Jonathan W. Stokes

Jonathan Witte Stokes is a film director, screenwriter, and producer.[1][2] He is also an entrepreneur who created ValueWiki which was acquired by Wikia in 2010.

Jonathan W. Stokes
Born
Manhattan, New York, US
OccupationFilm director, screenwriter, producer
Websitejonathanwstokes.com

Education

Stokes graduated from the Weston High School and majored in Philosophy at the Claremont Colleges. He then went on to study and perform improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, Improv Olympic and The Second City.[3]

Film career

Stokes' screenplay El Gringo was produced by Joel Silver and released in 2012.[1] Stokes has written scripts on assignment for actor-producers Will Smith, Jeremy Renner, and Hugh Jackman, as well as director-producer Ridley Scott.[4][5] Stokes's script "Murders and Acquisitions" was purchased by Warner Brothers in 2011.[6] His script "Blood Mountain" was purchased with Academy Award winner Lawrence Bender producing, two time Academy Award nominee Sergei Bodrov attached to direct, and Benedict Cumberbatch attached to star.[7][8] Stokes has a three novel deal with Philomel Books at Penguin, and a four novel deal with Viking Press, also at Penguin.[5]

Stokes is the only screenwriter to have screenplays featured four times in three years on the Black List, an annual survey of Hollywood executives' favorite screenplays.[9][10][11] As of 2013, Stokes is the only screenwriter to have four screenplays recognized on the "Hit List," an annual survey of Hollywood professionals' favorite spec scripts.[12]

Stokes wrote and directed The Last Hurrah starring Valerie Azlynn, Zack Bennett, David Wachs, Kate Micucci, Ravi Patel, and Randy Wayne, released in 2010. The movie is filmed in one continuous shot, and is considered representative of the mumblecore film movement in its improvisational feel and focus on dialog and Generation Y relationships.[13]

Stokes also wrote and directed several short films, including Men, Interrupted (starring Janina Gavankar, Ravi Patel, Zack Bennett, and Jelynn Rodriguez), Wipe (starring Kelly Perine), Air (starring Greg Fellows and Brandon Scott), and "Victory" (starring Janina Gavankar and Kit Pongetti).[14]

Entrepreneur

Jonathan Stokes co-created ValueWiki.com in 2006 along with high school friend Zach Greenberger. The finance wiki, a "Wikipedia for stocks," grew to over 200,000 articles covering stocks and funds from 10 world wide stock exchanges before being acquired by Wikia in 2010 in a cash-and-stock deal.[15]

Filmography
Year Title Notes
2009 Men, Interrupted Director, writer, producer
2009 Wipe Director, writer, producer
2010 The Last Hurrah Director, writer, producer
2010 Air Director, writer, executive producer
2011 Victory Director, writer
2011 El Gringo Writer

References
  1. McNary, Dave (July 12, 2011). "Indie banner buys 'El Gringo' Joel Silver to exec produce in the fall". Variety. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  2. "After Dark buys El Gringo for Joel Silver". Deadline Hollywood. July 12, 2011.
  3. Film bio
  4. Flemming Jr, Mike (December 12, 2013). "Jonathan Stokes to script Harlan Coben's Six Years for Paramount". Deadline.com.
  5. Flemming Jr, Mike (April 1, 2015). "Scribe Jonathan Stokes Sells Novel Series". Deadline.com.
  6. Fleming, Mike (September 23, 2011). "Warner Bros Buys Spec 'Murders & Acquisitions' For KatzSmith Productions". Deadline.com.
  7. Barraclough, Leo. "Benedict Cumberbatch to Star in 'Blood Mountain'". Variety. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  8. Sneider, Jeff (April 30, 2013). "Sergei Bodrov to Direct Black List Script Blood Mountain". TheWrap.com.
  9. Finke, Nikki (December 12, 2011). "The Black List 2011: Screenplay Roster". Deadline.com.
  10. Siegel, Tatiana (December 17, 2012). "Black List Screenwriting Honors Announced". Hollywood Reporter.
  11. Lewis, Hillary (December 18, 2013). "Black List Screenwriting Honors Announced". Hollywood Reporter.
  12. 2013 Hit List at Tracking-Board.com
  13. Stokell, Spence (February 22, 2010). "Jonathan Stokes: The Last Hurrah Director Takes Five". Campus Circle. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  14. Jonathan W. Stokes at IMDb
  15. "Press:Wikia Acquires Valuewiki and Calls on Financial Gurus to Join the Budding Investment Research Community" (Press Release). Wikia. February 9, 2010.
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