Adam Horowitz (born December 4, 1971) is an American screenwriter and producer. He is best known for co-creating the ABC fairy tale drama series ''

Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 in storytelling in the English language and has started many narrative ...

'' with his writing partner,

Edward Kitsis Edward Lawrence Kitsis (born February 4, 1971) is an American screenwriter and television producer, best known for his work with his writing partner Adam Horowitz on the popular ABC drama series '' Lost'' and ''Once Upon a Time''. Early life a ...

Early life

Horowitz was born in New York City to a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family,Variety Magazine: "Abrams keeps it all in the fan family – J.J. and his collaborators conquer Hollywood" By Cynthia Littleton
October 16, 2009 , ''"We’re all self-deprecating short Jews, with the exception of Bob Orci”'' and graduated from

Hunter College High School Hunter College High School is a public academic magnet secondary school located in the Carnegie Hill section of the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It is administered and funded by Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY) and no t ...

in 1990. He attended

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

and graduated with a B.A. in 1994, majoring in communication arts and

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

. There he met his future collaborator,

. Horowitz was writer and reporter for the '' Daily Cardinal'' student newspaper, writing as many as five articles in the same issue. He often caught editors off-guard with humorous

leads Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

or picking odd quotes. He worked on articles about

spearfishing Spearfishing is fishing using handheld elongated, sharp-pointed tools such as a spear, gig, or harpoon, to impale the fish in the body. It was one of the earliest fishing techniques used by mankind, and has been deployed in artisanal fishi ...

and the

Exxon Valdez oil spill The ''Exxon Valdez'' oil spill was a major environmental disaster that occurred in Alaska's Prince William Sound on March 24, 1989. The spill occurred when ''Exxon Valdez'', an oil supertanker owned by Exxon Shipping Company, bound for Long Be ...

Career

Television

After graduating, Kitsis and Horowitz traveled together to Los Angeles, and worked together on ''Fantasy Island'', ''Felicity'' and ''Popular'', before joining the ''Lost'' team halfway through the first season. He is married to Erin Barrett Horowitz. Horowitz, Kitsis and the '' Lost'' writing staff won the Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award for Best Dramatic Series at the February 2006 ceremony for their work on the first and

second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...

seasons. They were nominated for the WGA Award for Best Dramatic Series again at the February 2007 ceremony for their work on the second and

third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...

seasons, at the February 2009 ceremony for the fourth season of ''Lost'' and at the February 2010 ceremony for the fifth season. They also wrote ''Confessions of an American Bride'', a

made-for-television movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a terrest ...

. During Lost's run, he signed an overall deal with ABC Studios in 2007. Horowitz and Kitsis created the ABC fantasy drama series ''

'', which began airing on October 23, 2011. The show focuses on a town which is actually a parallel world populated by fairytale characters who are unaware of their true identity. The two came up with the concept seven years prior to joining the staff of ''Lost'', but wanted to wait until it ended before they focused on this project. Kitsis and Horowitz also worked on the first four episodes of '' Tron: Uprising''. He explains that he has used this chance to explore the

Tron ''Tron'' (stylized as ''TRON'') is a 1982 American science fiction action adventure film written and directed by Steven Lisberger from a story by Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. The film stars Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer ...

universe, particularly the life of a program under CLU's regime. Kitsis, Horowitz, and Josh Gad will serve as creators and writers for a limited prequel series to Disney's 2017 film ''

Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...

''. The series was conceived after the three had a discussion after the cancellation of their planned Disney+ series, ''Muppets Live Another Day''. In December 2019, it was announced that Horowitz and Kitsis were working on a new TV show set in the world of fairy tales and

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

titled ''Epic''. The pilot was picked up by ABC in January 2021, however it was dropped in August of the same year.

Film

Kitsis and Horowitz worked as writers on early unused drafts of the Universal project ''

Ouija The Ouija ( , ), also known as a Ouija board, spirit board, talking board, or witch board, is a flat board marked with the letters of the Latin alphabet, the numbers 0–9, the words "yes", "no", and occasionally "hello" and "goodbye", along ...

'', and co-wrote the film '' Tron: Legacy'' in 2010. He frequently collaborates with a tightly knit group of film professionals which include J. J. Abrams,

Damon Lindelof Damon Laurence Lindelof (born April 24, 1973) is an American screenwriter, comic book writer, and producer. Among his accolades, he received three Primetime Emmy Awards, from twelve nominations. In 2010, ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine named ...

, Alex Kurtzman,

Roberto Orci Roberto Gaston Orcí (July 20, 1973 – February 25, 2025) was a Mexican-American film and television screenwriter and producer. Born in Mexico City, Orci began his longtime collaboration with Alex Kurtzman while at school in California. Toge ...

, Andre Nemec, Josh Appelbaum, Jeff Pinkner, and Bryan Burk.

Credits

* '' Dead of Summer'', 2016 (with Edward Kitsis) **Episode 1.01 "Patience" (also with Ian Goldberg) (also as director) **Episode 1.03 "Mix Tape" **Episode 1.04 "Modern Love" **Episode 1.10 "She Talks to Angels" * '' Once Upon a Time in Wonderland'', 2013–2014 (with Edward Kitsis) **Episode 1.01 " Down the Rabbit Hole" (also with Zack Estrin and

Jane Espenson Jane Espenson (born July 14, 1964) is an American television writer and producer. Espenson has worked on both situation comedies and serial dramas. She had a five-year stint as a writer and producer on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and shared ...

) **Episode 1.08 "

Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide sheltered spaces, for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be p ...

" (also with Zack Estrin) **Episode 1.13 " And They Lived..." (also with Zack Estrin) * '' Tron: Uprising'', 2012 ** Episode 1.01 "Beck's Beginning" with Edward Kitsis ** Episode 1.02 "The Renegade, Part 1" with Kitsis (Story – Written by Kamran Pasha, Adam Nussdorf and Bill Wolkoff) ** Episode 1.03 "The Renegade, Part 2" with Kitsis (Story – Written by Kamran Pasha, Adam Nussdorf and Bill Wolkoff) ** Episode 1.04 "Blackout" with Kitsis * ''

'', 2011–2018 (with Edward Kitsis) **Episode 1.01 "

Pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

" **Episode 1.02 " The Thing You Love Most" **Episode 1.07 "

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter ''The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter'' (1940) is the debut novel of American author Carson McCullers, who was 23 at the time of publication. It is a Southern Gothic novel about a deaf man named John Singer and the people he encounters in a 1930s m ...

" **Episode 1.10 " 7:15 A.M." (story with Kitsis, teleplay by Daniel T. Thomsen) **Episode 1.14 " Dreamy" **Episode 1.18 " The Stable Boy" **Episode 1.22 " A Land Without Magic" **Episode 2.01 " Broken" **Episode 2.05 "

The Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...

" **Episode 2.09 " Queen of Hearts" **Episode 2.14 "

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

" **Episode 2.19 " Lacey" **Episode 2.22 " And Straight On 'til Morning" **Episode 3.01 " The Heart of the Truest Believer" **Episode 3.06 " Ariel" **Episode 3.11 " Going Home" **Episode 3.12 " New York City Serenade" **Episode 3.19 " A Curious Thing" **Episode 3.22 " There's No Place Like Home" **Episode 4.01 " A Tale of Two Sisters" **Episode 4.07 "

The Snow Queen "The Snow Queen" () is an 1844 original fairy tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. It was first published 21 December 1844 in ''New Fairy Tales. First Volume#New Fairy Tales. First Volume. Second Collection, New Fairy Tales. First Vo ...

" **Episode 4.11 "

Heroes and Villains "Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album ''Smiley Smile'' and their unfinished ''Smile (The Beach Boys album), Smile'' project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson envisioned ...

" **Episode 4.12 " Darkness on the Edge of Town" **Episode 4.13 "

Unforgiven ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American revisionist Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood from a screenplay by David Webb Peoples. It stars Eastwood as William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job years after ...

" (as director) **Episode 4.21/22 " Operation Mongoose" **Episode 5.01 " The Dark Swan" **Episode 5.05 "

Dreamcatcher In some Native Americans in the United States, Native American and First Nations in Canada, First Nations cultures, a dreamcatcher (, the Ojibwe language#Grammar, inanimate form of the word for 'spider') is a handmade willow hoop, on which is ...

" **Episode 5.11 "

Swan Song The swan song (; ) is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that swans sing a beautiful song just before their death while they have been ...

" **Episode 5.12 " Souls of the Departed" (100th episode) **Episode 5.23 " An Untold Story" **Episode 6.01 " The Savior" **Episode 6.05 " Street Rats" **Episode 6.10 "

Wish You Were Here Wish You Were Here may refer to: Film, television, and theater Film * ''Wish You Were Here'' (1987 film), a British comedy-drama film by David Leland * ''Wish You Were Here'' (2012 film), an Australian drama/mystery film by Kieran Darcy-Smith ...

" **Episode 6.11 " Tougher Than the Rest" **Episode 6.16 " Mother's Little Helper" (story with Kitsis, teleplay by Paul Karp) **Episode 6.21/22 " The Final Battle" **Episode 7.01 " Hyperion Heights" **Episode 7.11 " Secret Garden" **Episode 7.19 "

Flower Child Flower child originated as a synonym for Hippie, ''hippie'', especially among the idealistic young people who gathered in San Francisco and the surrounding area during the Summer of Love in 1967. It was the custom of "flower children" to wear a ...

" **Episode 7.22 " Leaving Storybrooke" (series finale) * '' Tron: Legacy'', 2010 (with Edward Kitsis) * '' Lost'', 2005–2010 ** Episode 1.22 " Born to Run" teleplay with Edward Kitsis, story by Javier Grillo-Marxuach ** Episode 2.04 " Everybody Hates Hugo" with Kitsis ** Episode 2.12 " Fire and Water" with Kitsis ** Episode 2.18 " Dave" with Kitsis ** Episode 2.22 " Three Minutes" with Kitsis ** Episode 3.04 " Every Man for Himself" with Kitsis ** Episode 3.10 " Tricia Tanaka Is Dead" with Kitsis ** Episode 3.14 " Exposé" with Kitsis ** Episode 3.18 " D.O.C." with Kitsis ** Episode 3.21 "

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

" with Kitsis ** Episode 4.03 "

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...

" with Kitsis ** Episode 4.07 " Ji Yeon" with Kitsis ** Episode 4.10 " Something Nice Back Home" with Kitsis ** Episode 5.02 " The Lie" with Kitsis ** Episode 5.05 " This Place Is Death" with Kitsis ** Episode 5.10 " He's Our You" with Kitsis ** Episode 5.14 " The Variable" with Kitsis ** Episode 6.02 " What Kate Does" with Kitsis ** Episode 6.07 " Dr. Linus" with Kitsis ** Episode 6.12 " Everybody Loves Hugo" with Kitsis ** Episode 6.16 " What They Died For" with Kitsis and Elizabeth Sarnoff * ''Confessions of an American Bride'', 2005 with Edward Kitsis * '' Life as We Know It'', 2004 ** Episode 1.08 "Family Hard-ships" with Edward Kitsis * '' One Tree Hill'', 2004 ** Episode 1.20 "What Is and What Should Never Be" with Edward Kitsis * ''

Black Sash The Black Sash is a South African human rights organisation. It was founded in Johannesburg in 1955 as a non-violent resistance organisation for liberal white women. Origins The Black Sash was founded on 19 May 1955 by six middle-class white ...

'', 2003 ** Episode 1.04 "Prodigal Son" with Edward Kitsis * ''

Birds of Prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed ...

'', 2002–2003 ** Episode 1.03 "Prey for the Hunter" teleplay with Edward Kitsis, story by Adam Armus & Kay Foster ** Episode 1.06 "Primal Scream" teleplay with Kitsis, story by Adam Armus & Kay Foster ** Episode 1.07 "Split" teleplay with Kitsis, story by Adam Armus & Kay Foster ** Episode 1.08 "Lady Shiva" teleplay with Kitsis, story by Adam Armus & Kay Foster ** Episode 1.11 "Reunion" with Kitsis * '' Felicity'', 2001 ** Episode 4.03 "Your Money or Your Wife" with Edward Kitsis ** Episode 4.09 "Moving On" with Kitsis * '' Popular'', 1999–2001 ** Episode 1.08 "Tonight's the Night" with Edward Kitsis and Ryan Murphy ** Episode 1.15 "Booty Camp" with Kitsis ** Episode 1.21 "What Makes Sammy Run" with Kitsis ** Episode 2.02 "Baby, Don't Do It" with Kitsis ** Episode 2.07 "Ur-ine Trouble" with Kitsis ** Episode 2.12 "The Shocking Possession of Harrison John" with Kitsis ** Episode 2.15 "It's Greek to Me" with Kitsis ** Episode 2.20 "You Don't Tug on Superman's Cape...You Don't Spit into the Wind...You Don't Pull the Mask off the Ol' Lone Ranger...And You Don't Mess Around with Big Bertha Muffin" with Kitsis * '' Fantasy Island'', 1998–1999 ** Episode 1.02 "Superfriends" with Edward Kitsis ** Episode 1.08 "Handymen" with Kitsis ** Episode 1.12 "The Real Thing" with Kitsis * Untitled ''

'' series (with Kitsis and Josh Gad)

Awards

* 2005

Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility Th ...

for Best Dramatic Series for ''Lost''. * 2000 SHINE Award for Best Comedy Episode for '' Popular'' episode " Booty Camp". * Nominated for 2000 Shine Award for Best Dramatic Episode for ''Popular'' episode " Tonight's the Night". * Nominated for 2008 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series for ''Lost'' * Nominated for 2009 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series for ''Lost'' * Nominated for 2010 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series for ''Lost''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Horowitz, Adam 1971 births American male screenwriters Television producers from New York City Hunter College High School alumni Living people Jewish American screenwriters University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni Writers Guild of America Award winners Writers from Manhattan Screenwriters from New York City 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American screenwriters 21st-century American male writers American showrunners 21st-century American Jews