10 Famous Script Doctors Who Helped Write The Films We Love

By Travis Earl / July 28, 2013

Film, more than any other medium, requires collaboration to work. From the moment a pitch for a feature is conceived, until the time it reaches the multiplex, an army of producers, technicians, and artists tinker with its formula in the hope of getting the cinematic cocktail just right. When a script is failing to live up to its potential, studios will enlist the aid of script doctors: professional writers who rewrite existing scripts until they are suitable for production. Often, the script doctor will improve dialogue, characterization and structure, basically all the most important parts of the script. Script doctors are unsung heroes. The Writers Guild of America requires that a writer contribute at least 50% of an original screenplay or 33% of an adaptation to receive a writing credit. As a result, many of the writers who shaped some of the most important aspects of films we adore receive no recognition for their work. Until today. I present to you a list of writers who contributed anonymously to an array of beloved films from The Bourne Ultimatum to The Godfather: 10 famous script doctors who helped write the films we love.