View source for Terry Rossio

{{short description|American screenwriter}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{distinguish|Terry Ross}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Terry Rossio
| image              = Terry Rossio (2009) (cropped).png
| caption            = Rossio in 2009
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1960|07|02}}
| birth_place        = 
| occupation         = [[Screenwriter]], [[Film Producer]]
| years_active       = 1989–present
}}

'''Terry Rossio''' (born July 2, 1960) is an American [[screenwriter]] and [[film producer]]. He co-wrote the films ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]'', ''[[The Mask of Zorro]]'', ''[[Shrek]]'', and all five of the [[Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|''Pirates of the Caribbean'' series]]. For ''Shrek'', he was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay]], and won the [[Annie Award for Writing in a Feature Production]] and [[BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay]]. He often collaborates with fellow screenwriter [[Ted Elliott (screenwriter)|Ted Elliott]].

==Life and career==
Rossio was born in [[Kalamazoo, Michigan]].{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} After graduating from [[Saddleback High School]] in [[Santa Ana, California]], he went on to study at [[California State University, Fullerton]] where he received his [[Bachelor of Arts]] in Communications, with an emphasis in radio, television and film.  He is the founder of [[Wordplay (website)|Wordplay]], also known as [http://www.wordplayer.com Wordplayer.com], one of the premier screenwriting sites on the Internet.

Along with his writing partner [[Ted Elliott (screenwriter)|Ted Elliott]], Rossio has written some of the most successful American films of the past 30 years, including ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]'', ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl]]'' and ''[[Shrek]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lodge |first=Guy |date=2023-01-30 |title='The Amazing Maurice' Review: Spry British Animated Romp Shows a Cat (or Even a Rat) May Look at a King |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/the-amazing-maurice-review-1235506740/ |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> He is the eleventh-most successful screenwriter of all time in terms of domestic box office receipts with totals at around $5.5 billion.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-star-records/worldwide/lifetime-specific-technical-role/screenwriter|title=The Numbers - Top Grossing Screenwriter at the Worldwide Box Office|website=the-numbers.com}}</ref> In May 1993, Rossio and Elliott were hired by [[TriStar Pictures]] to write a screenplay for ''[[Godzilla (1998 film)|Godzilla]]'', which featured Godzilla battling a shape-shifting alien in New York. Their script was dropped by [[Roland Emmerich]] in favor of a new script of his own co–written with [[Dean Devlin]]. However, Rossio and Elliott retained a "Story By" credit.<ref name="p1">{{cite web|url=https://www.scifijapan.com/godzilla-toho/godzilla-unmade-the-history-of-jan-de-bonts-unproduced-tristar-film-part-1|title=Godzilla Unmade: The History of Jan De Bont's Unproduced TriStar Film – Part 1 of 4|last=Aiken|first=Keith|work=SciFi Japan|date=May 10, 2015|access-date=March 29, 2016|url-status=live|archive-date=December 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227195908/https://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2015/05/10/godzilla-unmade-the-history-of-jan-de-bonts-unproduced-tristar-film-part-1/}}</ref>

In 2011, Terry Rossio was working on a script for a fifth ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film without his partner Ted Elliott.<ref name="Script2011">{{cite web|last=Fleming  |first=Mike Jr. |title=Disney Sets Terry Rossio To Script Fifth 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Installment |url=https://deadline.com/2011/01/disney-sets-terry-rossio-to-script-fifth-pirates-of-the-caribbean-installment-96468/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=January 14, 2011 |access-date=July 13, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928203850/http://www.deadline.com/2011/01/disney-sets-terry-rossio-to-script-fifth-pirates-of-the-caribbean-installment/ |archive-date=September 28, 2013 }}</ref> Rossio's script was discarded in 2012, and the writer stated on his website Wordplay that a major reason was its use of a female villain, which made actor [[Johnny Depp]] "worried that it would be redundant to ''[[Dark Shadows (film)|Dark Shadows]]'', which also featured a female villain."<ref name="Time Risk">{{cite web|url=http://www.wordplayer.com/columns/wp55.Time.Risk.html|title=Wordplay/Columns/55. "Time Risk" by Terry Rossio|first=Terry|last=Rossio|date=August 7, 2016|publisher=Wordplayer.com}}</ref> By January 2013, Disney hired [[Jeff Nathanson]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://movieweb.com/pirates-of-the-caribbean-5-lands-writer-jeff-nathanson/|title=Pirates of the Caribbean 5 Lands Writer Jeff Nathanson|website=movieweb.com}}</ref> with whom Rossio shared co-story credit with.<ref name="Wordplay Company">{{Cite web|url=http://www.wordplayer.com/company/welcome.html|title=Wordplayer.com: WORDPLAY/Company/Chamaeleon Productions|website=www.wordplayer.com}}</ref> Following the theatrical release of ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales]]'' in 2017, Rossio released his unproduced screenplay, and made it available on Wordplay.<ref name="Terry Rossio Dead Men Tell No Tales">{{Cite web|url=http://www.wordplayer.com/archives/PIRATES5.cover.html|title=Wordplayer.com: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES by Terry Rossio|website=www.wordplayer.com}}</ref>

In 2015, Dodie Gold Management filed a Commissions Non-Payment Lawsuit against Rossio and sought a jury trial for "damages of more than $25,000 plus a court declaration that they are entitled to the 10% commissions and a full look at the records and accounting of Rossio and his Chamaeleon Productions."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/08/terry-rossio-lawsuit-pirates-of-the-caribbean-writer-management-1201491056/#comment-list-wrapper|title='Pirates' Scribe Terry Rossio Hit With Commissions Non-Payment Lawsuit|first=Dominic|last=Patten|date=August 4, 2015|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=January 7, 2018}}</ref> In March 2017, [[Legendary Entertainment]] announced that Rossio would lead their writers room to help develop the story for ''[[Godzilla vs. Kong]]''.<ref name="GVK WR">{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/kong-skull-island-sequel-plans-godzilla-kong-sets-writers-room-984992 |title='Godzilla vs. Kong' Film Sets Writers Room (Exclusive) |last=Kit |first=Borys |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=March 10, 2017 |access-date=March 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170310230537/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/kong-skull-island-sequel-plans-godzilla-kong-sets-writers-room-984992|archive-date=March 10, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> He received "story by" credit on the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181112005664/en/Warner-Bros.-Pictures%E2%80%99-Legendary-Entertainment%E2%80%99s-Monsterverse-Shifts|title=Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Entertainment's Monsterverse Shifts into Overdrive as Cameras Roll on the Next Big-Screen Adventure "Godzilla Vs. Kong"|work=Business Wire|date=November 12, 2018|access-date=November 12, 2018}}</ref> In June 2019, Rossio was announced as the screenwriter for ''[[The Amazing Maurice]]''.<ref name="Maurice">{{cite web|last1=Aguilar|first1=Carlos|url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/terry-pratchetts-the-amazing-maurice-and-his-educated-rodents-is-being-developed-into-an-animated-feature-175572.html|title=Terry Pratchett's 'The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents' Is Being Developed Into An Animated Feature|date=June 16, 2019|access-date=November 7, 2020|website=[[Cartoon Brew]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190619151043/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/terry-pratchetts-the-amazing-maurice-and-his-educated-rodents-is-being-developed-into-an-animated-feature-175572.html|archive-date=June 19, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2021, Rossio and [[Bill Marsilii]] sold their spec script ''Time Zone'' to [[Amazon Studios]]. The film will be a joint venture between Amazon Studios and [[Davis Entertainment]].<ref name="TZ">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/08/amazon-studios-time-zone-terry-rossio-bill-marsilii-writing-1234809313/|title=Bill Marsilii & Terry Rossio Sell Sci-Fi Action Thriller Spec 'Time Zone' To Amazon Studios|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=August 4, 2021|access-date=February 24, 2022|url-status=live|archive-date=February 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224164811/https://deadline.com/2021/08/amazon-studios-time-zone-terry-rossio-bill-marsilii-writing-1234809313/}}</ref>

In February 2023 [[Ashley Bell (actress)|Ashly Bell]] and Dr. [[Bernice King|Bernice A King]] (daughter of [[Martin Luther King Jr.|Martin Luther King]]) announced their intent to executive produce ''Cash Money'', written by Terry Rossio and [[Kevin Arbouet]], concurrent with the launch of ReadLife Entertainment, which plans to create television and film projects centered around strong social messaging. Arbouet is going to direct Cash Money.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Angelique |date=2023-02-13 |title=Ashley D. Bell Announces Ready Entertainment Production Company (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/ashley-d-bell-ready-entertainment-production-company-1235520262/ |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Controversy==
On November 23, 2018, Rossio expressed his condolences to parents of "vaccine damaged children", however, he likened the term "anti-vax" to a slur equivalent to "[[nigger]]." Following immediate outcry, he apologized the day after for using the slur and for proclaiming that both epithets were analogous.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/11/terry-rossio-julie-benson-anti-vax-n-word-1202508379/|title='Pirates Of The Caribbean' Screenwriter Terry Rossio Says Using The N-Word Was A "Mistake" – Update|first=Dino–Ray|last=Ramos|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=November 25, 2018|access-date=February 24, 2022|url-status=live|archive-date=February 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224164200/https://deadline.com/2018/11/terry-rossio-julie-benson-anti-vax-n-word-1202508379/}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year 
! Film 
! Credit
! Notes
! Ref.
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Little Monsters (1989 film)|Little Monsters]]''
| Written by
| Co-wrote with [[Ted Elliott (screenwriter)|Ted Elliott]]
|
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]''
| Screenplay by
| Co-wrote screenplay with Ted Elliott & [[Ron Clements]] and [[John Musker]]
|
|-
| 1994
| ''[[The Puppet Masters (film)|The Puppet Masters]]''
| Screenplay by
| Co-wrote screenplay with Ted Elliott and [[David S. Goyer]]
|
|-
|rowspan=3| 1998
| ''[[The Mask of Zorro]]''
| Screenplay by<br />Story by
| Co-wrote screenplay with [[John Eskow]] and Ted Elliott<br />Co-wrote story with Ted Elliott and [[Randall Jahnson]]
|
|-
| ''[[Godzilla (1998 film)|Godzilla]]''
| Story by
| Early unproduced screenplay; Co-wrote with Ted Elliott
|<ref name="p1"/>
|-
| ''[[Small Soldiers]]''
| Written by
| Co-wrote with Ted Elliott & [[Gavin Scott]] and [[Adam Rifkin]]
|
|-
| 2000
| ''[[The Road to El Dorado]]''
| Written by
| Co-wrote with Ted Elliott
|
|-
| 2001
| ''[[Shrek]]''
| Written by<br />Co-producer
| Co-wrote with Ted Elliott & [[Joe Stillman]] and [[Roger S. H. Schulman]]
|
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Treasure Planet]]''
| Story by
| Co-wrote story with Ted Elliott & Ron Clements and John Musker
|
|-
| 2003
| ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl|Pirates of the Caribbean:<br />The Curse of the Black Pearl]]''
| Screenplay by<br />Story by
| Co-wrote screenplay with Ted Elliott<br />Co-wrote story with Ted Elliott & [[Stuart Beattie]] and [[Jay Wolpert]]
|
|-
| 2005
| ''[[The Legend of Zorro]]''
| Story by
| Co-wrote story with Ted Elliott & [[Roberto Orci]] and [[Alex Kurtzman]]
|
|-
| rowspan=2|2006
| ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest|Pirates of the Caribbean:<br />Dead Man's Chest]]''
| Written by
| Co-wrote with Ted Elliott
|
|-
| ''[[Déjà Vu (2006 film)|Déjà Vu]]''
| Written by<br />Executive producer
| Co-wrote with [[Bill Marsilii]]
|
|-
| rowspan=2|2007
| ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End|Pirates of the Caribbean:<br />At World's End]]''
| Written by
| Co-wrote with Ted Elliott
|
|-
| ''[[National Treasure: Book of Secrets|National Treasure:<br />Book of Secrets]]''
| Story by
| Co-wrote story with Ted Elliott & Gregory Poirier & [[Cormac Wibberley and Marianne Wibberley]]
|
|-
| 2009
| ''[[G-Force (film)|G-Force]]''
| Associate producer
| Uncredited rewrite
|
|-
| rowspan=2| 2011
| ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides|Pirates of the Caribbean:<br />On Stranger Tides]]''
| Screenplay by<br />Executive producer
| Co-wrote screenplay with Ted Elliott
|
|-
| ''Pirates of the Caribbean:<br />Tales of the Code – Wedlocked''
| Written by
| Short film; Co-wrote with Ted Elliott
|
|-
| rowspan=2|2013
| ''[[Lovestruck: The Musical]]''
| Written by<br />Executive producer<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
| TV film; Co-wrote with Jaylynn Bailey<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
|
|-
| ''[[The Lone Ranger (2013 film)|The Lone Ranger]]''
| Screenplay by<br />Executive producer
| Co-wrote screenplay with Ted Elliott and [[Justin Haythe]]
|
|-
| 2017
| ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales|Pirates of the Caribbean:<br />Dead Men Tell No Tales]]''
| Story by<br />Executive producer<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
| Early unproduced screenplay;<ref name="Terry Rossio Dead Men Tell No Tales"/> co-story credit with [[Jeff Nathanson]]<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
|-
| 2019
| ''[[Aladdin (2019 film)|Aladdin]]''
| Based on<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
| Credited with Ron Clements & John Musker and Ted Elliott<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
|
|-
| 2021
| ''[[Godzilla vs. Kong]]''
| Story by<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
| Head of writers room; co-wrote story with [[Michael Dougherty]] and Zach Shields
|<ref name="wgaeast">{{cite web |title=Godzilla vs. Kong |url=https://findawriter.wgaeast.org/project/1159682/godzilla-vs-kong/ |website=Writers Guild of America East |access-date=May 3, 2020}}</ref><ref name="GVK WR"/>
|-
| 2022
| ''[[The Amazing Maurice]]''
| Screenplay by<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
| 
|<ref name="Maurice"/>
|-
| 2024
| ''[[Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire]]''
| Screenplay by<br />Story by<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
|Co-wrote script with [[Jeremy Slater]] and [[Simon Barrett (filmmaker)|Simon Barrett]]<br>Co-wrote story with Barrett and [[Adam Wingard]]
|<ref name="GXK WGA">{{Cite web |title=''Origins'' |url=https://directories.wga.org/project/1240262/origins/ |access-date=April 26, 2023 |website=[[Writers Guild of America West]]}}</ref>
|}

===Other credits===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year 
! Film 
! Role
|-
|1997
|''[[Men in Black (1997 film)|Men in Black]]''
|Additional literary material (uncredited)<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Antz]]''
| rowspan=2| Consultant/advisor<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
|-
| 2003
| ''[[Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas]]''
|-
| rowspan=3|2004
| ''[[Shrek 2]]''
| Creative consultant<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
|-
|''[[King Arthur (2004 film)|King Arthur]]''
|Additional literary material (uncredited)<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
|-
|''[[National Treasure (film)|National Treasure]]''
|Additional literary material (uncredited)<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
|-
| 2008
|''[[The Spiderwick Chronicles (film)|The Spiderwick Chronicles]]''
|Additional literary material (uncredited)<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
|-
| 2015
| ''[[Jake and the Never Land Pirates]]''
| Episode #89 – ''Captain Frost''<br />Co-wrote storyboards with Ted Elliott{{Fact|date=March 2025}}
|-
|2016
|''[[Star Trek Beyond]]''
|Additional literary material (uncredited)<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
|-
|2021
|''[[Arcane (TV series)|Arcane: League of Legends]]''
|Writing consultant<ref name="Wordplay Company" />
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.wordplayer.com Terry Rossio Website via Wordplayer]
* {{IMDb name|0744429}}
{{Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Awards for Terry Rossio
| list =
{{Annie Award for Writing in a Feature Production 1996–2010}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay 2000–2019}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rossio, Terry}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:American male screenwriters]]
[[Category:Animation screenwriters]]
[[Category:Best Adapted Screenplay BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:California State University, Fullerton alumni]]
[[Category:DreamWorks Animation people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Writers from Kalamazoo, Michigan]]
[[Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios people]]
[[Category:People from Santa Ana, California]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from California]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Michigan]]