Chris Galletta (born 1981) is an American screenwriter. He is best known for writing the 2013 coming-of-age film The Kings of Summer.
Chris Galletta | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981 (age 42–43) Tottenville, Staten Island, New York |
| Occupation | Screenwriter |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | St. John's University |
Early life edit
Galletta, who comes from an Italian background,[1] grew up in Tottenville, Staten Island, New York, where he attended Tottenville High School.[2] He graduated from the St. John's University College of Professional Studies; his major was in television and film studies.[3] He later attended the Columbia University School of the Arts and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in 2010.[4]
Career edit
Galletta first worked in the entertainment industry on the Late Show with David Letterman where he was an intern.[1] He worked on Letterman as a contributing writer for several years before he left to pursue writing film screenplays full-time.[5]
Galletta's first screenplay, Toy's House, was written as the thesis of his degree at Columbia University.[4][5] In 2009, the script made the Black List, a survey of the best unproduced film screenplays, and was purchased by Big Beach Films the same week that the list was published, before Galletta had graduated from Columbia.[4][6] The film was directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and renamed The Kings of Summer. It premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews.[1] Elements of the screenplay are based on Galetta's experiences as a youth living on Staten Island, but the producers of the film changed the location to Chagrin Falls, Ohio, a move that Galetta endorsed for giving the story "an 'any town' type of feel."[1]
Galletta has also managed to sell a pitch for a screenplay to New Line Cinema, which he described as "an action comedy set in Rio de Janeiro".[1] The story was co-written with Todd Strauss-Schulson, who is also slated to direct the film, although Galletta was hired to write the script individually.[4][7]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e Bailey, Rob (October 2, 2013). "Staten Island native Chris Galletta's 'Kings of Summer' hailed as a sleeper hit of the season". Staten Island Advance. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
- ^ Paulsen, Ken (March 25, 2013). "Inspired by Staten Island and a hit at Sundance, 'Kings of Summer' debuts May 31". Staten Island Advance. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
- ^ "Chris Galletta '03CPS". St. John's University. September 29, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Galkin, Alexandra (January 23, 2013). "Writer Chris Galletta on Sundance Favorite 'Toy's House' & Casting Ron Swanson". Bullett Magazine. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
- ^ a b "Chris Galletta". Screenwriters Colony. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
- ^ Boone, Christopher (January 30, 2013). "Exclusive Interview: Writer Chris Galletta on Sundance 2013 Film 'Toy's House'". No Film School. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
- ^ Miller, Julie (January 30, 2013). "Sundance First-Timer Chris Galletta on His Comedy, Toy's House; Making Will Smith Laugh; and His Greatest Gifting-Station Disappointment". Vanity Fair. Retrieved February 22, 2014.