David Reynolds (screenwriter)

American screenwriter

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David Reynolds

Occupations|

* Screenwriter
* actor

Years active| 1986–present
Agent| The Gersh Agency[1]
Notable work|

* The Emperor's New Groove
* Finding Nemo
* Mulan
* Atlantis: The Lost Empire
* The Garfield Movie

David Reynolds is an American screenwriter. He is known for having written animated movies such as Finding Nemo (2003) and The Emperor's New Groove (2000).

## Biography

[edit]

In the early 1990s, he became a television writer.[2] He made his writing debut on the late-night television series, Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Afterwards, he started to trend into film with his theatrical debut as additional story material on Mulan. After the success of Mulan, Disney gave Reynolds a 'six-year contract' deal to work for both Walt Disney Feature Animation and Pixar Animation Studios. Some later works with the "Mouse-House" included additional writing on the story for A Bug's Life, writer of the host segments on Fantasia 2000, and got his official writing debut with The Emperor's New Groove.

He went on to write with other writers on films like on Atlantis: The Lost Empire with Tab Murphy, The Jungle Book 2 with Karl Geurs and Evan Spiliotopoulos, and his most acclaimed work yet, Finding Nemo, with Andrew Stanton and Bob Peterson. He received numerous nominations and awards for Nemo, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, a BAFTA nomination for Best Original Screenplay, a Hugo Award nomination for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form, and a Nebula Award nomination for Best Script, and won an Annie for Writing in a Feature Production. Reynolds was attached to co-write, alongside Ken Kaufman, the 2006 animated film Curious George. His name was featured in the film’s trailer but was left uncredited in the film.[3]

His last movie credit was for working on Chimpanzee where he was a creative consultant and wrote the short film The Polar Bears in 2012. In 2007, Reynolds was slated to write a film adaptation of the book Nightmare Academy.[4] In 2010, it was reported that he was working at Sony Pictures Animation for a feature titled Futuropolis that would've been co-written and directed by Stephan Franck.[5] As of 2018[update], no updates have emerged for Nightmare Academy and Futuropolis. On June 7, 2015, Reynolds and New Groove director Mark Dindal attended a conversation event for the Austin Film Festival where they shared their knowledge, secrets, and strategies.

In 2021, Reynolds was announced as screenwriter for The Garfield Movie, along with the announcement that Chris Pratt would voice the titular character.[6] Writing alongside Paul A. Kaplan and Mark Torgove,[7] the film reunited Reynolds with New Groove director Mark Dindal. The film was released on May 24, 2024, and while it was met with mixed-to-negative reviews, the film was a box-office hit.

## Filmography

[edit]

Title  | Year  | Role

|
|

One More Saturday Night | 1986  | Actor: Russ Cadwell
Crime Story | Actor: Driver #2 ("The War")
Soul Man | Actor: Ernie
China Beach | 1988  | Actor: Pilot #1 ("Somewhere Over the Radio")
Raising Miranda | Unknown ("Black Monday")
Late Night with Conan O'Brien | 1993-94  | Writer (230 episodes)
Dumb and Dumber: The Animated Series | 1996  | Writer:

* Overbites in Paradise segment

Mulan | 1998  | Additional story material
A Bug's Life | Additional writer: story
Saturday Night Live | Writer:

* Alec Baldwin/Luciano Pavarotti, Vanessa Williams (Saturday TV Funhouse segment)

Tarzan | 1999  | Additional screenplay material
Toy Story 2
Fantasia 2000 | Writer: Live-Action segments (along with Don Hahn and Irene Mecchi)
TV Funhouse | 2000  | Writer:

* Christmas Day (Globetrotters Christmas segment)

The Emperor's New Groove | Screenplay, voice: Checkers Player
Atlantis: The Lost Empire | 2001  | Additional screenplay material
The Sweatbox | 2002  | Himself
The Jungle Book 2 | 2003  | Additional written material
Finding Nemo | Screenplay (along with Andrew Stanton and Bob Peterson)
Finding Nemo: Studio Tour of Pixar | Himself
Chicken Little | 2005  | Additional dialogue
Sita Sings the Blues | 2008  | Donor
Toy Story 3 | 2010  | Additional dialogue
Chimpanzee | 2012  | Creative consultant
The Polar Bears | Screenplay
Aldabra: Once Upon an Island | 2015  | Creative consultant
Sprite Fright | 2021  | Short; special thanks
The Garfield Movie[6] | 2024  | Screenplay (along with Paul A. Kaplan and Mark Torgove), executive producer, lyricist for Lactose Farms Jingle (with Mark Dindal)

### Unrealized projects

[edit]

* Nightmare Academy
* Futuropolis
* Brooklyn Family Robinson[8]
* Where's Charlie?[citation needed]

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

List of awards and nominations

Year  | Award  | Category  | Film(s)  | Result  | Notes
2001  | Annie Award | Individual Achievement in Writing | The Emperor's New Groove | Nominated  |
2003  | Discover Screenwriting Award | Finding Nemo | Nominated  |
Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated  |
Utah Film Critics Association Awards  | Best Writing, Screenplay - Original/Adapted  | Nominated  |
Seattle Film Critics Awards  | Best Screenplay, Original  | Nominated  |
2004  | Nebula Award | Best Script | Nominated  |
Online Film & Television Association Film Award  | Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen  | Nominated  |
Hugo Awards | Feature Film Category | Nominated  |
31st Annie Awards | Outstanding Writing in an Animated Feature Production | Won  |
57th British Academy Film Awards | Best Screenplay - Original | Nominated  |
76th Academy Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Mike Fleming Jr (December 1, 2010). "UPDATE: Gersh Confirms Hohman Maybank Lieb Deal". Deadline. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
2. ^ Robert Sims. "Director Mark Dindal and Screenwriter David Reynolds, The Emperor's New Groove Interview". No. June 4th, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
3. ^ "Curious George (2006) Official Trailer - Will Ferrell Movie". YouTube. August 14, 2016.
4. ^ "David Reynolds to Write Nightmare Academy". Movie Fone. No. 1 October 2007. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
5. ^ Bill Graham. "Sony Pictures Animation Teams with FINDING NEMO Co-Writer for Original Animated Film". No. 15 December 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
6. ^ a b Grobar, Matt (November 1, 2021). "'Garfield': Chris Pratt To Voice Title Character In Alcon Entertainment's Animated Film". Deadline. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
7. ^ "Mark Dindal To Direct All-Animated 'Garfield' Feature For Alcon". Cartoon Brew. November 12, 2018.
8. ^ "Steve Carell Will Headline Disney's Brooklyn Family Robinson". Cinema Blend. No. June 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* David Reynolds at IMDb
* Director Mark Dindal and Screenwriter David Reynolds, The Emperor's New Groove Interview
* David Reynolds on Instagram

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* Czech Republic