Neal Purvis (Screenwriter)
Datastream
Name: Neal Purvis
Date of Birth: 9th September 1961
Place of Birth:
UK
Years active: 1990-present
Profession: Screenwriter, Producer
Bond films: 5 (including Bond 23)
Also famous for: Let Him Have It (1991)
Biography
Born in 1961, Neal Purvis attended the University of Kent where he would meet his future writing partner, Robert Wade. Studying for a degree in filmmaking, Purvis was looking to practice his art. The pair were bunked together in the Uni dorms and connected over a love of music. They began writing screenplays whilst still in Uni and have worked together ever since.
Their first screenplay to hit the big screen was a gritty '50s period piece, "Let Him Have It" (1991) which starred Christopher Eccleston - now world-renowned as the man to re-boot "Dr. Who".
Right: Neal Purvis who is co-writing the 23rd James Bond movie, his fifth 007 film. |
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The screenplay was well received and the pair
were offered the opportunity of writing a further period set
production, "Plunkett and Macleane" which would appear
in cinemas in 1999 and star the same co-star of Purvis' "The
World Is Not Enough". It was while writing this eighteenth
century adventure that Neal and his writing partner got the call
from EON. They were quickly welcomed into the fold and tasked
with producing a treatment for the 19th James Bond movie. The
script met with the producer's approval and the duo have never
looked back, penning "Die Another
Day" and co-writing "Casino
Royale" and "Quantum
of Solace" with Paul
Haggis. In 2009 Purvis began work on his fifth James Bond
screenplay - the 23rd James Bond
Movie. In 2003, Purvis was set to pen a James Bond spin-off
that would have featured Halle
Berry as Jinx, as seen in the 2002 film, "Die Another
Day".
The project was put on
ice by MGM in October 2003.
Beyond Bond the pair were responsible for the initial draft of Rowan Atkinson's "Johnny English" - the bumbling MI6 spy. 2005 saw the release of the duo's bio-pic "Stoned", based on the life of Rolling Stones rocker, Brian Jones.
Bondography
Above: Neal Purvis and Robert Wade on the set of the Venice locale as seen in "Casino Royale". |
Extended Filmography
Awards
Frequently Works With
Robert Wade, Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli
Related Articles
Purvis and Wade talk "Casino Royale"
Purvis and Wade talk Bond and Jinx
Road
To "Royale"
