Jason Keller (born December 12, 1968, Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He has also been credited under the
anagram
An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example, the word ''anagram'' itself can be rearranged into ''nag a ram'', also the word ...
pen name of Arnell Jesko. Keller is a New Harmony Writing Fellowship recipient, a two time Bronx New Voices nominee, a Satellite Award nominee for Best Original Screenplay, an Oglethorpe Award nominee and the recipient of an IFJA Hoosier Award.
Keller's father is former major league pitcher
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
and
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
. The movie was nominated for four Academy Awards, including a Best Picture nomination.
In 2022, it was announced that Keller wrote the upcoming biopic about famed female Indycar driver Janet Guthrie who became the first woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 1977. Hilary Swank will star in the film which is being produced by Keller, Joel David Moore, Rishi Bajaj and Philip Schneider. The film is planned for a mid-2024 start.
Keller is also set to make his directorial debut helming the feature film 'La Sombra' (The Shadow), from an original screenplay by Keller to be financed by Sherborne Media Finance. The film will be produced by Luillo Ruiz (Driven), Gary Raskin (Midway) and Alastair Burlingham (Greenland) and Academy Award nominated producer Robbie Brenner ( Dallas Buyers Club,
Barbie (film)
''Barbie'' is an upcoming American romantic comedy film directed by Greta Gerwig and written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. Based on the Barbie fashion dolls by Mattel from Ruth Handler, the film is the first live-action Barbie film after sever ...
). A fall 2024 production is currently planned with casting underway.
With co-writer Eric Pfeffinger, Keller wrote ''The Paladin'' which he is producing with David Dobkin and Robbie Brenner. ''The Paladin'' is based on a novel by
Brian Garfield
Brian Francis Wynne Garfield (January 26, 1939 – December 29, 2018) was an Edgar Award-winning American novelist, historian and screenwriter. A Pulitzer Prize finalist, he wrote his first published book at the age of eighteen. Garfield went on ...
and tells the true story of how the British government orchestrated a monumental shift in World War 2 through a top-secret program which turned a 15 year old boy into one of England’s deadliest assassins.
In June 2015 it was reported that Keller’s 2006 Black List script "A Willing Patriot" was bought by Open Road Films and is expected to go into production in 2020 with Martin Zandvliet (“Land of Mine”) directing and Liam Neeson starring.
In 2011, it was announced that Keller would collaborate with director Matt Reeves on the adaptation of the Justin Cronin novel '' The Passage'' with
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...
producing.
Filmography
* ''Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie'' (2002)
* '' Machine Gun Preacher'' (2011)
* '' Mirror Mirror'' (2012)
* '' Escape Plan'' (2013) (using the pen name Arnell Jesko)
* '' Ford v Ferrari'' (2019)
* Mulan (Sony Pictures upcoming movie)