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Krysty Wilson-Cairns

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Krysty Wilson-Cairns
Born (1987-05-26) 26 May 1987 (age 37)
Glasgow, Scotland
OccupationScreenwriter
Education
Years active2012–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 and education

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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 attended the private 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 watching 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, and developed script ideas during her downtime.[13][14]

Career

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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 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, and worked on two potential projects together.[23] This included a film adaptation of Gay Talese's book The Voyeur's Motel and an Invisibilia podcast.[24] However, both projects fell through due to licensing issues.[25][26] In 2017, she was named as one of Forbes′ 30 under 30 in the Hollywood and Entertainment category.[27]

Her feature film debut was the screenplay for Mendes' World War I film 1917 (2019) which she co-wrote.[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.[28] 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][29] For her work on the film, Wilson-Cairns received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay,[30][31] and shared the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film.[32] She was named as one of the 10 Screenwriters to Watch by the trade magazine Variety in their 2019 list.[33] 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.[34] She co-wrote the screenplay of Edgar Wright's psychological horror Last Night in Soho (2021), and had a cameo as a bartender.[26][35] The following year, she wrote the screenplay for The Good Nurse, an adaptation of the Charles Graeber novel, which was first announced in 2014 as her first writing commission.[36] The film was about the serial killer nurse Charles Cullen and intensive care nurse Amy Loughren who helped to convict him. Wilson-Cairns spent a fortnight working in a burns unit in a hospital in Connecticut to learn about the American healthcare system to develop the script.[24] For her work on the film, she received a nomination for Best Writer Film/Television at the 2023 British Academy Scotland Awards.[37]

Her upcoming projects include an adaptation of 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.[38][39] She is also writing the screenplay for a biopic on the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra directed by Denis Villeneuve, based on Stacy Schiff's biography Cleopatra: A Life.[40]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Notes Ref(s)
2019 1917 Co-written with Sam Mendes [30][31][32]
2021 Last Night in Soho Co-written with Edgar Wright [35]
2022 The Good Nurse [36][41]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2016 Penny Dreadful Writer 2 episodes: "No Beast So Fierce", "Perpetual Night"
Also staff writer in season 3 		[9][17][42]

Awards and nominations

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Award Date Category Work Result Ref(s)
Writers Guild of America Awards 1 February 2020 Best Original Screenplay 1917 Nominated [31]
British Academy Film Awards 2 February 2020 Outstanding British Film 1917 Won [32]
Academy Awards 9 February 2020 Best Original Screenplay 1917 Nominated [30]
British Academy Scotland Awards 19 November 2023 Best Writer Film/Television The Good Nurse Nominated [37]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Great Company Entertainment Limited". Companies House. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  2. ^ "We Write At Dawn Limited". Companies House. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  3. ^ 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. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "Krysty Wilson-Cairns on Glasgow". i-on. 27 June 2017. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  6. ^ 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)
  7. ^ "How I Became A Screenwriter". BBC The Social (YouTube). 3 September 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  8. ^ "'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.
  9. ^ a b c d Dougan, Andy. "Screen Queen". Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  10. ^ "'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.
  11. ^ "'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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ 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)
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ Halligan, Fionnuala (5 June 2014). "Krysty Wilson-Cairns, UK Stars of Tomorrow 2014". Screen International. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  19. ^ "Interview: A conversation with TV and comic scriptwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns". Flickering Myth. 14 May 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ "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.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ a b Lodderhose, Diana (9 February 2023). "International Disruptors: '1917' & 'The Good Nurse' Scribe Krysty Wilson-Cairns On Collaborating With Top Creatives & Her Mission To Empower Young Talent Through Her Banner Great Company". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ "Krysty Wilson-Cairns". Forbes. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  28. ^ 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.
  29. ^ "Krysty Wilson-Cairns on writing 1917". Imperial War Museums (YouTube). 8 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  30. ^ a b c 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.
  31. ^ a b c 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.
  32. ^ a b c 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.
  33. ^ "Variety Announces 10 Screenwriters to Watch for 2019". Variety. 29 August 2019. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  34. ^ 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.
  35. ^ 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.
  36. ^ 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.
  37. ^ a b "BAFTA Scotland Awards 2023: Full List of Nominations". BAFTA Scotland. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  38. ^ 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.
  39. ^ 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)
  40. ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (31 January 2024). "Denis Villeneuve Refuses to Let Hollywood Shrink Him Down to Size". Time. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  41. ^ Lee, Benjamin (11 September 2022). "The Good Nurse review – Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne impress in killer thriller". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  42. ^ Sokol, Tony (6 June 2016). "Penny Dreadful: No Beast So Fierce Review". Den of Geek. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
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