# Scott Rosenberg
**Scott Rosenberg** (born 1963) is an American screenwriter, film producer, and actor from Needham, Massachusetts, known for the screenplays of *[Beautiful Girls](https://www.edgepedia.org/beautiful-girls-film)*, *Con Air*, *Gone in 60 Seconds*, the *Jumanji* sequels, and *Venom*, and for executive-producing television series including *High Fidelity*, *Cowboy Bebop*, *From*, and *Citadel*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/) • [2](https://press.hulu.com/bios/scott-rosenberg/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1963, Needham, Massachusetts[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/) |
| Education | Bachelor's degree from Boston University; MFA from UCLA; third place at a UCLA screenwriting contest led to his first agent[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/) |
| Breakthrough | *Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead* (1995), followed by *Beautiful Girls* (1996) and *Con Air* (1997)[2](https://press.hulu.com/bios/scott-rosenberg/) • [3](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/60695-CON-AIR) |
| Major film credits | *Con Air*, *Disturbing Behavior*, *Gone in 60 Seconds*, *High Fidelity*, *Impostor*, *Highway*, *Kangaroo Jack*, *Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle*, *Venom*, *Jumanji: The Next Level*, *Dashing Through the Snow*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/) • [4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/scott-rosenberg/) |
| Television | Co-created ABC's *October Road*, *Life on Mars*, and *Happy Town*, and CBS's *Zoo*; executive producer of *High Fidelity*, *Cowboy Bebop*, *From*, and *Citadel*[2](https://press.hulu.com/bios/scott-rosenberg/) • [4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/scott-rosenberg/) |
| Recognition | Writers Guild of America Award nomination in 2001 for *High Fidelity*; one BAFTA Award nomination among 2 wins and 7 nominations total[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/scott-rosenberg/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/) |
| In development | *Jumanji: Open World* (2026), *Scooby-Doo: Origins* (Netflix, 2027), an adaptation of Andrew Smith's novel *Grasshopper Jungle*[2](https://press.hulu.com/bios/scott-rosenberg/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/?fc=1&fm=1&ft=20) |
## Early life and career
Rosenberg attended [Boston University](https://www.edgepedia.org/boston-university), where he minored in creative writing, and then earned an MFA from UCLA.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/) In interviews he has said that writing was the only thing he was ever good at, and that he came to screenplays only after arriving in Los Angeles.[6](https://hollywoodwritersoffice.blogspot.com/2009/07/interview-with-screenwriter-tv.html) A third-place finish at a UCLA screenwriting contest led him to sign with his first agent; in a 2015 interview he described writing a script in six weeks and rewriting it with help from his teacher and friends, the script that got him an agent and brought him to Los Angeles.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/) • [7](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5af1145d697a987d247c2773/t/5f134a832a4010553e74c05f/1595099782281/The%2B101%2BHabits%2Bof%2BHighly%2BSuccessful%2BScreenwriters%2C%2B10th%2BAnniversary%2BEdition-%2BInsider%2BSecrets%2Bfrom%2BHollywood%27s%2BTop%2BWriters%2Bby%2BKarl%2BIglesias.pdf)
His first produced screenplay was the crime drama [Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead](https://www.edgepedia.org/things-to-do-in-denver-when-youre-dead) (1995), made for Miramax, which he followed with *Beautiful Girls* (1996), a character piece about a group of friends in a small Massachusetts town.[8](https://www.miramax.com/profile/scott-rosenberg/) • [9](https://www.kidinthefrontrow.com/search?by-date=false&max-results=5&reverse-paginate=true&start=55&updated-max=2010-03-18T02%3A35%3A00-07%3A00) He has described *Beautiful Girls* as a deliberate change of pace after months writing violent material, saying "the snow fell, and I was tired of writing these movies about people who shot you and killed."
## Studio films
Rosenberg wrote *Con Air* (1997), produced by [Jerry Bruckheimer](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerry-bruckheimer) and starring [Nicolas Cage](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicolas-cage), John Cusack, and [John Malkovich](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-malkovich), for Touchstone Pictures.[3](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/60695-CON-AIR) The Bruckheimer relationship continued with *Gone in 60 Seconds* (2000); Rosenberg has said Bruckheimer pitched him the premise in one sentence, "they have to steal 50 cars in one night," and the two began discussing it while working on *Con Air*.[10](https://www.cinema.com/articles/245/gone-in-60-seconds-production-notes.body) He also wrote *Disturbing Behavior* (1998), the Nick Hornby adaptation *High Fidelity* (2000), the Philip K. Dick adaptation *Impostor* (2001), *Highway* (2002), and *Kangaroo Jack* (2003), and did a rewrite on *Pain and Gain* (2013).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/) • [4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/scott-rosenberg/) • [11](https://www.movieinsider.com/p9324/scott-rosenberg)
In a 2010 interview he described the reality of big-budget studio work candidly: the script "is always going to be co-opted," and his motto has been "Don't Fuck With My Small Movies. Do What You Need With The Big."
## The Jumanji sequels and later films
Rosenberg co-wrote *Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle* (2017) and *Jumanji: The Next Level* (2019), which reimagined the 1995 film's board game as a video game, and *Venom* (2018), a [Spider-Man](https://www.edgepedia.org/spider-man) spin-off starring [Tom Hardy](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-hardy).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/) His *High Fidelity* screenplay earned him a Writers Guild of America Award nomination in 2001, and IMDb lists one BAFTA Award nomination among 2 wins and 7 nominations total.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/scott-rosenberg/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/) He wrote the Disney film *Dashing Through the Snow* (2023).[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/?fc=1&fm=1&ft=20) Upcoming projects listed on IMDb include *Jumanji: Open World* (2026), for which he is screenwriter and executive producer; *Scooby-Doo: Origins*, a Netflix live-action series created with Josh Appelbaum and set for 2027; and a [Jim Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/jim-jones) project.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/?fc=1&fm=1&ft=20) • [12](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/news/) The adaptation of Andrew Smith's novel *Grasshopper Jungle* for New Regency has been in development since at least 2017.[2](https://press.hulu.com/bios/scott-rosenberg/) • [11](https://www.movieinsider.com/p9324/scott-rosenberg)
## Television
Rosenberg moved to television in 2007 with *October Road*, which he created and executive produced for ABC, followed by the American version of *Life on Mars* and *Happy Town* for ABC and *Zoo* for CBS.[6](https://hollywoodwritersoffice.blogspot.com/2009/07/interview-with-screenwriter-tv.html) • [2](https://press.hulu.com/bios/scott-rosenberg/) As executive producer his credits include *Limetown* (2019), starring [Jessica Biel](https://www.edgepedia.org/jessica-biel); *High Fidelity* (2020), starring Zoë Kravitz for Hulu; *[Cowboy Bebop](https://www.edgepedia.org/cowboy-bebop-2021-tv-series)* (2021), starring John Cho for Netflix; *From* (2022–2026) for MGM+; and *[Citadel](https://www.edgepedia.org/citadel-tv-series)* (2023–2026) for Prime Video, along with its 2024 spin-offs *Citadel: Honey Bunny* and *Citadel: Diana*.[2](https://press.hulu.com/bios/scott-rosenberg/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/?fc=1&fm=1&ft=20)
## The Weinstein statement
In October 2017, after *The New York Times* and *The New Yorker* published allegations of sexual assault and harassment against [Harvey Weinstein](https://www.edgepedia.org/harvey-weinstein), Rosenberg published a Facebook post, later removed from public view, apologizing for his years-long silence. He credited the Weinstein brothers with giving him a start in the movie business, said many people involved with Miramax between the mid-1990s and early 2000s were "aware of a certain pattern of overly-aggressive behavior," and wrote "Everybody-f-ing-knew."
## Distinguishing namesakes
The name Scott Rosenberg refers to several distinct public figures. **Scott Mitchell Rosenberg** is a comics producer and author credited with *Cowboys & Aliens* and *Dylan Dog: Dead of Night* (both 2011).[13](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/311911-Scott-Mitchell-Rosenberg?isMiscCredit=False) Another **Scott Rosenberg** is a technology writer and editor, a co-founder of Salon in 1995 and author of *Dreaming in Code* and *Say Everything*, published by [Penguin Random House](https://www.edgepedia.org/penguin-random-house).[14](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/59683/scott-rosenberg/) The screenwriter who is the subject of this article is sometimes credited as Scott K. Rosenberg in the AFI Catalog, which lists one producer credit, *The Hip Hop Project* (2007).[15](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/281483-Scott-K-Rosenberg?isMiscCredit=False)
## References
1. [Scott Rosenberg, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/)
2. [Scott Rosenberg, Hulu Press biography](https://press.hulu.com/bios/scott-rosenberg/)
3. [Con Air (1997), AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/60695-CON-AIR)
4. [Scott Rosenberg, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/scott-rosenberg/)
5. [Scott Rosenberg, IMDb producer and writer credits](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/?fc=1&fm=1&ft=20)
6. [An Interview with Screenwriter & TV Executive Producer Scott Rosenberg, Hollywood Writers' Office Assistants Social](https://hollywoodwritersoffice.blogspot.com/2009/07/interview-with-screenwriter-tv.html)
7. [The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters, Karl Iglesias](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5af1145d697a987d247c2773/t/5f134a832a4010553e74c05f/1595099782281/The%2B101%2BHabits%2Bof%2BHighly%2BSuccessful%2BScreenwriters%2C%2B10th%2BAnniversary%2BEdition-%2BInsider%2BSecrets%2Bfrom%2BHollywood%27s%2BTop%2BWriters%2Bby%2BKarl%2BIglesias.pdf)
8. [Scott Rosenberg, Miramax profile](https://www.miramax.com/profile/scott-rosenberg/)
9. [Screenwriter SCOTT ROSENBERG Interview, Kid In The Front Row](https://www.kidinthefrontrow.com/search?by-date=false&max-results=5&reverse-paginate=true&start=55&updated-max=2010-03-18T02%3A35%3A00-07%3A00)
10. [Gone in 60 Seconds production notes, Cinema.com](https://www.cinema.com/articles/245/gone-in-60-seconds-production-notes.body)
11. [Scott Rosenberg Film Credits, The Movie Insider](https://www.movieinsider.com/p9324/scott-rosenberg)
12. [Scott Rosenberg news, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003298/news/)
13. [Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/311911-Scott-Mitchell-Rosenberg?isMiscCredit=False)
14. [Scott Rosenberg, Penguin Random House authors](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/59683/scott-rosenberg/)
15. [Scott K. Rosenberg, AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Person/281483-Scott-K-Rosenberg?isMiscCredit=False)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Directors, producers, and screenwriters › Screenwriters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license