Famous Screenwriters from New Zealand

Reference
Updated October 14, 201859 items

List of notable or famous screenwriters from New Zealand, with bios and photos, including the top screenwriters born in New Zealand and even some popular screenwriters who immigrated to New Zealand. If you're trying to find out the names of famous Kiwi screenwriters then this list is the perfect resource for you. These screenwriters are among the most prominent in their field, and information about each well-known screenwriter from New Zealand is included when available.

List is made up of a variety of people, including Peter Jackson and Jemaine Clement.

This historic screenwriters from New Zealand list can help answer the questions "Who are some Kiwi screenwriters of note?" and "Who are the most famous screenwriters from New Zealand?" These prominent screenwriters of New Zealand may or may not be currently alive, but what they all have in common is that they're all respected Kiwi screenwriters.

Use this list of renowned Kiwi screenwriters to discover some new screenwriters that you aren't familiar with. Don't forget to share this list by clicking one of the social media icons at the top or bottom of the page. {#nodes}
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  • Andrew Adamson
    • Birthplace: New Zealand, Auckland
    Andrew Ralph Adamson (born 1 December 1966) is a New Zealand film director, producer and screenwriter based mainly in Los Angeles, where he made the animation films, Shrek and Shrek 2 for which he received an Academy Award win. He was director, executive producer, and scriptwriter for the 2005 production of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He also worked on the movies Batman Forever and Batman & Robin as a visual effects supervisor. He was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours.
  • Andrew Niccol
    • Birthplace: Paraparaumu, New Zealand
    Andrew M. Niccol (born 10 June 1964) is a New Zealand screenwriter, producer, and director. He wrote and directed Gattaca (1997), Simone (2002), Lord of War (2005), In Time (2011), The Host (2013), and Good Kill (2014). He also wrote and co-produced The Truman Show, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay in 1999 and won a BAFTA award for Best Screenplay. His films tend to explore social, cultural and political issues, as well as artificial realities or simulations.His film Good Kill was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.
  • Anna Campion
    • Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand
    Anna Campion is a film director and screenwriter.
  • Anthony McCarten
    • Birthplace: New Plymouth, New Zealand
    Anthony McCarten (born 1961) is a New Zealand-born novelist, playwright, television writer, and filmmaker. He is best known for writing the biographical films The Theory of Everything (2014), Darkest Hour (2017), and Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).
  • Bret McKenzie
    • Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand
    Bret Peter Tarrant McKenzie ONZM (born 29 June 1976) is a New Zealand comedian, actor, musician and producer. He is best known as one half of musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords along with Jemaine Clement. In the 2000s, the duo's comedy and music became the basis of a BBC radio series and then an oft-lauded American television series, which aired for two seasons on HBO. Active since 1998, the duo released their most recent comedy special, Live in London, in 2019.
  • Cecil Holmes

    Cecil Holmes

    Dec. at 73 (1921-1994)
    • Birthplace: Waipukurau, New Zealand
    Cecil Holmes was a film director, screenwriter and film producer.