Paul Weitz

Director

Popular As Paul Weitz (filmmaker)

Birthday November 19, 1965

Birth Sign Scorpio

Birthplace New York City, U.S.

Age 58 years old

Nationality United States

#37255 Most Popular

1932

Tovar, who was from Oaxaca, Mexico, starred in Santa, Mexico's first talkie, in 1932, as well as a Mexican version of Drácula.

Weitz' paternal grandparents escaped Nazi Germany, where his grandfather had been a successful textile manufacturer, and family intimates of Christopher Isherwood and Marlene Dietrich.

Weitz's father and maternal grandfather were Jewish, whereas his maternal grandmother was Catholic.

He was raised in a nonreligious household.

Weitz attended the Allen-Stevenson School with his brother and Collegiate.

1960

Inspiration came from the film The Apartment (1960).

They were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Weitz has written and directed the well-received romantic comedy In Good Company and the political satire American Dreamz, which faced mixed reviews.

Additional writing credits include the television show Cracking Up.

He has also directed an adaptation of Darren Shan's young adult novel Cirque du Freak called The Vampire's Assistant.

1965

Paul John Weitz (born November 19, 1965) is an American screenwriter, director and producer.

He is the older brother of filmmaker Chris Weitz.

Together they worked on the comedy films American Pie and About a Boy; for the latter, they were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Weitz is also a writer, executive producer, and director of the Amazon Prime Video dramedy series Mozart in the Jungle.

Weitz was born in New York City, the son of actress Susan Kohner and Berlin-born novelist/menswear designer John Weitz.

His brother is filmmaker Chris Weitz.

Weitz is the grandson of Czech-born agent and producer Paul Kohner and actress Lupita Tovar on his maternal side.

1988

In 1988, he graduated from Wesleyan University.

While at Wesleyan, Weitz studied under film instructor Jeanine Basinger.

Weitz' early career involved many collaborations with his brother.

Some of the work they have done as screenwriters has been both credited and uncredited.

The film was Tomlin's first leading role in 27 years, after co-starring with Bette Midler in the comedy film Big Business (1988).

1998

Weitz began his film career as a co-writer on the 1998 animated film Antz.

He followed this with work on various sitcoms such as Off Centre and the 1998 revival of the 1977 series Fantasy Island.

1999

In 1999, he and Chris directed and produced American Pie, which was written by Adam Herz, and became a major box office success.

Weitz returned as executive producer on the film's two theatrical sequels.

2002

In 2002, the Weitz brothers co-wrote and co-directed About a Boy, the Hugh Grant film based on the book by Nick Hornby.

The film was originally set up at New Line Cinema with Robert De Niro producing, and the main character as an American.

The brothers felt that it was important that the character is British.

2010

He directed the film Little Fockers (2010), the sequel to Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers.

Subsequently he wrote and directed Being Flynn, an adaptation of Nick Flynn's memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, starring Robert De Niro.

Weitz said he worked collaboratively with Flynn to translate the dense original source material into its film adaptation.

Weitz also directed the movie Admission, starring Tina Fey.

2013

It is the second collaboration between Tomlin and Weitz, who previously directed her in his film Admission (2013).

2015

In 2015, Weitz directed the film, Grandma, which starred Lily Tomlin.

The film premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 30, as the closing night film.

The film was released on August 21, 2015, by Sony Pictures Classics.

Weitz had the story idea for many years, but it never fully formed until he met and worked with Tomlin on Admission, saying that "After meeting Lily, the voice and the character really clicked, I had thought about it for years, so I had a lot of it worked out in my head, and then I just went to a coffee shop and wrote it longhand."

Weitz said the film cost under $600,000 to make.

It was well received.