Eric Garcia
Encyclopedia
Eric Garcia is an American writer, the author of several humorous novels including Matchstick Men which was made into a movie
directed by Ridley Scott
and starring Nicolas Cage
, and the Anonymous Rex
series, which was adapted in 2004 for the SciFi Channel
. He is also a screenwriter, with Garrett Lerner, of the 2010 film Repo Men, based on Garcia's novel The Repossession Mambo.
to study English and film, then transferred to the University of Southern California
during his junior year. His first novel, Anonymous Rex was published in 1999.
The second novel in the Rex series, Casual Rex, was published in 2001, and was a prequel to Anonymous Rex, a fact which was not on the book flap. The inclusion of characters in Casual Rex who were dead in Anonymous Rex confused many fans, who assumed that the book was a sequel.
In 2002, Random House
published Matchstick Men, a novel completely different from Garcia's prior work. Warner Brothers had already purchased the film rights and signed Ridley Scott as the director, with Nicolas Cage
, Sam Rockwell
and Alison Lohman
as the film's stars. The film version
, released in September 2003, received good reviews but was an average performer at the box office.
2004 was a busy year for Garcia. His third book in the Rex series, Hot And Sweaty Rex, was published early in the year, and in June, HarperCollins
/ReganBooks
published Cassandra French's Finishing School For Boys, a hard-core satire of the chick-lit genre.
Also in 2004, the SciFi Channel showed the two-hour TV-movie pilot
for Anonymous Rex
, which was based on Casual Rex but kept the name of the original book. The show received negative reviews from both critics and fans and was never made into a series.
In June 2007, it was announced that Jude Law
and Forest Whitaker
would star in Repo Men, a movie co-written by Garcia with Garrett Lerner, a writer for Fox Broadcasting's House
. The movie is based on Garcia's 2009 original paperback novel for HarperCollins, The Repossession Mambo.
As of 2010, Garcia has also written an adaptation of John Searles
book Strange but True, a thriller to be directed by Alex and David Pastor.
with his wife and two daughters, one now 11 the other 5.
Matchstick Men (film)
Matchstick Men is a 2003 American drama film directed by Ridley Scott. Based on Eric Garcia's novel Matchstick Men: A Novel about Grifters with Issues , the motion picture stars Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, and Alison Lohman.-Plot:...
directed by Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
and starring Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
, and the Anonymous Rex
Anonymous Rex
Anonymous Rex is an original movie made for the Sci Fi TV channel, directed by Julian Jarrold and adapted to film by Joe Menosky from the novel Casual Rex by Eric Garcia. The premise of the film is that dinosaurs did not die off, but faked their extinction and now live among humans in disguise...
series, which was adapted in 2004 for the SciFi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
. He is also a screenwriter, with Garrett Lerner, of the 2010 film Repo Men, based on Garcia's novel The Repossession Mambo.
Career
Garcia attended Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
to study English and film, then transferred to 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...
during his junior year. His first novel, Anonymous Rex was published in 1999.
The second novel in the Rex series, Casual Rex, was published in 2001, and was a prequel to Anonymous Rex, a fact which was not on the book flap. The inclusion of characters in Casual Rex who were dead in Anonymous Rex confused many fans, who assumed that the book was a sequel.
In 2002, Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
published Matchstick Men, a novel completely different from Garcia's prior work. Warner Brothers had already purchased the film rights and signed Ridley Scott as the director, with Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
, Sam Rockwell
Sam Rockwell
Sam Rockwell is an American actor known for his leading roles in Lawn Dogs, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Choke and Moon, as well as for his supporting roles in The Green Mile, Iron Man 2, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Frost/Nixon, Galaxy Quest, Matchstick Men, The Assassination of...
and Alison Lohman
Alison Lohman
Alison Marion Lohman is an American actress. She has had lead roles in the films White Oleander, Where the Truth Lies, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Flicka and Drag Me to Hell as well as smaller parts in Matchstick Men, Big Fish, Gamer, and Beowulf...
as the film's stars. The film version
Matchstick Men (film)
Matchstick Men is a 2003 American drama film directed by Ridley Scott. Based on Eric Garcia's novel Matchstick Men: A Novel about Grifters with Issues , the motion picture stars Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, and Alison Lohman.-Plot:...
, released in September 2003, received good reviews but was an average performer at the box office.
2004 was a busy year for Garcia. His third book in the Rex series, Hot And Sweaty Rex, was published early in the year, and in June, HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
/ReganBooks
ReganBooks
ReganBooks was an American bestselling imprint or division of HarperCollins book publishing house , headed by editor and publisher Judith Regan, started in 1994 and ended in late 2006. During its existence, Regan was called, by LA Weekly, "the world's most successful publisher". The division...
published Cassandra French's Finishing School For Boys, a hard-core satire of the chick-lit genre.
Also in 2004, the SciFi Channel showed the two-hour TV-movie pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
for Anonymous Rex
Anonymous Rex
Anonymous Rex is an original movie made for the Sci Fi TV channel, directed by Julian Jarrold and adapted to film by Joe Menosky from the novel Casual Rex by Eric Garcia. The premise of the film is that dinosaurs did not die off, but faked their extinction and now live among humans in disguise...
, which was based on Casual Rex but kept the name of the original book. The show received negative reviews from both critics and fans and was never made into a series.
In June 2007, it was announced that Jude Law
Jude Law
David Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...
and Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker
Forest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television...
would star in Repo Men, a movie co-written by Garcia with Garrett Lerner, a writer for Fox Broadcasting's House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
. The movie is based on Garcia's 2009 original paperback novel for HarperCollins, The Repossession Mambo.
As of 2010, Garcia has also written an adaptation of John Searles
John Searles
John Searles is an American writer and magazine editor. He is the author of two bestselling novels, Boy Still Missing and Strange But True...
book Strange but True, a thriller to be directed by Alex and David Pastor.
Personal life
Garcia, lives in Southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
with his wife and two daughters, one now 11 the other 5.
Others
- Matchstick Men (2002)
- Cassandra French's Finishing School For Boys (2004)
- The Repossession Mambo (2009- Now known as Repo Men)
- The Materialist (Flash Fiction OnlineFlash Fiction OnlineFlash Fiction Online is the first online magazine dedicated to professionalizing flash fiction in its own right.Flash fiction is loosely defined as stories of one thousand or fewer words, although the defining parameters vary from one publisher to another. Flash Fiction Online accepts stories from...
, 2008)
External links
- Official website for Anonymous Rex TV show hosted by SyfySyfySyfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
- 2010 interview on the Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast