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 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

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), ''Simone'' (1918 film), a French silent drama film * S ...

'' (2002), ''

Lord of War ''Lord of War'' is a 2005 American crime drama film written, produced, and directed by Andrew Niccol, and co-produced by and starring Nicolas Cage. The film was released in the United States on September 16, 2005, to positive reviews and gros ...

'' (2005), ''

In Time ''In Time'' is a 2011 American science fiction action film written, directed and produced by Andrew Niccol. Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake star as inhabitants of a society which uses time from one's lifespan as its primary currency, with ...

'' (2011), '' The Host'' (2013), and ''

Good Kill ''Good Kill'' is a 2014 American drama film written and directed by Andrew Niccol. The film stars Ethan Hawke, Bruce Greenwood, Zoë Kravitz, Jake Abel, and January Jones. It competed for the Golden Lion at the 71st Venice International Film F ...

'' (2014). He wrote and co-produced '' The Truman Show'', which earned him a nomination for the

Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with th ...

and won him the

BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...

in the same category. His films tend to explore social, cultural and political issues, as well as artificial realities, simulations and the

male gaze In feminist theory, the male gaze is the act of depicting women and the world in the visual arts and in literature from a masculine, heterosexual perspective that presents and represents women as sexual objects for the pleasure of the heteros ...

. His film ''Good Kill'' was selected to compete for the

Golden Lion The Golden Lion ( it, Leone d'oro) is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguis ...

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 ''

'', 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 ''

'') and Ava, born in 2008.

Career

Directing

Niccol has directed the films '' Gattaca'' (1997), ''

'' (2002), ''

'' (2005), ''

'' (2011), '' The Host'' (2013), and ''

'' (2014) (reuniting after 17 years with actor

Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor and film director. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. Hawke has directed three feature films, three off-Broadway plays, and a doc ...

in a lead role; Hawke also appeared in ''

'' 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 ''

'' 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 ''

'' (2005), he received a Special Recognition for Excellence in Filmmaking from the

National Board of Review The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...

. In June 2021, Niccol was named as the director and writer of a film based on the

Christchurch mosque shootings On 15 March 2019, two consecutive mass shootings occurred in a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. The attacks, carried out by a lone gunman who entered both mosques during Friday prayer, began at the Al Noor Mosque ...

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 Peter Lindsay Weir ( ; born August 21, 1944) is a retired Australian film director. He's known for directing films crossing various genres over forty years with films such as '' Picnic at Hanging Rock'' (1975), ''Gallipoli'' (1981), ''Witness ...

and starring

Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy t ...

. 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 ind ...

nomination for Best Original Screenplay (Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) and a

Golden Globes The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

nomination for Best Screenplay in 1999 and won a BAFTA award for Best Screenplay, a

Saturn Award for Best Writing The Saturn Awards for Best Writing is a Saturn Award presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. Unlike most awards rewarding writing in films, it recognizes only the writer(s) of the screenplay, and not those of the stor ...

or Best Writer, an Awards Circuit Community Award for Best Original Screenplay and Best Motion Picture, a

Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation The Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation is given each year for theatrical films, television episodes, or other dramatized works related to science fiction or fantasy released in the previous calendar year. Originally the award covered both ...

(shared with

), and an

Online Film Critics Society The Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) is an international professional association of online film journalists, historians and scholars who publish their work on the World Wide Web. The organization was founded in January 1997 by Harvey S. Karte ...

Award for Best Original Screenplay. In 1999, Niccol received the ALFS Award for "Screenwriter of the Year" from the London Critics Circle Film Awards 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), ''

'' (2002), ''

'' (2005), ''

'' (2011), '' The Host'' (2013), and ''

'' (2014). Out of the films he has written and directed, he has produced ''

S1m0ne ''Simone'' (stylized as ''S1M0̸NE'') is a 2002 American satirical science fiction film written, produced, and directed by Andrew Niccol. It stars Al Pacino, Catherine Keener, Evan Rachel Wood, Rachel Roberts, Jay Mohr, and Winona Ryder. The s ...

'' (2002), ''

'' (2005), ''

'' (2011), ''

'' (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 Th ...

'' (2018). He also wrote and came up with the story for the film ''

The Terminal ''The Terminal'' is a 2004 American comedy-drama film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Stanley Tucci. The film is about an Eastern European man who is stuck in New York's John F. Kennedy ...

'', 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. Sp ...

. He also served as an executive producer on the film.

Filmography

References

External links

*
Andrew Niccol interview
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Contactmusic.com Contactmusic.com is an online magazine of cultural criticism based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, and ...

{{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