Dana Fox
Encyclopedia
Dana Fox is an American
screenwriter
best known as the writer of the 2005 film The Wedding Date
and the 2008 film What Happens in Vegas
.
in 1998 with a degree in English and art history, and went on to attend the University of Southern California
(USC), where she took part in the USC School of Cinematic Arts
' Peter Stark Producing Program and graduated in 2000. She had originally intended to become a film producer
, but when assigned a homework task at USC to write a 30-page screenplay, she found that she enjoyed writing more and decided to become a screenwriter instead. She became an assistant to writers Alfred Gough
and Miles Millar
while they were creating the Superman
television series Smallville
, and later worked for writer-director John August
.
While represented by Gough and Millar's agent, established screenwriter Jessica Bendinger
sought after an unpublished writer who would work inexpensively on a screenplay. Fox had not yet written a sample screenplay, but Bendinger was so impressed with her ideas for the story that Fox was hired to write the script. The produced film was The Wedding Date
, which ultimately was panned by critics but a financial success. After The Wedding Dates release, she was attached to three separate writing projects. Her next produced screenplay was What Happens in Vegas
, which was bought by 20th Century Fox
in a high six-figure deal in the script's first draft and which stars Cameron Diaz
and Ashton Kutcher
. After What Happens in Vegas was bought, Fox performed rewrites on 27 Dresses
(2008) and Knight and Day (2010), and was named one of Variety
magazine's "10 Screenwriters to Watch" of 2007.
, California
, where she works with fellow writers—who call themselves best friends—Diablo Cody
(Juno
) and Lorene Scafaria
(Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
) in a writing group they jokingly call "The Fempire". Fox married Quinn Emmett on October 22, 2010 at the Jamestown Fort in Williamsburg Virginia.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
best known as the writer of the 2005 film The Wedding Date
The Wedding Date
The Wedding Date is a 2005 romantic comedy directed by Clare Kilner, who also directed How to Deal . The release was successful achieving $47 million worldwide at the box office against a budget of $15 million...
and the 2008 film What Happens in Vegas
What Happens in Vegas
What Happens in Vegas is a 2008 American romantic comedy film from 20th Century Fox starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. The title is based on the marketing catchphrase, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."-Plot:...
.
Career
Fox graduated from Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1998 with a degree in English and art history, and went on to attend the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(USC), where she took part in the USC School of Cinematic Arts
USC School of Cinematic Arts
The USC School of Cinematic Arts, until 2006 named the School of Cinema-Television , is a film school within the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. It is the oldest and largest such school in the United States, established in 1929 as a joint venture with the Academy of...
' Peter Stark Producing Program and graduated in 2000. She had originally intended to become a film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, but when assigned a homework task at USC to write a 30-page screenplay, she found that she enjoyed writing more and decided to become a screenwriter instead. She became an assistant to writers Alfred Gough
Alfred Gough
Alfred Gough III is an American screenwriter and producer.-Early life and career:Born in Leonardtown, Maryland, Gough graduated from St. Mary's Ryken High School and The Catholic University of America...
and Miles Millar
Miles Millar
-Early life and Career:Millar was educated at Claremont Fan Court School, and is a graduate of Christ's College, Cambridge, where he was Chairman of Cambridge University Conservative Association.....
while they were creating the Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
television series Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
, and later worked for writer-director John August
John August
John August is an American screenwriter and film director. He also writes and maintains the popular screenwriting blog , and develops screenwriter-targeted software....
.
While represented by Gough and Millar's agent, established screenwriter Jessica Bendinger
Jessica Bendinger
Jessica Bendinger is an American screenwriter and novelist.She has written several films, including 2000's Bring It On, 2004's First Daughter and 2006's Aquamarine. She was also a writer and creative consultant for Sex and the City as well as a producer of the 2005 film The Wedding Date starring...
sought after an unpublished writer who would work inexpensively on a screenplay. Fox had not yet written a sample screenplay, but Bendinger was so impressed with her ideas for the story that Fox was hired to write the script. The produced film was The Wedding Date
The Wedding Date
The Wedding Date is a 2005 romantic comedy directed by Clare Kilner, who also directed How to Deal . The release was successful achieving $47 million worldwide at the box office against a budget of $15 million...
, which ultimately was panned by critics but a financial success. After The Wedding Dates release, she was attached to three separate writing projects. Her next produced screenplay was What Happens in Vegas
What Happens in Vegas
What Happens in Vegas is a 2008 American romantic comedy film from 20th Century Fox starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. The title is based on the marketing catchphrase, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."-Plot:...
, which was bought by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
in a high six-figure deal in the script's first draft and which stars Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress and former model. She became famous during the 1990s with roles in the movies The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, and There's Something About Mary. Other high-profile credits include the two Charlie's Angels films, voicing the character Princess Fiona...
and Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher
Christopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
. After What Happens in Vegas was bought, Fox performed rewrites on 27 Dresses
27 Dresses
27 Dresses is a 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Aline Brosh McKenna. The film stars Katherine Heigl and James Marsden. The film was released January 10, 2008 in Australia and opened in the United States on January 18....
(2008) and Knight and Day (2010), and was named one of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
magazine's "10 Screenwriters to Watch" of 2007.
Personal life
Fox currently lives in Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where she works with fellow writers—who call themselves best friends—Diablo Cody
Diablo Cody
Brook Busey , better known by the pen name Diablo Cody, is an American screenwriter, writer, blogger, journalist, and author. She was first known for her candid chronicling of her year as a stripper in her Pussy Ranch blog and her 2006 memoir, Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper...
(Juno
Juno (film)
Juno is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. Ellen Page stars as the title character, an independent-minded teenager confronting an unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent events that put pressures of adult life onto her. Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, J. K....
) and Lorene Scafaria
Lorene Scafaria
Lorene Scafaria is an American screenwriter, playwright, actor and singer best known for her work on the 2008 film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.-Early life:...
(Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is a 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Peter Sollett and starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings. Written by Lorene Scafaria and based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, the story tells of teenagers Nick and Norah , who meet when...
) in a writing group they jokingly call "The Fempire". Fox married Quinn Emmett on October 22, 2010 at the Jamestown Fort in Williamsburg Virginia.
Filmography
- 2009 – Couples RetreatCouples RetreatCouples Retreat is a 2009 American comedy film written and directed by Peter Billingsley with contributions to the script by Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Dana Fox, Curtis Hanson, and Greg Beeman. Vaughn and Favreau star with Faizon Love, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Malin Åkerman and...
(co-writer) - 2008 – What Happens in VegasWhat Happens in VegasWhat Happens in Vegas is a 2008 American romantic comedy film from 20th Century Fox starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. The title is based on the marketing catchphrase, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."-Plot:...
(writer) - 2005 – The Wedding DateThe Wedding DateThe Wedding Date is a 2005 romantic comedy directed by Clare Kilner, who also directed How to Deal . The release was successful achieving $47 million worldwide at the box office against a budget of $15 million...
(writer)