# Matt Charman > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Matt_Charman > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Matt_Charman.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Charman > Source revision: 1355297061 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|British writer and producer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox writer | name = Matt Charman | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|06|05|df=yes}} | birth_place = [West Sussex](/source/West_Sussex), [England](/source/England) | occupation = [Screenwriter](/source/Screenwriter), [playwright](/source/playwright), [producer](/source/film_producer) | alma_mater = [University College London](/source/University_College_London) | years_active = 2004–present }} '''Matthew Charman''' (born 5 June 1979) is a British screenwriter, playwright, and producer. He was nominated for an [Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Original_Screenplay) for his 2015 film ''[Bridge of Spies](/source/Bridge_of_Spies_(film))'', directed by [Steven Spielberg](/source/Steven_Spielberg) and co-written with [Joel and Ethan Coen](/source/Joel_and_Ethan_Coen). Charman started out writing for theatre, making a breakthrough as writer-in-residence at the [National Theatre](/source/Royal_National_Theatre) in [London](/source/London), where then-director [Nicholas Hytner](/source/Nicholas_Hytner) described Charman as having "a priceless nose for a story".{{cite news |title=Balancing Acts, by Nicholas Hytner |work=[amazon.co.uk](/source/amazon.co.uk) |id={{ASIN|1910702897|country=uk}} }} ==Early life and education== Charman was born and raised around the location of [Horsham](/source/Horsham), [West Sussex](/source/West_Sussex), England, and his family were from Great House Farm in [Southwater](/source/Southwater), where his father's side of the family had lived for 180 years.{{cite web|url= https://www.aahorsham.co.uk/content/mattcharman |title= Matt Charman: Writing his own script |work= aahorsham.co.uk |accessdate= 21 June 2015}} The family moved to the hamlet of [Dragon's Green](/source/Dragon's_Green) when Charman was 4 years old. Charman attended junior school in Southwater, getting involved in school plays from a young age. Charman continued his interest in drama at [comprehensive](/source/comprehensive_school) [secondary school](/source/secondary_school) at [Forest School, Horsham](/source/Forest_School%2C_Horsham), getting involved with rehearsals and with stage and lighting equipment. He was involved with the performances of ''[The King and I](/source/The_King_and_I)'' and ''[My Fair Lady](/source/My_Fair_Lady)'' whilst a student of Forest School, Horsham. Charman studied English literature at [University College London](/source/University_College_London). While a student, he frequently sneaked into plays and musicals for free during intervals (a practice known as second-acting), and "tried to figure out what happened in the first act".{{cite news |url= http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/Magazine/article1567564.ece |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150809002833/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/Magazine/article1567564.ece |url-status= dead |archive-date= 9 August 2015 |title= How I conquered Hollywood |work= [The Sunday Times](/source/The_Sunday_Times) |access-date= 21 June 2015}} In the mid-2000s, Charman did uncredited script work for [Roland Emmerich](/source/Roland_Emmerich)'s films ''[2012](/source/2012_(film))'' and ''[10,000 BC](/source/10%2C000_BC_(film))''. ==Career== ===Plays=== Charman's first play, ''A Night at the Dogs'', won the 2004 Verity Bargate Award{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2007/jul/22/theatre |title= Rising star |work= [The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |access-date= 22 July 2007}} for emerging writers and appeared at Soho Theatre. He went on to write ''The Five Wives of Maurice Pinder'' (2007) and ''The Observer'' (2009), about a UN election observer's intervention in a West African nation's political crisis.{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/may/21/the-observer-michael-billington-theatre-review |title= The Observer |work= [The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |access-date= 21 May 2009}} Both were produced and staged at the [National Theatre](/source/Royal_National_Theatre). In 2012, Charman's play ''Regrets'', directed by Carolyn Cantor and starring [Ansel Elgort](/source/Ansel_Elgort) opened at the [Manhattan Theatre Club](/source/Manhattan_Theatre_Club) in [New York](/source/New_York_City). Set in McCarthy-era America, the play follows four men in a Nevada desert boarding house waiting out the six weeks required for a no-fault divorce.{{cite news |url= http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2012/03/watch-british-playwright-matt-charman-makes-new-york-debut-with-regrets |title= British Playwright Matt Charman Makes New York Debut with 'Regrets' |work= [BBC America](/source/BBC_America)|access-date= 28 June 2016}} ''The Machine'', directed by [Josie Rourke](/source/Josie_Rourke), opened at the [Manchester International Festival](/source/Manchester_International_Festival) in 2013 and then transferred to the [Park Avenue Armory](/source/Park_Avenue_Armory) in New York. The play told the story of [Garry Kasparov](/source/Garry_Kasparov)'s [defeat to IBM’s chess computer Deep Blue](/source/Deep_Blue_versus_Garry_Kasparov) in 1997, the first time a computer beat a reigning chess world champion under tournament conditions.{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/01/theater/the-machine-by-matt-charman-is-coming-to-new-york.html?_r=0 |title= Gladiators Battling on the Chess Board |work= [The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date= 29 August 2013 |access-date= 29 August 2013 |last1= Sulcas |first1= Roslyn }} Future theatre projects for Charman include an adaptation of ''[Good Night, and Good Luck](/source/Good_Night%2C_and_Good_Luck)'' for the stage, and a play for [Nicholas Hytner](/source/Nicholas_Hytner)'s new London Theatre Company. ===Television=== Charman’s first television work was ''[Our Zoo](/source/Our_Zoo)'' (2014) for the [BBC](/source/BBC), which tells the story of the founding of [Chester Zoo](/source/Chester_Zoo), famous for having no bars. In 2015, Charman created the three-part police drama ''[Black Work](/source/Black_Work)'', starring [Sheridan Smith](/source/Sheridan_Smith), which aired on [ITV](/source/ITV_(TV_channel)) and was the channel's biggest new drama of the year.{{cite news |url= http://www.mammothscreen.com/company-news/black-work-is-itvs-best-new-drama-of-the-year/ |title= Black Work is ITV's best new drama of the year |work= [mammothscreen.com](/source/mammothscreen.com) |accessdate= 2 June 2017}} In 2017, he wrote a pilot ''[Oasis](/source/Oasis_(2017_film))'' for [Amazon Prime Video](/source/Amazon_Prime_Video), based on a novel ''[The Book of Strange New Things](/source/The_Book_of_Strange_New_Things)'' by [Michel Faber](/source/Michel_Faber). The pilot was premiered on 17 March 2017 as [a part of pilot season wave 8](/source/List_of_ended_Amazon_Prime_Video_original_programming) by the streamer, however the pilot was not picked up to the series.{{cite news |url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/robb-stark-is-a-space-priest-in-amazons-promising-pilot-1793404196 |title=Robb Stark is a space priest in Amazon's promising pilot ''Oasis'' |author=Beth Elderkin |work=[io9](/source/io9) |date=18 March 2017 |access-date=21 May 2026}} He also created ''[Treason](/source/Treason_(TV_series))'' (2022){{Cite press release|url=https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/treason-season-1-release-date-cast-news|title=Everything You Need to Know About the Political Thriller ‘Treason’|first=Ingrid|last=Otsby|website=Netflix|date=26 December 2022|access-date=21 May 2026}} and ''[Hostage](/source/Hostage_(TV_series))'' (2025) for [Netflix](/source/Netflix).{{Cite press release|url=https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/hostage-release-date-cast-news|title=Two Heads of State Face a Crisis in Hostage |first=John|last=Dilillo|website=Netflix|date=August 21, 2025|access-date=21 May 2026}} In 2026, he created [Prisoner](/source/Prisoner_(British_TV_series)) for [Sky](/source/Sky_Atlantic) which was renewed for a second series.{{Cite web |date=2026-04-20 |title=Prisoner (Sky) Premiere TV Show Review |url=https://www.avforums.com/reviews/prisoner-sky-2026-atlantic-nowtv-premiere-tv-show-review.23507/ |access-date=2026-05-18 |website=AVForums |language=en-US}}{{cite web|last=Ford|first=Lily|date=14 May 2026|title=Izuka Hoyle-Led ''Prisoner'' Renewed for Season 2 at Sky (Exclusive)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/izuka-hoyle-prisoner-season-2-sky-tahar-rahim-show-series-1236595636/|website=[The Hollywood Reporter](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter)|access-date=21 May 2026}} His upcoming television work includes ''Dirty'' for Amazon Prime Video starring [Phoebe Dynevor](/source/Phoebe_Dynevor).{{cite web|last=Clarke|first=Stewart|title=Prime Video Greenlights UK-Based Mother-Daughter Police Thriller ''Dirty'' From Matt Charman|url=https://deadline.com/2026/01/prime-video-matt-charman-police-drama-dirty-nicole-clemens-1236694257/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=23 January 2026|access-date=21 May 2026}}{{cite web|last=Kroll|first=Justin|title=Phoebe Dynevor To Star In Crime Series ‘Dirty’ From Exec Producer Matt Charman|url=https://deadline.com/2026/03/phoebe-dynevor-dirty-matt-charman-1236764091/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=24 March 2026|access-date=21 May 2026}} ===Films=== ====Writing==== Charman's first feature was ''[Suite Française](/source/Suite_Fran%C3%A7aise_(film))'' (2014) co-written with director [Saul Dibb](/source/Saul_Dibb), starring [Michelle Williams](/source/Michelle_Williams_(actress)), [Kristin Scott Thomas](/source/Kristin_Scott_Thomas) and [Margot Robbie](/source/Margot_Robbie). His 2015 feature, ''[Bridge of Spies](/source/Bridge_of_Spies_(film))'', was directed by [Steven Spielberg](/source/Steven_Spielberg), co-written by Charman and [Joel and Ethan Coen](/source/Joel_and_Ethan_Coen) and starred [Tom Hanks](/source/Tom_Hanks), [Mark Rylance](/source/Mark_Rylance), and [Amy Ryan](/source/Amy_Ryan). Set in Brooklyn and Berlin, the film tells the story of [James B. Donovan](/source/James_B._Donovan), an American lawyer who in 1962 negotiated the exchange of Soviet spy [Rudolf Abel](/source/Rudolf_Abel) for the captured pilot of a downed U-2 spy plane, [Francis Gary Powers](/source/Francis_Gary_Powers), and American student [Frederic Pryor](/source/Frederic_Pryor). The film was critically acclaimed, with the [New York Times](/source/New_York_Times) calling it “a consummate entertainment that sweeps you up with pure cinema.”{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/movies/review-in-bridge-of-spies-spielberg-considers-the-cold-war.html |title= Review: In 'Bridge of Spies,' Spielberg Considers the Cold War |work= [The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |accessdate= 14 October 2015}} Charman's script was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at both the 2016 [Academy Awards](/source/88th_Academy_Awards) and [BAFTA Awards](/source/69th_British_Academy_Film_Awards). He was also nominated for a [WGA award](/source/68th_Writers_Guild_of_America_Awards) and [Critics' Choice award](/source/21st_Critics'_Choice_Awards) in the same category. ''Bridge of Spies'' was a box office hit, grossing $165.5 million worldwide{{cite news |url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=coldwar2015.htm |title= Bridge of Spies (2015) |work= [boxofficemojo.com](/source/boxofficemojo.com) |accessdate= 28 June 2016}} and receiving six Academy Award nominations including [Best Picture](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Picture) and [Best Original Screenplay](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Original_Screenplay), winning [Best Supporting Actor](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Supporting_Actor) for Mark Rylance's performance as Rudolf Abel. In 2024, he co-wrote the screenplay of ''[Killer Heat](/source/Killer_Heat)'' (Amazon Prime Video) with [Roberto Bentivegna](/source/Roberto_Bentivegna). The movie is based on a short story ''The Jealousy Man'' by [Jo Nesbø](/source/Jo_Nesb%C3%B8).{{Cite magazine|first=Angelique|last=Jackson |title=Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley and Richard Madden to Star in 'Killer Heat' for Amazon Studios |magazine=[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine)) |date=3 April 2023|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/joseph-gordon-levitt-shailene-woodley-richard-madden-killer-heat-amazon-1235571475 |access-date=21 May 2026}}{{Cite magazine |last=McArdle |first=Tommy |title=Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley Get to the Bottom of a Murder in ''Killer Heat'' Trailer (Exclusive) |magazine=[People](/source/People_(magazine)) |date= 12 September 2024 |url=https://people.com/joseph-gordon-levitt-shailene-woodley-killer-heat-trailer-exclusive-8710404 |access-date=21 May 2026}} ====Producing==== Charman runs his own production company, Binocular, which is based in London. He was an executive producer on ''[Operation Finale](/source/Operation_Finale)'' (2018), written by Matthew Orton, about the hunt for [Adolf Eichmann](/source/Adolf_Eichmann). The film was directed by [Chris Weitz](/source/Chris_Weitz).{{cite news |url= https://deadline.com/2016/02/chris-weitz-direct-movie-hunt-for-nazi-war-criminal-adolph-eichmann-1201708469/ |title= Chris Weitz In Talks To Helm MGM Film On The Hunt For Nazi War Criminal Adolf Eichmann |work= [Deadline Hollywood](/source/Deadline_Hollywood) |accessdate= 24 February 2016}} ====Directing==== Charman's intended directorial feature debut, ''[The Mothership](/source/The_Mothership)'' which he also wrote, was shelved by [Netflix](/source/Netflix).{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68089783|title=Halle Berry's film shelved by Netflix - US media|date=25 January 2024|via=www.bbc.co.uk}} ==Awards and honours== * 2004 – [Verity Bargate Award](/source/Verity_Bargate_Award) for his debut play ''A Night at the Dogs'' * 2005 – Attachment at the [Soho Theatre](/source/Soho_Theatre) * 2005 – [Peggy Ramsay Award](/source/Peggy_Ramsay_Award) * 2006 – Attachment to the Royal National Theatre Studio * 2008 – Pearson Writer in Residence at the [National Theatre](/source/National_Theatre_(UK)) * 2009 – [Catherine Johnson](/source/Catherine_Johnson_(playwright)) Award for ''The Observer'' * 2016 – Nominated for the [Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Original_Screenplay) ==See also== * [List of British playwrights since 1950](/source/List_of_British_playwrights_since_1950) ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * {{IMDb name|4131020|Matt Charman}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Charman, Matt}} Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:British dramatists and playwrights Category:British male dramatists and playwrights Category:British male screenwriters Category:People from Horsham Category:People from Southwater Category:British television show creators --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Matt Charman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Charman) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Charman?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.