David Koepp

David Koepp is arguably one of the most well-known screenwriters in Hollywood. Even if you don’t know him, you certainly know some of his work—the classic science fiction thriller Jurassic Park along with its sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park; the superhero film Spider-Man, the first Mission: Impossible; War of the Worlds; the psychological thriller Secret Window (starring Johnny Depp), which Koepp directed; the vertical thriller Panic Room; and the fourth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

The Story Begins

David’s story began in the small town of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, which had a population of 3,000 when he was born in 1963 (Koepp is the youngest of four children). His father owned a billboard company, and his mother worked as a family therapist.

David Koepp has always loved writing, and specifically he has loved to write movies since he was young. He saw Jaws for the first time at a theater in Pewaukee. His parents had specifically told him to not see that movie, but he was thirteen years old at the time and all his friends had seen it, so the young Koepp didn’t want to be, in his words, a “social outcast” and be the only one to not see it. At another theater in neighboring Oconomowoc was where he saw The Shining, Star Wars (1977), and Return of the Living Dead. He even broke up with a girlfriend once because she didn’t like the 1981 romantic comedy Arthur.

According to his brother Stephen, now a Time magazine editor, many things seemed to come easily to David Koepp. Even as a child, his creative side was evident, and his fascination with storytelling began to take shape at that early age. By the time he was a teenager, Koepp knew that he wanted to pursue a career in the arts, though exactly what that meant for him wasn’t clear right away.

“I’d always have to find my way through a maze—doing research, coming up with alternatives–while David would leap right over it,” Stephen says. “He doesn’t bother with the extraneous. What’s also unusual is that both sides of his brain work. David not only comes up with incredible turns of phrase and dialogue but also has a great mind for structure.”

Not So Good at Acting, but Oh So Good at Writing

After graduating from Kettle Moraine High School, Koepp enrolled at the University of Minnesota with dreams of becoming an actor. However, the university’s large theater department made him feel a bit lost in the crowd, so he transferred to the University of Wisconsin–Madison after just one year.

In Madison, Koepp continued to pursue acting and even landed the role as Mortimer in Arsenic and Old Lace. But he soon realized that his acting talent was not quite as polished as he previously thought. “I was plenty good for Pewaukee,” he said, “but once I moved up to a slightly larger playing field, I realized there were a whole bunch of people who did it better than me.”

Koepp had experimented with crafting film stories when he was younger, and now he was realizing that this form of writing was known as screenwriting, or screenplay format. His passion for storytelling in film led him to realize that Madison didn’t have the resources he needed, so he made a pivotal decision: he decided to attend a film school. In 1984, Koepp enrolled in the UCLA film school to hone his skills. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in film in 1990. This move to Los Angeles was a significant turning point in his life, setting him on the path to becoming one of Hollywood’s most successful screenwriters.

Bad Influence a Good Influence on His Career

Koepp’s rise to Hollywood success certainly didn’t happen overnight. His first foray into screenwriting was Apartment Zero, an Argentine drama that he wrote with his brother-in-law, Martin Donovan. The film was a success from a creative perspective, but it resulted in no financial returns for Koepp, who later referred to it as his “very expensive postgraduate degree.” Despite the setback, Koepp was undeterred and pressed onward.

The next project for David Koepp, a yuppie thriller called Bad Influence (1990), caught the attention of Universal Pictures, but they wanted the film to be rewritten as a buddy comedy. Koepp was unwilling to compromise his vision for the film and took the script to a different production company instead, allowing for him to maintain the film’s original tone. The decision was risky, but it demonstrated Koepp’s commitment to his work, and he was remembered later on for it.

A series of small breaks eventually led to Koepp’s “big break.” From meeting Bill Vought in Madison and starting to write with him, to getting into UCLA, and later securing an internship at a foreign film distributor’s office, each step brought him closer to writing films that would be enjoyed by millions and millions of viewers.

His partnership with Martin Donovan was crucial, leading to the writing of Death Becomes Her (1992), a black comedy that would become his first major Hollywood success. The film helped to elevate Koepp from a writer of quirky thrillers to what he described as “a big movie guy.” The door to big opportunities swung wide open for him.

A Stomping Success

Koepp’s really big break came when he was hired to adapt Michael Crichton’s novel Jurassic Park into a screenplay. The 1993 blockbuster, directed by Steven Spielberg, became one of the highest-grossing films of all time and solidified Koepp’s status as one of Hollywood’s top screenwriters. Koepp later wrote the screenplay for the second installment in the Jurassic Park franchise, The Lost World.

Following Jurassic Park and The Lost World, David Koepp continued to work on major films, including Mission: Impossible (1996), Spider-Man (2002), and War of the Worlds (2005). Clearly, directors and producers were noticing his ability to craft compelling narratives and memorable characters.

David Koepp is still an active screenwriter today, and in fact he is working on the newest Jurassic World installment. Like so many others, Koepp wasn’t born into prominence or wealth. Most people have never heard of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, and most would never think that a curious Midwestern boy would some day write the screenplays for some of the most famous movies to ever be made.

Persevering to the American Dream

David Koepp didn’t stop when he realized that his acting wasn’t up to par. He kept going even when his first major project lost him a sizable chunk of change. He didn’t waver from his vision when a major production company loved his film but wanted to completely change its tone.

Despite knowing what makes a good story, Koepp would probably humbly consider his own personal narrative to be nothing special. He’s just a guy from rural Wisconsin who got lucky enough to make a living doing what he loves. But that’s often the best kind of story.