Chris Weitz Bio
Christopher John Weitz (born November 30, 1969) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. Best known for his collaborations with his brother Paul Weitz, he rose to prominence through the comedy film American Pie and later earned an Academy Award nomination for co-writing About a Boy. Over the course of his career, Weitz has directed large-scale studio productions including The Twilight Saga: New Moon and co-written the screenplay for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Working across both mainstream blockbusters and independent film, Weitz has built a reputation for adapting literary and genre material for the screen. He also runs the production company Depth of Field with his brother and producer Andrew Miano, and occasionally takes on acting roles of his own.
Early Life and Background
Christopher John Weitz was born on November 30, 1969, in New York City, New York. He is the son of actress Susan Kohner and Berlin-born novelist and menswear designer John Weitz. His brother, Paul Weitz, is also a filmmaker with whom he has frequently collaborated. On his mother’s side, Weitz is the grandson of Czech-born agent and producer Paul Kohner and Mexican actress Lupita Tovar, who starred in Santa (1932), Mexico’s first talkie.
Weitz’s paternal grandparents escaped Nazi Germany before settling in the United States, and the family maintained close ties with writer Christopher Isherwood and actress Marlene Dietrich. His father and maternal grandfather were Jewish, while his maternal grandmother was Catholic, and Weitz was raised in a nonreligious household. He has described himself as a lapsed Catholic crypto-Buddhist.
As a young boy, Weitz attended the Allen-Stevenson School in New York City and was a member of the Knickerbocker Greys, a long-standing youth marching corps founded in 1881. At the age of 14, he went abroad to attend St Paul’s School in London, the same boarding school his father had attended. He later graduated with a degree in English from Trinity College, Cambridge.
Path to Filmmaking
Weitz’s early exposure to film and storytelling came through his family’s deep roots in the entertainment industry. His mother, Susan Kohner, was a celebrated actress, and his grandmother, Lupita Tovar, was a major figure in early Mexican cinema. Growing up in such an environment provided Weitz with firsthand insight into the craft of acting and filmmaking from an early age.
His professional career began in 1998 when he co-wrote the DreamWorks animated feature Antz alongside his brother Paul and writer Todd Alcott. Following that success, Weitz moved into television work on sitcoms such as Off Centre and the 1998 revival of Fantasy Island. These early projects helped him develop the writing and producing skills that would shape his later feature work.
In 1999, Weitz co-directed American Pie with his brother, a comedy that became a major box office hit and established the Weitz brothers as a recognizable creative team. The success of that film paved the way for larger opportunities, including their 2002 collaboration on About a Boy, which would prove to be a defining moment in his early career.
Chris Weitz Career
Early Career (1998–2006)
Weitz’s first notable work was as co-writer on the animated comedy Antz (1998). He followed this with television writing on series such as Off Centre and Fantasy Island, before co-directing American Pie (1999) with his brother Paul. The film became a major box office success, and Weitz went on to serve as executive producer on its theatrical sequels.
In 2002, the Weitz brothers co-wrote and co-directed About a Boy, a Hugh Grant-led adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel. The film earned the brothers a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, marking one of the most significant achievements of Weitz’s early career. During this period he also produced In Good Company and American Dreamz, both directed by his brother.
Breakthrough (2002–2009)
The success of About a Boy positioned Weitz as a sought-after Hollywood filmmaker. In 2003, he was hired to direct New Line Cinema’s adaptation of Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, the first book in the His Dark Materials series. After briefly stepping away from the project in 2005, he was asked by Pullman to return and ultimately completed the film, which was released in 2007. Although reviews were mixed, the film grossed more than $372 million worldwide.
Weitz also took on acting roles during this period, playing the lead in the 2000 comedy Chuck & Buck, directed by Miguel Arteta, and appearing as a suburbanite in Mr. & Mrs. Smith. These performances demonstrated his range beyond writing and directing.
In December 2008, Weitz was announced as the director of The Twilight Saga: New Moon, the sequel to 2008’s Twilight. Released in November 2009, the film set multiple box office records, including the biggest midnight opening in domestic history at the time, grossing an estimated $26.3 million, and the third-highest domestic opening weekend with $142,839,137. By the end of its ten-day run, New Moon had grossed $473.7 million worldwide. Weitz chose not to return for the franchise’s next installment.
Notable Works and Milestones
Among Weitz’s signature works are American Pie, About a Boy, The Golden Compass, and The Twilight Saga: New Moon. His screenplay work on Disney’s 2015 live-action Cinderella and his co-writing credit on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) further cemented his standing in the industry. Weitz also wrote the young adult novel trilogy The Young World, beginning in 2014, and directed the 2018 historical thriller Operation Finale.
Chris Weitz Award Nominations
Christopher John Weitz has received several notable award nominations across his career in film. Along with his brother Paul, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for co-writing About a Boy in 2002. His 2011 film A Better Life, which explored a Hispanic gardener and his son in Los Angeles, also earned an Oscar nomination.
Chris Weitz Awards Won
Based on verified records, no major award wins for Chris Weitz are clearly documented in the available sources.
Chris Weitz Family
Weitz comes from a distinguished family with deep ties to film, fashion, and literature. His father, John Weitz, was a Berlin-born novelist and menswear designer, while his mother, Susan Kohner, is a former actress. His maternal grandparents were Czech-born agent and producer Paul Kohner and Mexican actress Lupita Tovar, who starred in Santa (1932), Mexico’s first talkie.
His paternal grandparents escaped Nazi Germany, with the family having been intimates of writer Christopher Isherwood and actress Marlene Dietrich. Weitz’s brother, Paul Weitz, is a fellow filmmaker and longtime creative collaborator.
Personal Life
Chris Weitz is married to Mercedes Martinez, whom he met at the Burning Man festival. The couple wed in 2006 and have two children together: a son, Sebastian Weitz, and a daughter, Athena Weitz.