Paul Wernick

Career

Wernick has produced several network reality shows, including CBS's Big Brother 2 and ABC's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!. Wernick won three Emmy Awards for his work in news, which included producing stints at KVOA, KOLD, KTVK, KSL and KCAL.

Big Brother 2 inspired Wernick and Rhett Reese, a screenwriter friend of his brother back from Phoenix, Arizona, where both attended high school to create their own take on reality television, The Joe Schmo Show. Broadcast on Spike TV, the series drew the highest ratings for the channel. The Joe Schmo Show was also named on numerous Best Of lists, including Time magazine's "Top 10 TV Shows of 2003" and ''Entertainment Weekly'''s "50 Best TV Shows Ever on DVD."

In 2004, Reese and Wernick created and executive-produced Stuck on ODB, a comedy reality show starring Ol' Dirty Bastard (ODB) of the Wu Tang Clan for Spike TV. However, ODB died before the show ever aired. A year later, Wernick and Reese followed up with Invasion Iowa, a high-concept, high-stakes comedy hybrid starring William Shatner. The show premiered on Spike on March 29, 2005.

Wernick and Reese's first feature collaboration was the 2009 film Zombieland, which they created and also executive-produced. The film was released by Sony Pictures on October 2, 2009, and became the highest-grossing zombie film at the time.

Wernick and Reese followed Zombieland with Paramount Pictures' G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013), starring Dwayne Johnson, Channing Tatum, and Bruce Willis. The sequel outperformed the original, grossing $375 million.

In February 2012, it was announced Universal Studios had acquired Wernick and Reese's script for a feature film adaptation of Cowboy Ninja Viking. In September 2012, their original science fiction spec screenplay Epsilon was sold to Sony Pictures, with plans to co-produce with Michael De Luca. In April 2015, Wernick and Reese had optioned Thomas Oliver's book The Real Coke, The Real Story to produce a film about the failed launch of New Coke.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

References

1. Fernandez, Jay A.. (September 24, 2009). "Married scribes' pics to square off". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
2. Reifsteck, Greg. (June 19, 2000). "Nine is KCAL's lucky number at L.A. Emmys". Variety.
3. Wojciechowski, Michele. (October 31, 2016). "Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick: From High School to Deadpool".
4. Gordon, Jason. "Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (DEADPOOL) | OnWriting".
5. Kissell, Rick. (October 29, 2003). "'Joe' no schmo for Spike TV". Variety.
6. "Top 10 Everything 2003".
7. (November 26, 2004). "The 50 Best TV Shows Ever on DVD".
8. Barshad, Amos. (March 29, 2013). "Q&A: G.I. Joe: Retaliation Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick on Stuck on Dirty, Their Never-Aired Ol' Dirty Bastard Reality Show".
9. Weintraub, Joanne. (March 28, 2005). "Shatner miniseries goes boldly where no prank has gone before". [[The Seattle Times]].
10. "Weekend Report: Weekend Report: 'Wild Things' Roars, 'Citizen,' 'Activity' Thrill".
11. Weintraub, Steve. (January 6, 2010). "Exclusive: G.I. JOE SEQUEL is Happening; Zombieland's Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick Writing G.I. JOE 2".
12. Seigel, Tatiana. (January 11, 2009). "Par OKs 'G.I. Joe' sequel, dates 'Trek'". [[Variety (magazine).
13. "G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)".
14. Fleming, Mike Jr.. (February 28, 2012). "Universal And Marc Forster Team On 'Cowboy Ninja Viking'".
15. Kit, Borys. (September 12, 2012). "'Zombieland' Writers Sell Sci-Fi Project 'Epsilon' to Sony (Exclusive)". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
16. Fleming, Mike Jr.. (April 27, 2015). "'Deadpool' Scribes Wernick & Reese Uncap Pic On Disastrous New Coke Launch".