. Then lived in Roxbury for 5 years. Then a town called Upper St. Clair, outside of Pittsburgh for 7 years. Then to Randolph. Loved my high school years in Randolph" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/102807/schlossberg-hurwitz-create-a-heartfelt-reunion-of-raunch/
- https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jul-29-wk-movies29-story.html
- Zeitlin, Dave (April 2012). "Cooking Up a New American Pie". University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
- Cahillane, Kevin. "Homegrown: A Stoner Comedy Straight Out of Randolph", The New York Times, August 15, 2004. Accessed September 21, 2015. "Mr. Hurwitz and Mr. Schlossberg say their inspiration came straight out of Randolph. 'The high school we went to had a lot of Indian and Asian kids,' said Mr. Schlossberg, who graduated from Randolph High in Morris County in 1996, as did Mr. Hurwitz."
- Vespe, Eric (July 20, 2004). "Quint interviews HAROLD AND KUMAR writers Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg about Doogie and Battlesh!ts!!!". Ain't It Cool News.
- ‘Harold & Kumar’ creators to direct ‘American Pie 4′ (exclusive)
- Friedlander, Whitney (2015-11-19). "Hurwitz & Schlossberg Sign First-Look Deal With Lionsgate". Variety. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
- Heald, Josh (2018-05-01). "The Inside Story of How 'Fuller House' Inspired 'Karate Kid' Sequel 'Cobra Kai' (Guest Column)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
