Jane Loretta Anne Goldman''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 11 June 1970) is an English screenwriter, author and producer. With Matthew Vaughn, she co-wrote the screenplays of '' Kingsman: The Secret Service'' (2014) and its sequel '' Kingsman: The Golden Circle'' (2017), as well as '' X-Men: First Class'' (2011), '' Kick-Ass'' (2010) and ''

Stardust Stardust may refer to: * A type of cosmic dust, composed of particles in space Entertainment Songs * “Stardust” (1927 song), by Hoagy Carmichael * “Stardust” (David Essex song), 1974 * “Stardust” (Lena Meyer-Landrut song), 2012 * ...

'' (2007). Goldman also worked on the story of '' X-Men: Days of Future Past'' (2014), the sequel to ''First Class'', in partnership with Vaughn. Both met high critical praise for their partnership works. Goldman's first solo screenplay was ''

The Woman in Black ''The Woman in Black'' is a 1983 gothic horror novel by English writer Susan Hill. The plot concerns a mysterious spectre that haunts a small English town. A television film based on the story, also called '' The Woman in Black'', was produce ...

'' (2012). She also wrote the script for ''

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children ''Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children'' is a contemporary fantasy debut novel by American author Ransom Riggs. The story is told through a combination of narrative and a mix of vernacular and found photography from the personal archiv ...

'', a 2016 film adaption of

the novel ''The Novel'' (1991) is a novel written by American author James A. Michener. A departure from Michener's better known historical fiction, ''The Novel'' is told from the viewpoints of four different characters involved in the life and work of ...

, for

Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), '' Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), '' The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993 ...

. She has also written the books ''Dreamworld'' (2000) and ''The X-Files Book of the Unexplained'' (1997), and presented her own TV series on the

paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...

, ''Jane Goldman Investigates'', on the channel

Living Living or The Living may refer to: Common meanings *Life, a condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms ** Living species, one that is not extinct *Personal life, the course of an individual human's life * H ...

, in 2003 and 2004.

Early life

Goldman was raised in a liberal, middle-class family in north London, the only child of a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

father and a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

mother. She attended the King Alfred School, an independent school in Hampstead, until the age of 15 before moving to the United States to follow

Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singe ...

on tour. Upon her return to the UK, she took a job as an entertainment reporter with the '' Daily Star''. When she was 16, she met TV presenter

Jonathan Ross Jonathan Stephen Ross (born 17 November 1960) is an English broadcaster, film critic, comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He presented the BBC One chat show ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' during the 2000s, hosted his own radio show on ...

. They married in 1988, when Goldman was 18 years old. The couple have three children: two daughters and a son.

Professional career

Journalism, books and TV

As a journalist, Goldman worked on newspapers and magazines such as ''

Just Seventeen ''Just Seventeen'', often referred to as ''J-17'', was a fortnightly magazine aimed at teenage girls, published by Emap from October 1983 to April 2004. A special preview edition was given away free with sister magazine ''Smash Hits'' on 13 Oct ...

'', ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

'', ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...

'', ''

Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

'', ''

Zero 0 (zero) is a number representing an empty quantity. In place-value notation such as the Hindu–Arabic numeral system, 0 also serves as a placeholder numerical digit, which works by Multiplication, multiplying digits to the left of 0 by th ...

'', ''Daily Star'', ''

Total Guitar ''Total Guitar'' is a monthly music magazine based in Bath, the United Kingdom, that has been in circulation since 1994. The magazine is owned by Future plc, who publish many other magazines ranging from drums and video games to technology mag ...

'', ''Game Zone'' and '' Sega Zone''. At the age of 19, she became a

freelance writer ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance ...

. Goldman also wrote books: ''Thirteen-Something'' (1993), ''Streetsmarts: A Teenager's Safety Guide'' (1996), ''Sussed and Streetwise'' (1997), the two-volume best-selling series ''The X-Files Book of the Unexplained'' (1997), her first and only novel ''Dreamworld'' (2000), and ''Do the Right Thing'' (2007). Between 2003 and 2004 she had her own television series. ''Jane Goldman Investigates'' researched the

and was transmitted by channel

between 2003 and 2004. Goldman is also in the production teams of a number of TV shows, such as '' The Big Fat Quiz of the Year''.

Screenwriting and partnership with Matthew Vaughn

She made the jump to screenwriting, and was part of the writing team for

David Baddiel David Lionel Baddiel (; born 28 May 1964) is an English comedian, presenter, screenwriter, and author. He is known for his work alongside Rob Newman in ''The Mary Whitehouse Experience'' and his comedy partnership with Frank Skinner. He has als ...

's short-lived sitcom '' Baddiel's Syndrome'', in 2001. Later, she co-wrote the screenplay of ''

'' (2007), based on the novel of the same name by Neil Gaiman and directed by Matthew Vaughn. Gaiman introduced Goldman to Vaughn to provide the director some help with the adaptation process. The film received many accolades and gave the screenwriters a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form. After ''Stardust'', Goldman became a frequent collaborator with director Matthew Vaughn, co-writing his next films, the comic-book adaptations '' Kick-Ass'' (2010) and '' X-Men: First Class'' (2011). Both films won strong praise amongst film critics. ''Kick-Ass'' enjoys a

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

and ''X-Men: First Class'' is considered by many critics to be one of the best of all X-Men films.

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

consensus says: "With a strong script, stylish direction, and powerful performances from its well-rounded cast, ''X-Men: First Class'' is a welcome return to form for the franchise." She continued to work in adaptations, and was also a co-writer with Vaughn and

Peter Straughan Peter Straughan (born 1968) is a British playwright, screenwriter and author, based in the north-east of England. He was writer-in-residence at Newcastle's Live Theatre Company. Whilst there, Live staged his plays, ''Bones'' and ''Noir''. Both of ...

for the 2011 drama-thriller '' The Debt'', which was based on the 2007 Israeli film '' HaHov'' and directed by

John Madden John Earl Madden (April 10, 1936 – December 28, 2021) was an American football coach and sports commentator in the National Football League (NFL). He served as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978, who he led to eight pl ...

. Goldman also adapted for

Hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as wi ...

'', based on Susan Hill's horror novel. This film was directed by James Watkins and it is the first solo screenplay by Goldman. It was released in 2012 and met positive reviews. In March 2013, ''The Woman in Black'' won the Empire Award for Best Horror. She is credited on '' X-Men: Days of Future Past'', the sequel to ''First Class'', as writing the story with Matthew Vaughn and

Simon Kinberg Simon David Kinberg (born August 2, 1973) is a British-born American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the 20th Century Fox ''X-Men'' film franchise, and has also written such films as '' Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' and '' Sherlock Holmes''. H ...

. With Vaughn, Goldman co-wrote the script for '' Kingsman: The Secret Service'' (2015), based on the

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

Mark Millar Mark Millar (; born 24 December 1969) is a Scottish comic book writer and television producer who first came to prominence with a run on the superhero series '' The Authority'', published by DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint. Millar has written e ...

and

Dave Gibbons David Chester Gibbons (born 14 April 1949) is an English comics artist, writer and sometimes letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries ''Watchmen'' and the Superman story "For the Man ...

. She wrote the script for ''

'', an adaptation of the

Ransom Riggs Ransom Riggs (born February 3, 1979) is an American writer and filmmaker best known for the book '' Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children''. Early life and education Riggs was born in Maryland in 1979 on a 200-year-old farm, and grew up in ...

novel of the same name, which was directed by

. Goldman co-wrote the 2020 adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's Gothic romance ''Rebecca'', directed by

Ben Wheatley Benjamin Wheatley (born 7 May 1972) is an English filmmaker and screenwriter. Beginning his career in advertising, Wheatley first gained recognition and acclaim for his commercials and short films, before transitioning into feature films and tel ...

Upcoming projects

Goldman is attached to various upcoming projects, including ''Nonplayer'', an adaptation of the sci-fi comic book by Nate Simpson for Warner Bros.; and a rewrite of the ''Pinocchio'' screenplay originally written by

Bryan Fuller Bryan Fuller (born July 27, 1969) is an American television writer and producer who has created a number of television series, including ''Dead Like Me'', ''Wonderfalls'', ''Pushing Daisies'', ''Hannibal'', and ''American Gods.'' Fuller worked as ...

, She is also involved in adaptation of ''Anubis'', based on a science-fiction/comedy short story by Paul Murray. On 6 December 2017, it was announced Goldman would write a screenplay for Disney's live-action adaptation of '' The Little Mermaid'' with Rob Marshall being eyed to direct. The film will be released on May 26, 2023. In May 2017, HBO announced Goldman was one of four writers working on a potential pilot for a ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of '' A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the fir ...

'' spin-off. In addition to Goldman,

Carly Wray Carly Ann Wray is an American television writer and producer. She is known for her writing on the AMC drama ''Mad Men'' and '' The Leftovers'' on HBO. She won a Writers Guild of America Award for Dramatic Series for ''Mad Men'' in 2016, and was ...

Max Borenstein Max Borenstein (born June 20, 1981) is an American screenwriter. He is best known for his work on the ''MonsterVerse'' film series featuring classic Kaiju of Toho's Godzilla mythos, including writing ''Godzilla'' (2014) and '' Kong: Skull Isla ...

, and

Brian Helgeland Brian Thomas Helgeland (born January 17, 1961) is an American screenwriter, film producer and director. He is most known for writing the screenplays for the films ''L.A. Confidential'' and ''Mystic River''. He also wrote and directed the films ...

were also working on potential pilots. Goldman has been working and communicating with George R. R. Martin, the author of ''

A Song of Ice and Fire ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. He began the first volume of the series, '' A Game of Thrones'', in 1991, and it was published in 1996. Martin, who i ...

'', the series of novels upon which the original series is based. ''Game of Thrones'' showrunners D. B. Weiss and

David Benioff David Friedman (; born September 25, 1970), known professionally as David Benioff (), is an American writer, director and producer. Along with his collaborator D. B. Weiss, he is best known as co-creator and showrunner of '' Game of Thrones'' (2 ...

would also be executive producers for whichever project is picked up by HBO. In June 2018, it was confirmed that Goldman's pilot had been greenlit by HBO, and would focus on "the world's descent from the golden Age of Heroes into its darkest hour", thousands of years before the events of ''Game of Thrones''. In late October 2019, it was announced that HBO would not be moving forward with the pilot.

In popular culture

Alongside her husband, broadcaster

, Goldman appeared as a character in

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...

's short story ''The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch'' in 1996. Gaiman is a personal friend of the couple.

Filmography

Writing credits * ''

'' (2007) * '' Kick-Ass'' (2010) * '' The Debt'' (2010) * ''James Bond Supports International Women's Day'' (2011) * '' X-Men: First Class'' (2011) * ''

'' (2012) * '' X-Men: Days of Future Past'' (2014) (Story only) * '' Kingsman: The Secret Service'' (2015) * ''

'' (2016) * '' The Limehouse Golem'' (2016) (Also executive producer) * '' Kingsman: The Golden Circle'' (2017) * ''

Rebecca Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...

'' (2020) * '' The Little Mermaid'' (2023)

Television

Bibliography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Goldman, Jane 1970 births Living people 21st-century British screenwriters 21st-century English women writers British television producers British women screenwriters British women television producers English female models English people of Jewish descent English screenwriters English television presenters English television producers English women journalists English women non-fiction writers English women novelists English writers on paranormal topics Hugo Award-winning writers People from Hammersmith Ross family Women science fiction and fantasy writers