David Benioff

David Benioff is an American writer.

Early life

Born David Friedman in New York City, he changed his name to David Benioff, his mother's maiden name. He is the youngest of three children.

A Dartmouth College alumnus and distinguished member of Phi Delta Alpha Fraternity, he worked as a club bouncer and at 22 became a high school English teacher at Poly Prep in Brooklyn, New York City. Additionally, he attended the University of California Irvine and received a Master of Fine Arts degree in the creative writing program.

Writing career

While working as a high school English teacher, he wrote the book called The 25th Hour and received positive recognition for the book.^{[citation needed]} He later adapted the book into a screenplay, which was filmed starring Edward Norton and was directed by Spike Lee. He then wrote a collection of short stories titled When the Nines Roll Over (And Other Stories) in 2004.

Benioff drafted a screenplay of the mythological epic Troy (2004) for which Warner Bros pictures paid him $2.5 million.^{[citation needed]} He also wrote the script for the psychological thriller Stay (2005). The film was released October 21, 2005, and was directed by Marc Forster and starred Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts. His screenplay, The Kite Runner, a film based on the book bearing the same name, marked his second collaboration with director Marc Forster.

He wrote the screenplay for the X-Men spin-off X-Men Origins: Wolverine, he was hired for the project in 2004, working on the script for three years.

In 2008, his second novel City of Thieves, A Novel was released.

He is currently working on an adapted screenplay of the Charles R. Cross biography of Kurt Cobain. It is unknown if the screenplay has been developed. He is also working with D.B. Weiss as executive producer, showrunner and writer on Game of Thrones, HBO's adaptation of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series of novels. "The Sopranos in Middle-earth" is the tagline Benioff jokingly suggested for the television adaptation, referring to its intrigue-filled content and dark tone set in a fantasy world setting. In a controversial move, Benioff announced that a major plot point from A Storm of Swords would occur in season two of Game of Thrones to add to the dramatic impact of the season.

Personal life

Benioff's father, Stephen Friedman, is the former head of Goldman Sachs. On September 30, 2006, in New York City, Benioff married actress Amanda Peet.^[1] His first child, a daughter named Frances Pen, was born on February 20, 2007.^[2] His second daughter, Molly June, was born on April 19, 2010.^[3]

Books

The 25th Hour

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Plume; Reissue edition (January 29, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN 0-452-28295-0

When the Nines Roll Over (and Other Stories)

• Hardcover: 223 pages
• Publisher: Viking Books (August 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN 0-670-03339-1

City of Thieves

• Hardcover: 261 pages
• Publisher: Viking Books (May 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN 0-670-018708-

Screenplays

• 25th Hour (2002)
• Troy (2004)
• Stay (2005)
• The Kite Runner (2007)
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
• Brothers (2009)
• Game of Thrones (8 episodes, 2011)

In development

• Heavier Than Heaven (2010)

References

1. ^ Messer, Lesley (2006-09-30). "Amanda Peet Weds Screenwriter Beau - Marriage, Amanda Peet". People.com. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1224905,00.html. Retrieved 2011-04-09. 
2. ^ "Amanda Peet Has a Girl - Birth, Amanda Peet". People.com. 2007-02-23. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20012460,00.html. Retrieved 2011-04-09. 
3. ^ Jordan, Julie. "Amanda Peet Welcomes a Baby Girl - Babies, Amanda Peet". People.com. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20363398,00.html. Retrieved 2011-04-09. 

External links

• David Benioff at the Internet Movie Database
• Works by David Benioff on Open Library at the Internet Archive
• David Benioff at Authortrek.com
• Excerpt from City of Thieves

Persondata
Name	Benioff, David
Alternative names	Friedman, David
Short description	Writer
Date of birth
Place of birth	New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of death
Place of death