Erik Bergquist

Erik Bergquist is an American screenwriter known for compelling non-linear stories similar to Quentin Tarantino and a gifted ear for film dialog.Co-writer: The Fast and the Furious.

Erik Bergquist was born in Los Angeles, Ca on February 13, 1968. Bergquist grew up in Palos Verdes, Ca where he attended Chadwick School, a college preparatory school. His contemporaries at Chadwick include actor Brandon Lee and writer-producer Michael Saltzman [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0759167/] . Erik went on to study English Literature and Theater Arts at California State University Dominguez Hills. For his senior project, he directed the documentary film, "Backstage", about a college production of West Side Story.

After college, Erik was mentored by screenwriter Michael Frost Beckner and, in 1995, he wrote the spec script "Fortune's Fools" which he sold to 20th Century Fox. [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117870225.html?categoryid=3&cs=1 Helmer 'Fools' around - Entertainment News, Michael Fleming, Media - Variety ] ] Michael Mann was the first director to sign on to the project. [http://www.ez-entertainment.net/script/jul02scriptsales.htm July 2002 Script Sales ] ]

In 1996, Bergquist was hired by Fox and producers Richard D. Zanuck and Lili Fini Zanuck [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005572/] to write the film adaptation of the George V. Higgins' novel "The Digger's Game." [ [http://www.inbaseline.com/company.aspx?company_id=2008887 InBaseline : Zanuck Company, The ] ] Later that year, he pitched an off-beat satire of the John Grisham courtroom dramas to then, Fox 2000 studio chief, Laura Ziskin, entitled "Kill All the Lawyers". The project was bought with Paul Schiff [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0771490/] and Michael London as producers. [http://www.inbaseline.com/company.aspx?company_id=2008188 InBaseline : Fox 2000 ] ]

In 1999, director Rob Cohen brought Erik to Universal Pictures to re-write a script about diamond thieves who happened to like street racing. Bergquist sold Universal execs on the idea of changing the story to one about truck hijackers so that the import sports cars could be featured more. He also used his extensive background in police procedural to flesh out the undercover cop story and make it more realistic. The project, originally called "Racer X" [http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/preview/1808405558 The Fast & the Furious (2001) - Greg's Preview - Yahoo! Movies ] ] , became The Fast and the Furious. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0232500/combined The Fast and the Furious (2001) ] ]

In 2003, Columbia Pictures and producer Lili Fini Zanuck teamed Bergquist with Limp Bizkit front man turned director Fred Durst to write a film about four characters named Guy who are essentially the same person at different points in his life, all co-existing at the same time and place. [http://www.inbaseline.com/company.aspx?company_id=2008136]

Erik Bergquist is married with 3 children and lives in Southern California.

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