It isn't uncommon to talk about the highest-grossing movies of all time or even the highest-grossing actors or directors, but the importance of screenwriters can often go overlooked. Their stories are a big part of what brings audiences to pay for movie theater tickets, and it deserves to be recognized as such.
From writers of beloved classics such as David Koepp to writers of blockbuster juggernauts such as James Cameron, there have been a few screenwriters fortunate enough to be counted among the highest-grossing of all time.
10) One of Pixar's Most Creative Artists — Andrew Stanton
Writing for modern animation owes a lot to Andrew Stanton, who has written movies like Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and WALL·E, having won a Best Animated Feature Film Oscar for the latter two, which he also directed.
Stanton has one of the most creative, fun, and wild imaginations of any writer working today, injecting emotional and compelling arcs into his characters and proving with almost every script he writes that no one knows audiences quite like him. For this, his movies have earned $5,649,675,696 across the world.
9) One of the Minds Behind the MCU's Spider-Man — Erik Sommers
Erik Sommers is mainly a television writer, but he has also co-written a few films, such as the MCU's Spider-Man trilogy, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.
Sommers is a very creative and insightful writer who loves having fun watching each movie he works on. He aims to inspire young children with his powerful and capable heroes, which has earned the films he collaborated on $5,792,513,707 at the worldwide box office.
8) The Other Mind Behind the MCU's Spider-Man — Chris McKenna
Chris McKenna has collaborated with Erik Sommers on every feature film he has written except 2008's Igor, where he was the only writer, and the duo has definitely been quite prolific.
Known for his creativity and unique sense of humor, McKenna has proved to be exceptionally talented as a screenwriter despite having less than ten feature films under his belt. His promising career has earned $5,823,527,056 at the box office.
7) Peter Jackson's Longtime Writing Partner — Philippa Boyens
Philippa Boyens, whose movies have earned $6,025,640,892 worldwide, has co-written several of Peter Jackson's films, including 2005's King Kong and the Middle-earth Saga, having won an Oscar for Return of the King.
Boyens is an immensely dedicated artist with a keen eye for characterization. She has collaborated with Jackson and Fran Walsh in each film she has written. Her presence is most definitely fortunate since it has resulted in some fascinating and entertaining movies.
6) One of Hollywood's Most Prolific Modern Writers — David Koepp
David Koepp (pronounced "Kep") hasn't been having a good streak as of late, writing critical flops like The Mummy (2017) and Inferno. Still, the legendary quality of his early work is undeniable since he has penned films such as Sam Raimi's Spider-Man and Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park.
Koepp's body of work has been abundant and diverse, proving that writers can explore a wide range of genres and styles to keep things fresh. The writer's films have made $6,182,699,722 across the globe.
5) A Fast and Furious Writing Style — Chris Morgan
Seven of the ten Fast & Furious movies that have thus far been released have been written by Chris Morgan, who has also written movies like 47 Ronin and Wanted.
Morgan's films haven't exactly been praised for their writing, yet he has proved to be an audacious and lighthearted screenwriter with an admirable imagination for thrilling action set pieces, endearing characters, and narratives with a lot of heart. No further proof of this should be required than the $6,567,115,359 his films have garnered at the box office.
4) Elevating Art Above Life Itself — Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson
The final pieces of the Boyens-Walsh-Jackson trifecta are Walsh and Jackson themselves, who are married and have co-written ten feature films. Aside from those they have worked on alongside Boyens, they have also penned some of the other films that Jackson has directed, such as The Frighteners and Heavenly Creatures.
The duo doesn't like to see art imitating life; rather, they strive to make all their screenplays feel inventive, fresh, and larger-than-life. They certainly succeed at that since all of their narratives are creative and incredibly entertaining, for which their films have made $6,592,712,675 worldwide.
3) One of the Most Ambitious Writers to Ever Do It — James Cameron
Canadian filmmaker James Cameron, known for his ambitious films with riveting narratives, may be better known as a director, but he has been equally productive as a writer. He has written every film that he's directed, from his debut Piranha Part Two, to much more memorable and beloved classics like The Terminator, Terminator 2, Titanic, and Avatar.
Cameron loves to marry groundbreaking visual effects with grand and epic storytelling. He's a master of transporting audiences to new and different worlds through his creative screenplays, earning an astonishing $6,960,344,106 worldwide.
2) A Writer With a Magical Touch — Steve Kloves
Australian screenwriter Steve Kloves was nominated for an Oscar for his work on Wonder Boys. Still, he is undoubtedly better-known for having penned the script of every Harry Potter movie except Order of the Phoenix.
Passionate and dedicated to a tee, Kloves has shown a real talent for good storytelling, even in his not-so-good screenplays. He has also directed two movies he wrote himself: the Oscar-nominated The Fabulous Baker Boys and the star-studded Flesh and Bone. His work has made a staggering $7,932,613,176, a number that is sure to grow over time.
1) The MCU's Highest-Grossing Writers — Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
A duo, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, have written some of the MCU's most successful films, such as Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, as well as other films like the three Narnia movies and, most recently, The Gray Man.
The pair's work has made an unparalleled $9,367,535,948 worldwide; it isn't hard to see why. Flawed as they may be, their scripts are always fresh, ambitious, and exciting. They always keep their stories fun, their themes interesting, and their characters endearing, which makes them worthy of being the highest-grossing screenwriters of all time.