John Gerald Collee(born 1955) is a Scottish/Australian doctor, novelist and screenwriter whose films have three times been nominated for Oscars.Master and Commanderwas nominated for Best Film 2003,Happy Feetwon Best Animation in 2006, andTanna (2015)was nominated for Best Foreign Language Feature in 2015. His many other films, written or co-written, includeCreation (2013),Hotel Mumbai (2018)andLee.His novels includeKingsleys Touch,A Paper MaskandThe Rigpublished by Viking/Penguin. His TV Adaptation ofBoy Swallows Universereceived critical acclaim upon release on Netflix in 2024.[1]
John Collee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | John Gerald Collee 1955 (age 68–69) |
| Nationality | Scottish/ Australian |
| Occupation | Screenwriter |
| Website | www |
Background
editCollee was born in 1955 to Isobel Galbraith and Prof J. Gerald Collee CBE,[2]who became professor of microbiology at theUniversity of Edinburgh.[3]Collee grew up inEdinburgh, Scotlandand inIndia.[4]He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and began practising medicine inCambridge,Bath,andBristol.[5]In his third year of practice, he wrote the medical thrillerKingsley's Touch,which was published in 1984. Collee subsequently worked in emergency medicine at home and abroad inGabon,Madagascar,andSri Lanka.[4]His second novel titledA Paper Maskwas published in 1987. Rights to the novel were acquired for a film adaptation, and Collee wrote the screenplay for directorChristopher Morahanand Granada, who released the filmPaper Maskin 1990. Around the time that his third novelThe Rigwas published, in 1991, Collee became a columnist forThe Observerand wrote articles about travel, science and medicine, weekly for the next six years.[4]
While escorting medical supplies toAzerbaijanin the former Soviet Union, Collee met his wife Deborah Snow - Moscow-based correspondent for theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation.The following year, and mid-way through writing a book about Soviet medicine calledThe Kingdom of the Blind,Collee accepted a medical post in theSolomon Islands.The couple had their first child, Lauren, on the islands.[4]then both worked in London for a short time before moving toSydney, Australiawhere Collee joined forces with Australian directorsPeter WeirandGeorge Miller.With Weir, Collee wrote the screenplay for the Oscar-nominatedMaster and Commander: The Far Side of the World,and with Miller he wrote the Oscar-winningHappy Feet.[5]He wrote an early (uncredited) draft ofThe Legend of Tarzan (2016)forWarner Bros.[6]withGuillermo del Toroslated to direct.[7]The movie was later directed by David Yates.
Creationreunited him withPaul Bettanyand he later executive-producedThe Water DivinerwithRussell Crowedirecting.Tannawas a collaboration with anthropological film-makers Bentley Dean and Martin Butler which was shortlisted for an Oscar in the foreign language category.[8]Wolf Totemwith directorJean-Jacques Annaudmade upwards of $100M at the Chinese Box office. After co-writingHotel Mumbai,which starred actorDev Patel,he collaborated with Patel on the actor's first film as director,Monkey Man.[9]His most recent collaboration (with co-writer Marion Hume) is the movieLeeabout war correspondent Lee Miller, starring Kate Winslet.[10]His film "The Return", taken from The Odyssey of Homer, is currently in post production with Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus and Juliette Binoche as Penelope.
John Collee was one of four co-founders of the Australian production company Hopscotch Features.[11]He was also, for many years, a board member of the Australian branch of climate activist group350.org.[12]and, until recently, vice-president of theAustralian Writers Guild
Filmography
editScreenwriter
- Bergerac- four TV episodes (BBC1, 1988–1990)
- Star Cops- three TV episodes (BBC2, 1987)
- Paper Mask(1990) - based on Collee's novel.
- The Heart Surgeon– two-part TV serial (BBC1 1997)
- Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World(2003) – with directorPeter Weir;based on the novels byPatrick O'Brian.
- Happy Feet(2006) – credited with director and co-directors.
- Creation(2009) - based on the biography ofCharles DarwinbyRandal Keynes.
- Walking with Dinosaurs(2013)
- Wolf Totem(2015) – credited with director and two others; based on the novel byJiang Rong.
- Tanna(2015) – credited with directors.
- The Patriarch(2016) – based on a novel byWiti Ihimaera.[13]
- Hotel Mumbai(2018)
Executive producer
- Son of a Gun(2014)
- The Water Diviner(2014)
- The Guests(short) (2015)
| Year | Title | Role | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Paper Mask | Writer (novel, screenplay) | |
| 2003 | Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World | Writer | $150 million |
| 2006 | Candy | Script Editor | |
| 2006 | Happy Feet | Writer | $100 million |
| 2009 | Creation | Writer (screen story, screenplay) | $10 million |
| 2013 | Walking with Dinosaurs | Writer (screenplay) | $80 million |
| 2014 | Son of a Gun | Executive producer, script consultant, writer (additional material) | |
| 2014 | The Water Diviner | Executive producer | $22 million |
| 2015 | Wolf Totem | Writer | $38 million |
| 2015 | Tanna | Writer | |
| 2016 | The Patriarch | Writer (screenplay) | |
| 2018 | Hotel Mumbai | Executive producer, writer | $21 million |
| 2023 | Whale Nation | Writer (English adaptation) | |
| 2023 | Lee | Co-writer (story & screenplay), executive producer | |
| 2023 | Monkey Man | Writer | $30 million |
| 2024 | Furiosa | Story consultant | $135 million |
| 2024 | Boy Swallows Universe (TV Series) | Writer (8 episodes), executive producer (8 episodes) |
See also
editBibliography
edit- Collee, John (1984).Kingsley's Touch.St. Martin's Press.ISBN978-0-312-45617-7.
- Collee, John (1987).A Paper Mask.Arbor House/William Morrow.ISBN978-1-55710-026-9.
- Collee, John (1991).The Rig.Morrow.ISBN978-0-688-11482-4.
References
edit- ^"Netflix's Eagerly Awaited 'Boy Swallows Universe' Series is Coming to Your Streaming Queue in 2023".3 March 2023.
- ^https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary-professor-j-gerald-collee-cbe-frcpath-frcpe-frse-microbiologist-2469442[bare URL]
- ^Cornwell, Tim (6 December 2003). "Interviews – John Collee: Master of the High Seas".The Scotsman.
- ^abcdMcMullen, Myles (Spring–Summer 2005)."Screenwriting 101 – Get a Life! John Collee thinks writers should get out more".Metro Magazine(146/147). Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM): 122–126.
- ^abSragow, Michael(23 November 2003)."Man of the world wielded a pen for 'Master': Co-writer Collee can draw on his travels, medical-aid experiences".The Baltimore Sun.
- ^"Comment: Property investment – and private banking's role".Scotsman.com.
- ^"Del Toro Directing 'Tarzan'?".ComingSoon.net.15 December 2006.
- ^"Australian film Tanna to tell Romeo and Juliet-like tale in Melanesia".SBS Movies.
- ^Wiseman, Andreas (12 March 2021)."Netflix Strikes $30M Deal For Dev Patel's Buzzed-About Directorial Debut 'Monkey Man'".Deadline.com.
- ^"Kate Winslet Embodies an Unsung American Icon in 'Lee'".Vanity Fair.6 September 2023.
- ^George, Sandy (24 May 2012)."Hopscotch Features: John Collee, Frank Cox, Troy Lum and Andrew Mason".Screen Daily.Retrieved10 November2015.
- ^Collee, John (24 August 2015)."Betting against climate change not a smart punt".The Age.Retrieved10 November2015.
- ^Goodfellow, Melanie (2 November 2015)."Wild Bunch finds 'Faith' in Cuba with Banderas".Screen Daily.Retrieved23 November2015.