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Shane Black


Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang (2005)
A.W.O.L. (1999/I)
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
Long Kiss Goodnight, The (1996)
Last Action Hero (1993)
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
Last Boy Scout, The (1991)
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
Monster Squad, The (1987)
Lethal Weapon (1987)

Known to eschew Hollywood power restaurants, preferring a dinner of pizza followed by ice cream bars, Shane Black has nevertheless become one of the highest-paid screenwriters in motion picture history, particularly specializing in the action-adventure genre. Originally intending to become an actor while at UCLA, Black was encouraged to try his hand at scriptwriting by a long-time friend, director Fred Dekker. At age 24, he wrote a screenplay which won him an agent and several meetings at studios, but instead of purchasing his script, the moguls wanted to give him assignments instead. Determined to see his original work produced, Black wrote "Lethal Weapon", a cop-buddy story about the partnering of a cop about to short his last fuse and a cop on the brink of retirement. Black was paid $250,000 for his script. When it was released in 1987, starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, "Lethal Weapon" grossed more than $100 million. Black wrote a script for "Lethal Weapon II" in which he had Gibson's character die. When Warner Brothers insisted Gibson live (for additional sequels), Black departed the project, but still shared screenplay credit. He was not involved with "Lethal Weapon III", although it was based on his characters.

In 1990, Black sold his screenplay for "The Last Boy Scout" for a then precedent-setting $1.75 million. The film was released the next year and was a disappointment at the box office, but did not harm Black's reputation. He received more than $1 million for his rewrites on "The Last Action Hero" (1993), and shared screenplay credit. Black again rocked the halls of the Writers Guild in July 1994 when he received $4 million for his spec script, "The Long Kiss Goodnight". Another action-adventure, "The Long Kiss Goodnight" was a departure for Black in that its central character is an amnesiac woman who learns she once worked as an assassin.

In addition to his prolific screenwriting--Black is much sought after for rewriting assignments--he has occasionally been able to play bit parts in movies, satisfying his original goal. He talked producer Joel Silver into giving him a small part in "Predator" (1987) as part of the "Lethal Weapon" deal, and has also appeared in his brother Terry Black's "Dead Heat" (1988), and "Robocop 3" (1993).


Milestones:

  • 1986 Sold "Lethal Weapon" screenplay written on speculation for $250,000 (film released 1987)
  • 1987 Made acting debut with bit in "Predator"
  • 1988 Walked off "Lethal Weapon II" project when not allowed to kill off Mel Gibson character
  • 1991 "The Last Boy Scout," for which Black was paid a then-precedent setting $1.75 million, released; also executive producer
  • 1993 Did rewrite on "Last Action Hero;" shared final screenplay credit
  • 1994 Sold spec script "The Long Kiss Goodnight" for then-record $4 million

    Notes:

    "I don't need the beautiful girl on my arm and the fancy car and the best restaurant. You could make a lifetime out of just trying to maintain your status as a cool guy. What I care about is the work." --Shane Black in LOS ANGELES TIMES MAGAZINE, August 19, 1990

    About what he does: "It's not brain surgery." --quoted in THE NEW YORK TIMES, July 25, 1994

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