Andrew Niccol (born 10 June 1964) is a
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...
screenwriter, producer, and director. He wrote and directed ''
Gattaca'' (1997), ''
Simone
Simone may refer to:
* Simone (given name), a feminine (or Italian masculine) given name of Hebrew origin
* Simone (surname), an Italian surname
Simone may also refer to:
* ''Simone'' (1918 film), a French silent drama film
* ''Simone'' (1926 fi ...
'' (2002), ''
Lord of War'' (2005), ''
In Time'' (2011), ''
The Host'' (2013), and ''
Good Kill'' (2014). He wrote and co-produced ''
The Truman Show'', which earned him a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won him the
BAFTA Award in the same category. His films tend to explore social, cultural and political issues, as well as artificial realities, simulations and the
male gaze.
His film ''Good Kill'' was selected to compete for the
Golden Lion at the
71st Venice International Film Festival.
Early and personal life
Niccol was born in
Paraparaumu, New Zealand, and grew up in
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...
, where he attended
Auckland Grammar School
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about It ...
beginning in 1973. He left New Zealand at age 21 and began directing
TV ads in London, which he did for more than ten years before his directorial debut, ''
Gattaca'' (1997). During production of ''
Simone
Simone may refer to:
* Simone (given name), a feminine (or Italian masculine) given name of Hebrew origin
* Simone (surname), an Italian surname
Simone may also refer to:
* ''Simone'' (1918 film), a French silent drama film
* ''Simone'' (1926 fi ...
'', he met model and actress
Rachel Roberts, with whom he has two children, Jack, born in 2003 (who also played "Young Nicolai" in the 2005 film ''
Lord of War'') and Ava, born in 2008.
Career
Directing
Niccol has directed the films ''
Gattaca'' (1997), ''
Simone
Simone may refer to:
* Simone (given name), a feminine (or Italian masculine) given name of Hebrew origin
* Simone (surname), an Italian surname
Simone may also refer to:
* ''Simone'' (1918 film), a French silent drama film
* ''Simone'' (1926 fi ...
'' (2002), ''
Lord of War'' (2005), ''
In Time'' (2011), ''
The Host'' (2013), and ''
Good Kill'' (2014) (reuniting after 17 years with actor
Ethan Hawke in a lead role; Hawke also appeared in ''
Lord of War'' as a supporting character named Jack Valentine). He has also directed a short film entitled ''The Minutes'' (2012), which is a documentary-esque, narrative tie-in to ''
In Time'' that describes in more detail the world and characters from the film.
For his directorial debut and first film (which he also wrote), ''
Gattaca'' (1997), he won a Best Film award from the
Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival and both a Special Jury Prize and the Fun Trophy from the
Gérardmer Film Festival.
For his film ''
Lord of War'' (2005), he received a Special Recognition for Excellence in Filmmaking from the
National Board of Review.
In June 2021, Niccol was named as the director and writer of a film based on the
Christchurch mosque shootings called
''They Are Us''. The filmmakers' choice to focus on Ardern's response rather than the victims generated criticism within New Zealand. In response to public backlash, Niccols confirmed that the film's development had been put on hold until a full consultation with the
New Zealand Muslim community had been conducted.
Writing and producing
Niccol's breakthrough screenplay was his script for the film ''
The Truman Show'' (1998), directed by
Peter Weir and starring
Jim Carrey. He also served as a producer on the film. The film received an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...
nomination for
Best Original Screenplay (Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) and a
Golden Globes nomination for Best Screenplay in 1999 and won a
BAFTA award for Best Screenplay, a
Saturn Award for Best Writing or Best Writer, an Awards Circuit Community Award for Best Original Screenplay and Best Motion Picture, a
Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (shared with
Peter Weir), and an
Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Screenplay.
In 1999, Niccol received the ALFS Award for "Screenwriter of the Year" from the
London Critics Circle Film Awards
The London Film Critics' Circle is the name by which the Film Section of The Critics' Circle is known internationally.
The word London was added because it was thought the term Critics' Circle Film Awards did not convey the full context of the ...
for his screenwriting work on the screenplays of ''
The Truman Show'' (1998) and ''
Gattaca'' (1997).
Niccol has written for all the films that he has directed, including ''
Gattaca'' (1997), ''
Simone
Simone may refer to:
* Simone (given name), a feminine (or Italian masculine) given name of Hebrew origin
* Simone (surname), an Italian surname
Simone may also refer to:
* ''Simone'' (1918 film), a French silent drama film
* ''Simone'' (1926 fi ...
'' (2002), ''
Lord of War'' (2005), ''
In Time'' (2011), ''
The Host'' (2013), and ''
Good Kill'' (2014). Out of the films he has written and directed, he has produced ''
S1m0ne'' (2002), ''
Lord of War'' (2005), ''
In Time'' (2011), ''
Good Kill'' (2014) and ''
Anon
Anon may refer to:
People
* Anon Amornlerdsak (born 1997), a Thai footballer
* Anon Boonsukco (born 1978), a professional footballer from Thailand
* Anon Nampa, Thai human rights activist
* Anon Nanok (born 1983), a football Defender from Tha ...
'' (2018).
He also wrote and came up with the story for the film ''
The Terminal'', directed by
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spi ...
. He also served as an executive producer on the film.
Filmography
References
External links
*
Andrew Niccol interview-
Contactmusic.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Niccol, Andrew
1964 births
20th-century New Zealand writers
20th-century New Zealand male writers
21st-century New Zealand writers
Best Original Screenplay BAFTA Award winners
English-language film directors
Hugo Award-winning writers
Living people
Male screenwriters
New Zealand film directors
New Zealand screenwriters
People educated at Auckland Grammar School
People from Paraparaumu
Science fiction film directors