David Franzoni's life began in Vermont, where he pursued his passion for geology and paleontology at the University of Vermont. As a partner in a commercial film company, he gained valuable experience in the industry. However, his academic pursuits took a backseat as he dropped out of graduate school and embarked on a thrilling adventure.
David's travels took him to various parts of the world, including Europe, Turkey, Cyprus, the Middle East, India, Thailand, and the Malay Peninsula. His journey culminated in Australia, a destination he reached after driving his motorcycle from Singapore. During his time in Baghdad, he stumbled upon a book titled "Those About to Die" by Daniel P. Mannix, which would later inspire his original script for "Gladiator".
After his travels, David relocated to Los Angeles and sold his first script, which was adapted into the comedy "Jumpin' Jack Flash". He then spent two years in Paris and London working with renowned director Bob Swaim, who had won the César award.
Upon his return to Los Angeles, David adapted the best-selling biography "Citizen Cohn" for HBO, starring James Woods. This project earned him several prestigious awards, including the Cable Ace, the Pen Center West Literary Award, and the George Foster Peabody Award. He was also nominated for an Emmy.
David's subsequent projects included adapting the biography of Harvey Milk, "The Mayor of Castro Street", and an original script, "George Washington", both for Oliver Stone. While living in Rome with his family, he wrote the screenplay for Steven Spielberg's "Amistad" and began researching his original script, "Gladiator".
For his work on "Gladiator", David won several awards, including the Oscar, the Golden Globe, and the BAFTA. He was also nominated for a second Oscar and a second BAFTA. In addition to his writing credits, David has also produced several films, including "King Arthur", which was released in 2004.
Some of his other notable projects include adapting "Childhood's End" based on the book by Arthur C. Clarke, "Hannibal the Conqueror", starring Vin Diesel, "Rifts", a sci-fi epic, and an historical project about the 16th-century pirate, Black Beard. David is currently preparing his first film as a writer-director, "Joint Security America", based on the modern Korean classic, "JSA".
