Krysty Wilson-Cairns
Krysty Wilson-Cairns | |
---|---|
Born | Glasgow, Scotland | 26 May 1987
Occupation | Screenwriter |
Nationality | Scottish |
Education | |
Years active | 2012–present |
Krysty Norma Lesley Wilson-Cairns[1] (born 26 May 1987) is a Scottish screenwriter. Born and raised in Glasgow, she studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and the National Film and Television School. During her teenage years, she was a runner on television series including the detective show Taggart. Her script for the unproduced science fiction thriller Aether made the 2014 Black List and led to a staff writer role on the television show Penny Dreadful. Her feature film debut was the screenplay for the Sam Mendes-directed 2019 war film 1917. She co-wrote it with Mendes and received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Early life[]
Wilson-Cairns was born on 26 May 1987[2][3] in Glasgow, Scotland.[4] She grew up in the Shawlands area of the city in a single-parent household. Wilson-Cairns was privately educated at the Craigholme School. Her grandparents partly funded her place at the school.[4] At the age of 15, she had a work experience placement on the Scottish detective show Taggart.[5] The series had used the mechanic shop that her father worked in as a set and she reports that she used to watch the filming of it during her summer holidays.[4][6] She became a runner on the show as well as on other television series including Rebus and Lip Service.[7][8]
Wilson-Cairns had initially aspired to study physics and become an engineer but her on set experiences as a runner fostered her interest in working in the film industry.[6] She studied Digital Film and Television at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), and graduated in 2009.[9] Her first creative work at the RCS was a short story about killer guinea pigs.[4][10] She credits her ambition to become a screenwriter on being inspired by one of her lecturers at the RCS, screenwriter Richard Smith.[11] She then spent a year working at the BBC Comedy Unit, before moving to London where she gained an MA in Screenwriting from the National Film and Television School (NFTS) in 2013.[9][12] While studying at the NFTS, she worked as a bartender in The Toucan, an Irish pub in Soho. During her downtime, she developed script ideas.[13][14]
Career[]
Wilson-Cairns sold her first film script to FilmNation Entertainment in 2014.[15] It was for the science fiction thriller project Aether, which provided her breakthrough after it made the top ten of the Black List.[16][17][18] The script was read by screenwriter John Logan who hired her to work as a staff writer on his television show Penny Dreadful in 2015.[9] She also contributed to its comic book series.[19] After this, her first writing commission was for a potential film adaptation, to be directed by Tobias Lindholm, of Charles Graeber's non-fiction book The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder.[20][21] Filmmaker Sam Mendes was impressed by her treatment, and suggested collaborating on a future film project.[22] They had previously met while working on Penny Dreadful, for which he was an executive producer. They worked on two potential projects together.[23] This included a film adaptation of Gay Talese's book The Voyeur′s Motel. However, both projects fell through due to licensing issues.[24][25] In 2017, she was named as one of Forbes′ 30 under 30 in the Hollywood and Entertainment category.[26]
Wilson-Cairns co-wrote the screenplay for Mendes' World War I film 1917 (2019) as her feature film debut.[23] The film follows two young British soldiers on a mission to warn a fellow battalion of a German ambush, and is shot to appear as if it is one continuous take.[27] To help develop the script, she travelled to the battlefields and cemeteries of World War I in northern France with her mother and read frontline diaries at the Imperial War Museum.[4][28] For her work on the film, Wilson-Cairns received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay.[29][30] She shared the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film.[31] She was named as one of the 10 Screenwriters to Watch by the trade magazine Variety in their 2019 list.[32] She co-wrote the screenplay of Edgar Wright's psychological horror Last Night in Soho (2021) and had a cameo as a bartender.[25][33]
Her upcoming projects include the screenplay for The Good Nurse, an adaptation of the Charles Graeber novel that will star Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne.[34] Wilson-Cairns has also been hired to adapt journalist Evan Ratliff's book The Mastermind: Drugs. Empire. Murder. Betrayal. about programmer-turned-drug cartel boss Paul Le Roux, for an Amazon Studios crime drama series.[35][36] In May 2020, it was announced Wilson-Cairns would be co-writing a new Star Wars film with Taika Waititi, who is set to direct it.[37] In October 2020, she co-founded Great Company with producer Jack Ivins.[1] The following year, the company signed a two-year film deal with Universal Pictures.[38]
Filmography[]
Feature films[]
Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | 1917 | BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film Nominated – Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay Nominated – Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay |
[29][30][31] |
2021 | Last Night in Soho | [33] | |
TBA | The Good Nurse | Post-production | [34] |
Television[]
Year | Title | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | Penny Dreadful | Season 3 staff writer | [9][17] |
Short films[]
Year | Title | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | All Men's Dead | Short film | [39][40] |
2012 | The End of an Era | Short film | [39][41] |
2013 | Dollface | Short film | [42] |
2013 | Musical Star | Short film | [43] |
2013 | Fink | Short film | [39][44] |
References[]
- ^ a b "Great Company Entertainment Limited". Companies House. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ "We Write At Dawn Limited". Companies House. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
- ^ Wilson-Cairns, Krysty (26 May 2020). "This work of art also contains CAKE. Thank you @paula_mcgann. And to you and @gabriellasybs for the doorstep serenade". Instagram. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Smith, Mark (5 January 2020). "1917: Krysty Wilson-Cairns – 'A young woman writing a war movie? I thought I'd never get the chance'". The Herald (Glasgow). Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "Krysty Wilson-Cairns on Glasgow". i-on. 27 June 2017. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ a b Parker, Charlie; Sweeney, Chris (21 December 2019). "1917 writer honed her talent in the trenches of Taggart". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020.(subscription required)
- ^ "How I Became A Screenwriter". BBC The Social (YouTube). 3 September 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "'1917' Screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns joins Giles Alderson, Dom Lenoir & Robbie McKane". The Filmmakers Podcast (Podcast). 7 January 2020. Event occurs at 37:47. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ a b c d Dougan, Andy. "Screen Queen". Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "'1917' Screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns joins Giles Alderson, Dom Lenoir & Robbie McKane". The Filmmakers Podcast (Podcast). 7 January 2020. Event occurs at 34:45. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "'1917' Screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns joins Giles Alderson, Dom Lenoir & Robbie McKane". The Filmmakers Podcast (Podcast). 7 January 2020. Event occurs at 34:30. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ Harkness, Alistair (6 January 2020). "Glasgow's Krysty Wilson-Cairns on co-writing Golden Globe winner 1917: 'I've been writing for five years and this is my first movie that has been made'". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ Johnson, G. Allen (24 December 2019). "After a decade of Bond, Sam Mendes gets personal with World War I epic '1917'". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ^ Synnot, Siobhan (5 January 2020). "Who said war movies are a man's world?". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 9 January 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2020.(subscription required)
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (13 March 2014). "FilmNation Scores Sci-Fi Thriller Spec 'Aether'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ Bloom, David; Yamato, Jen (15 December 2014). "'Catherine The Great' Leads The Blacklist 2014: Full List — Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ a b Cohen, Anna (3 January 2020). "Meet The 32-Year-Old Woman Who Co-Wrote The Best War Movie Of The Year". Refinery29. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ Halligan, Fionnuala (5 June 2014). "Krysty Wilson-Cairns, UK Stars of Tomorrow 2014". Screen International. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "Interview: A conversation with TV and comic scriptwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns". Flickering Myth. 14 May 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (11 December 2014). "Darren Aronofsky Eyes True Story Serial Killer Pic 'The Good Nurse'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ McNary, Dave (7 August 2018). "Jessica Chastain, Eddie Redmayne in Talks to Star in Thriller 'The Good Nurse'". Variety. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ^ "The Script Lab Podcast: Krysty Wilson-Cairns — Co-Writer of '1917' with Director Sam Mendes". The Script Lab Podcast (Podcast). 13 January 2020. Event occurs at 05:24. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ a b Ritman, Alex (3 January 2020). "'1917' and How to Write a One-Shot Script: "Fly Blind and Make It Up as We Go Along"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
- ^ Busch, Anita (6 June 2016). "'The Voyeur's Motel' Moving Forward, Sets Scribe With Krysty Wilson-Cairns". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
- ^ a b Bramesco, Charles (26 November 2019). "1917 writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns funneled WWI obsessions into the single-shot epic". Polygon. Archived from the original on 28 November 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "Krysty Wilson-Cairns". Forbes. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^ Kermode, Mark (12 January 2020). "1917 review – Sam Mendes's unblinking vision of the hell of war". The Observer. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "Krysty Wilson-Cairns on writing 1917". Imperial War Museums (YouTube). 8 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ^ a b Nordyke, Kimberly; Konerman, Jennifer; Strause, Jackie; Howard, Annie (13 January 2020). "Oscars: Nominations List". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ^ a b Buchanan, Kyle (6 January 2020). "Writers Guild Nominations: 'Parasite,' 'Marriage Story,' 'Joker' and More". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 7 January 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
- ^ a b Dams, Tim (2 February 2020). "'1917' Rules Over BAFTAs With Seven Wins; 'Joker' Takes Three". Variety. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
- ^ "Variety Announces 10 Screenwriters to Watch for 2019". Variety. 29 August 2019. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ a b Brooks, Xan (4 September 2021). "Last Night in Soho review – a gaudy romp that's stupidly enjoyable". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ a b Wiseman, Andreas (25 March 2021). "Nnamdi Asomugha Joins Jessica Chastain & Eddie Redmayne In Netflix Buzz Thriller 'The Good Nurse'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ Petski, Denise (23 December 2019). "'Mastermind' Crime Drama Produced By Noah Hawley, Russo Brothers & Skybound In Works At Amazon". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 24 December 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
- ^ Marland, Ian (4 January 2020). "Writer of 1917 turns to crime for next film". The Times. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.(subscription required)
- ^ Welk, Brian. "'Star Wars': Taika Waititi to Direct and Co-Write New Big-Screen Movie". TheWrap. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (27 October 2020). "Universal Closes Deal With 'Last Night In Soho' Scribe Krysty Wilson-Cairns & Jack Ivins' Great Company". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ^ a b c "Introducing Krysty Wilson-Cairns". Edinburgh International Film Festival. 7 October 2016. Archived from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "All Men's Dead". David Woodman (Vimeo). Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "The End of an Era". Open University (YouTube). Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "Dollface". Louis Paxton (Vimeo). 22 August 2012. Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "Musical Star". Louis Paxton (Vimeo). February 2013. Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "Fink". British Council. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
External links[]
- 1987 births
- Scottish comics writers
- Scottish screenwriters
- Writers from Glasgow
- Alumni of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
- Living people
- British women screenwriters
- 21st-century Scottish women writers
- 21st-century Scottish writers
- Alumni of the National Film and Television School
- 21st-century British screenwriters