Christopher Wilkinson

Christopher Wilkinson is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He is best known for writing the Academy Award-nominated screenplay for Oliver Stone's film Nixon, and for Ali, starring Will Smith.

Early life and education

Wilkinson was born in New York City and raised in Philadelphia. He began his career as a musician while attending film school at Temple University.

Before working on feature films, Wilkinson wrote, produced and directed documentaries, industrials and commercials for EUE/Screen Gems, PBS, Center City Video and Bell of Pennsylvania. During this period, he also worked as a cameraman for ESPN. After director Mark Rydell saw Wilkinson's documentary Engine 2, Ladder 3 during a directing seminar at the Maine Photographic Workshop, he hired Wilkinson as second unit director for his film The River. Wilkinson would go on to run script development at Rydell's Concourse Productions, and direct the second units of his films For the Boys and Intersection.
Wilkinson has written several films with Stephen J. Rivele. In 1992, they were hired to write three screenplays for George Harrison's HandMade Films, which cemented their partnership. They went on to write Nixon, starring Anthony Hopkins, and Ali, directed by Michael Mann. They wrote and produced Copying Beethoven, starring Ed Harris, and Birth of the Dragon. They were also writers and executive producers on Ed Zwick's Pawn Sacrifice and Miles Ahead, directed by and starring Don Cheadle.
On his own, Wilkinson wrote the pilot for the television series Fordlandia, to be directed by Werner Herzog, and the screenplay for the upcoming Ridley Scott film, The Dog Stars.

Wilkinson lives in Los Angeles, California. He was formerly married to cartoonist Cathy Guisewite.

Film

Documentary film

Uncredited rewritesThe River Nuts Moneyball All Eyez on Me Bohemian Rhapsody A Star Is Born Gemini Man
Other credits

Year	Title	2nd Unit Director	Producer	Notes
1984	The River
1991	For the Boys			Played the part of Niles LaGuardia
1994	Intersection