Colin Trevorrow (US: /trəˈvɒr/;[1] born September 13, 1976) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He made his feature directorial debut with the science fiction comedy Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) to critical and commercial success. Trevorrow achieved mainstream recognition for his work on the Jurassic World entries of the Jurassic Park franchise, which began when he co-wrote and directed the eponymous first installment in 2015. After the success of the film, Trevorrow co-wrote the 2018 sequel Fallen Kingdom and co-wrote and directed the third installment Dominion (2022). He was also the co-writer and director of Star Wars: Duel of the Fates until his departure in 2017, although he retained story credit when the project was re-envisioned as The Rise of Skywalker (2019). On many of his projects, Trevorrow collaborates with fellow screenwriter Derek Connolly.

Colin Trevorrow
Trevorrow at the 2018 Japan premiere of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Born (1976-09-13) September 13, 1976 (age 48)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Alma materNew York University (BFA)
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
  • film producer
Years active2002–present
SpouseIsabelle Trevorrow
Children2

Early life

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Trevorrow was born in San Francisco, California.[2] He was raised in Oakland, California.[2][3][4][5] His father was a musician in a country rock band and his mother was a photographer who also operated a day-care center.[3] His maternal grandmother was of Sephardic Jewish ancestry; her ancestors settled in the Caribbean several centuries ago.[6]

As a boy, he sang in the chorus of the San Francisco Opera.[3] As a teenager, Trevorrow won awards from the Mill Valley Film Festival and the San Francisco Youth Film Festival. Trevorrow graduated from Piedmont High School in Piedmont, California[7] and later graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 1999.[8]

Career

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In 2002, he wrote and directed his first short film, Home Base; as of 2012, it had received over 20 million hits online.[9] Trevorrow's first theatrical release was with Reality Show, a 2004 documentary film about the failed production of a reality television show.[10] Trevorrow sold his first spec script titled Tester to DreamWorks in 2006.[citation needed] In 2008, he paired up with Derek Connolly, ten years after they had first met as NYU students while working as interns on Saturday Night Live, to write a buddy cop film script called Cocked and Loaded. Trevorrow said that the experience was so enjoyable that he decided to give up solo screenwriting and work with Connolly.[11]

 
Trevorrow (left) and Christopher Nolan at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival

In 2012, Trevorrow directed Safety Not Guaranteed,[12] a film inspired by a classified advertisement which ran in a 1997 issue of Backwoods Home Magazine that read: "Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. P.O. Box 322, Oakview, CA 93022. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before."[13] The script was by Connolly, who intended for Trevorrow to direct it.[14] The film received various accolades, including a nomination for Trevorrow for the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.[9] The film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, where it picked up the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.[15] After the release of Safety Not Guaranteed, Trevorrow and Connolly were hired by the Walt Disney Company to write an as-yet unmade remake of the film Flight of the Navigator (1986).[16] Trevorrow co-wrote and directed Jurassic World (2015),[17][18] and also provided his voice for the film's character of Mr. DNA.[19][20] Connolly and Trevorrow also co-wrote the screenplay for its sequel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,[21] which was released in June 2018 and for which Trevorrow is an executive producer.[22]

After Jurassic World, Trevorrow next directed The Book of Henry, which was written by Gregg Hurwitz.[23] The film was released by Focus Features on June 16, 2017,[24][25] to generally negative reviews, although Trevorrow stood by the film.[26]

In March 2015, it was announced that Trevorrow would be directing the sci-fi thriller film Intelligent Life, which was bought by DreamWorks.[27] Trevorrow wrote the screenplay with Connolly, while Trevorrow, Frank Marshall, Big Beach, and Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment were announced as producing the film.[27] While there has been other production news since, including Ava DuVernay being attached to direct,[28] as of December 2019 the film has not entered into production.

 
Trevorrow at the December 2015 premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

In August 2015, Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn announced that Trevorrow would direct Star Wars: Episode IX (2019).[29] Trevorrow and Connolly subsequently began writing the script for the film; titled Star Wars: Duel of the Fates.[30][31] However, in August 2017, writer Jack Thorne was brought in to rewrite the script due to dissatisfaction by Lucasfilm with their script.[32][33] By September 2017, Trevorrow was let go from the project due to creative differences and was replaced as director by Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J. J. Abrams, who co-wrote the script with Chris Terrio.[34] However, Trevorrow and Connolly still received story writing credit in addition to Abrams and Terrio.[35] Trevorrow donated residuals he earned from the film to charity.[36]

On March 30, 2018, it was announced that Trevorrow would be returning to the Jurassic Park franchise, directing Jurassic World Dominion (2022).[37]

On March 16, 2021, it was announced that Trevorrow would direct War Magician, a historical war film about Jasper Maskelyne, a British illusionist who used magic to defeat Nazis in World War II. Benedict Cumberbatch is set to star.[38][39]

On February 5, 2023, it was revealed that Trevorrow would direct and produce a film titled Atlantis for Universal Pictures. Charmaine DeGraté is set to write the script.[40]

On February 12, 2024, it was announced by Collider that, alongside Eddie Vaisman and Julia Lebedev, Trevorrow would produce Trash Mountain, a film about a young gay man from Chicago returning to his rural Missouri to deal with his father's hoarder state after the latter's death. Lilly Wachowski is set to direct the film, Caleb Hearon and Ruby Caster are set to write the script and Hearon will star likewise.[41]

Personal life

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Trevorrow lives with his wife, Isabelle, and two children in the United Kingdom.[9][42]

Filmography

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Short film

Year Title Director Writer Producer
2002 Home Base Yes Yes Yes
2019 Battle at Big Rock Yes Yes No
2021 Jurassic World Dominion prologue Yes Yes No

Feature film

Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
2004 Reality Show Yes Yes Yes Documentary
2012 Safety Not Guaranteed Yes No Yes
2015 Jurassic World Yes Screenplay No Voice cameo: Mr. DNA
2017 The Book of Henry Yes No No
2018 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom No Yes Executive
2019 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker No Story No Wrote an early draft, replaced as director by J. J. Abrams
2022 Jurassic World Dominion Yes Yes Executive Nominated - Razzie for Worst Screenplay
2024 Taste the Revolution No Yes No Originally filmed in 2001
TBA Deep Cover No Yes Yes
Trash Mountain No No Yes

Television

Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
2005 Gary: Under Crisis Yes Yes Yes TV movie
Co-directed with Daniel Klein
2016 Lego Jurassic World: The Indominus Escape No No Executive 5 episodes; also production consultant
2020–2022 Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous No No Executive 50 episodes
2024 Jurassic World: Chaos Theory No No Executive 8 episodes

Theme parks

Year Title Contribution Notes
2019 Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge TIE fighter Echelon ship design [43]

References

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  1. ^ Trevorrow, Colin (June 7, 2012). "Colin Trevorrow SIFF Interview – Safety Not Guaranteed – The MacGuffin" (Interview). Interviewed by Spencer Fornaciari. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Celebrity Jews". J. The Jewish News of Northern California. June 18, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c Barnes, Brooks (June 3, 2015). "'Jurassic World' Puts Colin Trevorrow in the Driver's Seat". The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  4. ^ Douglas, Edward (June 6, 2012). "Interview: Safety Not Guaranteed's Colin Trevorrow & Jake Johnson". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  5. ^ Blair, Iain (June 1, 2015). "Director's Chair: Colin Trevorrow – 'Jurassic World'". Post Magazine. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  6. ^ Bloom, Nate (June 10, 2015). "Jews in the News: Ahmed Zayat, Eric Balfour and Ashley Tisdale". Jewish Federation of Tampa.
  7. ^ "Piedmont Arts Center Boasts Successful First Year". Piedmont Civic Association (PCA). January 20, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  8. ^ Sneider, Jeff (February 6, 2012). "Tisch School alum make Sundance impressions". Variety. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  9. ^ a b c "Colin Trevorrow". Independent Spirit Awards. Archived from the original on December 6, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  10. ^ Vizcarrondo, Sara Maria (June 12, 2012). "Little Time Machines Everywhere: Director Colin Trevorrow on 'Safety Not Guaranteed'". BoxOffice. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  11. ^ Connelly, Brendon (December 20, 2012). "Safety Not Guaranteed's Colin Trevorrow On His Old Scripts That Might Yet Get Made". BleedingCool.com. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  12. ^ "Meet the 'Jurassic World' Dinosaurs! – Bloody Disgusting". bloody-disgusting.com. March 2015.
  13. ^ "The unbelievable backstory of the 18-year-old classified ad that refuses to die". May 8, 2015.
  14. ^ Jones, Alison (January 4, 2013). "Colin Trevorrow has a fresh take on time travelling". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  15. ^ "Vertigo high on Safety Not Guaranteed". Screen. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  16. ^ Sneider, Jeff (November 27, 2012). "Disney taps 'Safety' duo for 'Navigator' rewrite". Variety. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  17. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 14, 2013). "Colin Trevorrow To Helm 'Jurassic Park 4' For Universal And Steven Spielberg". Deadline. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  18. ^ "Jurassic World! New Look at the Dinosaurs – Dread Central". March 1, 2015.
  19. ^ Anderton, Ethan (June 15, 2015). "'Jurassic World' Easter Eggs: Did You Catch These 'Jurassic Park' References? (page 2)". /Film. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  20. ^ Ryan, Mike (June 8, 2015). "'Jurassic World' Director Colin Trevorrow Explains Why He Won't Be Making Another 'Jurassic World'". Uproxx. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  21. ^ Cabin, Chris (July 21, 2016). "'Jurassic World 2' Hawaii Production Gets 2017 Start Date". Collider.com. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  22. ^ Rebecca Ford (July 23, 2015). "'Jurassic World 2' Set for 2018". The Hollywood Reporter. (Prometheus Global Media). Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  23. ^ Kit, Borys (March 30, 2015). "'Jurassic World' Director Colin Trevorrow Tackling 'Book of Henry'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  24. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 31, 2016). "Colin Trevorrow's The Book Of Henry to Hit Theaters in September". Deadline. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  25. ^ Gettell, Oliver (August 2, 2016). "Colin Trevorrow's drama Book of Henry delayed until 2017". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  26. ^ Limbachia, Dixie (June 26, 2017). "Colin Trevorrow Responds to Negative 'Book of Henry' Reviews: 'I Do Stand by the Movie'". Variety. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  27. ^ a b Kit, Borys (March 6, 2015). "'Jurassic World' Director Colin Trevorrow Tackling Sci-Fi Thriller 'Intelligent Life' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  28. ^ "Ava DuVernay Exits Sci-Fi Film 'Intelligent Life'". Collider. May 4, 2016.
  29. ^ Rebecca, Ford (August 15, 2015). "'Star Wars: Episode IX' Sets 'Jurassic World' Director Colin Trevorrow to Helm". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  30. ^ Chitwood, Adam (January 12, 2016). "'Star Wars: Episode IX' Director Colin Trevorrow Promises "Satisfying" Answer to Rey Theories". Collider. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  31. ^ Evangelista, Chris (January 15, 2020). "Colin Trevorrow 'Star Wars' Script Leaks, Reveals a Very Different Movie Called 'Star Wars: Duel of the Fates'". /Film. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  32. ^ "The Man Re-Writing Colin Trevorrow's Star Wars Is Fantasy's Secret Weapon". Vanity Fair. August 2, 2017.
  33. ^ "'Star Wars: Episode IX' Gets a New Writer (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. August 1, 2017.
  34. ^ "J.J. Abrams to Replace Colin Trevorrow as Director of 'Star Wars: Episode IX'". Variety. September 12, 2017.
  35. ^ Lawrence, Gregory (November 15, 2019). "Exclusive: 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' Final Writing Credits Revealed". Collider. Archived from the original on November 19, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  36. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 26, 2019). "Colin Trevorrow Donating 'Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker' Residuals To Alexander Devine Children's Hospice". Deadline. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  37. ^ "Colin Trevorrow to Direct 'Jurassic World 3'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  38. ^ "Colin Trevorrow To Direct Benedict Cumberbatch In Studiocanal's 'War Magician'". Deadline. March 16, 2021.
  39. ^ "Benedict Cumberbatch to Star in WWII Film 'War Magician' From Colin Trevorrow". The Wrap. March 16, 2021.
  40. ^ "Colin Trevorrow, 'House of the Dragon' Writer Charmaine DeGraté Team for 'Atlantis' at Skydance (Exclusive)". Deadline. February 5, 2023.
  41. ^ McPherson, Chris (February 12, 2024). "Lilly Wachowski Has Set Her Sights on Her Next Film [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  42. ^ O'Connor, Clint (June 9, 2017). "Director Colin Trevorrow hits the road for 'The Book of Henry'". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  43. ^ Radulovic, Petrana (June 13, 2019). "Star Wars land contains a piece of Colin Trevorrow's version of Episode IX". Polygon. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
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