Edward Neumeier
Encyclopedia
Edward Neumeier (born 1957) is an American screenwriter best known for his work on the science fiction movies RoboCop
and Starship Troopers
. He wrote the latter's sequel
, and most recently wrote and directed Starship Troopers 3: Marauder.
Neumeier studied journalism
at the University of California at Santa Cruz then attended the School of Motion Picture and Television at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). After completing his bachelor's degree
at UCLA, Newmeier started work in the Hollywood film business, as a production assistant
on the TV series Taxi
, a proof-reader
for Paramount Pictures
and Columbia Pictures
; and as a junior executive at the Universal Pictures
company.
Neumeier wrote his first outlines and film treatment
s for his first movie, RoboCop
, as well as "spec" scripts
. He declined an offer of a vice-presidency
at Universal Pictures, to develop the screenplay for RoboCop, with Michael Miner.
The rights to the screenplay were bought up by the Orion Pictures
company, and was granted a budget of just under $15 million. Paul Verhoeven was assigned to make the movie.
Neumeier also co-produced RoboCop, which was released in movie theaters in 1987 in North America and some other locations. This movie was a success, and it drew just over 50 million dollars' worth of ticket sales in the United States, alone. The success of RoboCop also motivated the production of two sequels, RoboCop 2
and RoboCop 3
, and also two TV series, one live-action and one animated
. Most of the creators of RoboCop had left before the production of these sequels.
The first sequel to RoboCop, RoboCop 2, was planned to have its screenplay written by Neumeier. He had written a first draft of a screenplay for RoboCop 2, when a screenwriters' strike occurred. It prevented Neumeier from writing any more of the screenplay. The Orion Pictures company next decided to hire the comic book
artist Frank Miller
to work on his own screenplay for RoboCop 2.
A decade after the first RoboCop movie was produced, Neumeier rejoined Paul Verhoeven to work on Starship Troopers
, which was adapted from the novel with the same name by Robert A. Heinlein
in 1959. With violence and satire thrown into a story of efforts by the human race to insure its survival (in ways similar to RoboCop at times), Starship Troopers seemed to have been more successful in Europe, Asia, etc., than in North America
where it drew gross ticket sales of about $54 million at theaters, although Artforum
magazine selected this film as one of the "10 most artistic [film] achievements of 1997". Neumeier also appeared in this film in the brief role of a man convicted of murder and sentenced to immediate execution.
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
and Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers (film)
Starship Troopers is a 1997 American military science fiction film, written by Edward Neumeier , directed by Paul Verhoeven, loosely adapted from Starship Troopers, a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein. It is the only theatrically released film in the Starship Troopers franchise...
. He wrote the latter's sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, and most recently wrote and directed Starship Troopers 3: Marauder.
Neumeier studied journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
at the University of California at Santa Cruz then attended the School of Motion Picture and Television at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). After completing his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
at UCLA, Newmeier started work in the Hollywood film business, as a production assistant
Production assistant
A production assistant, also known as a PA, is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production...
on the TV series Taxi
Taxi (TV series)
Taxi was an American sitcom that originally aired from 1978 to 1982 on ABC and from 1982 to 1983 on NBC. The series, which won 18 Emmy Awards, including three for "Outstanding Comedy Series", focuses on the everyday lives of a handful of New York City taxi drivers and their abusive dispatcher...
, a proof-reader
Proofreading
Proofreading is the reading of a galley proof or computer monitor to detect and correct production-errors of text or art. Proofreaders are expected to be consistently accurate by default because they occupy the last stage of typographic production before publication.-Traditional method:A proof is...
for Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
and Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
; and as a junior executive at the Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
company.
Neumeier wrote his first outlines and film treatment
Film treatment
A film treatment is a piece of prose, typically the step between scene cards and the first draft of a screenplay for a motion picture, television program, or radio play. It is generally longer and more detailed than an outline , and it may include details of directorial style that an outline omits...
s for his first movie, RoboCop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
, as well as "spec" scripts
Spec script
A spec script, also known as a speculative screenplay, is a non-commissioned unsolicited screenplay. It is usually written by a screenwriter who hopes to have the script optioned and eventually purchased by a producer, production company, or studio....
. He declined an offer of a vice-presidency
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
at Universal Pictures, to develop the screenplay for RoboCop, with Michael Miner.
The rights to the screenplay were bought up by the Orion Pictures
Orion Pictures
Orion Pictures Corporation was an American independent production company that produced movies from 1978 until 1998. It was formed in 1978 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and three former top-level executives of United Artists. Although it was never a large motion picture producer, Orion...
company, and was granted a budget of just under $15 million. Paul Verhoeven was assigned to make the movie.
Neumeier also co-produced RoboCop, which was released in movie theaters in 1987 in North America and some other locations. This movie was a success, and it drew just over 50 million dollars' worth of ticket sales in the United States, alone. The success of RoboCop also motivated the production of two sequels, RoboCop 2
RoboCop 2
RoboCop 2 is a 1990 science fiction action film directed by Irvin Kershner and starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Belinda Bayer, Tom Noonan and Gabriel Damon. Set in the near future in a dystopian metropolitan Detroit, Michigan...
and RoboCop 3
RoboCop 3
RoboCop 3 is a science fiction action film, released in 1993, set in the near future in a dystopian metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, and filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. Most of the buildings seen in the film were slated for demolition to make way for facilities for the 1996 Olympics. Nancy Allen as...
, and also two TV series, one live-action and one animated
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
. Most of the creators of RoboCop had left before the production of these sequels.
The first sequel to RoboCop, RoboCop 2, was planned to have its screenplay written by Neumeier. He had written a first draft of a screenplay for RoboCop 2, when a screenwriters' strike occurred. It prevented Neumeier from writing any more of the screenplay. The Orion Pictures company next decided to hire the comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
artist Frank Miller
Frank Miller (comics)
Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
to work on his own screenplay for RoboCop 2.
A decade after the first RoboCop movie was produced, Neumeier rejoined Paul Verhoeven to work on Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers (film)
Starship Troopers is a 1997 American military science fiction film, written by Edward Neumeier , directed by Paul Verhoeven, loosely adapted from Starship Troopers, a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein. It is the only theatrically released film in the Starship Troopers franchise...
, which was adapted from the novel with the same name by Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
in 1959. With violence and satire thrown into a story of efforts by the human race to insure its survival (in ways similar to RoboCop at times), Starship Troopers seemed to have been more successful in Europe, Asia, etc., than in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
where it drew gross ticket sales of about $54 million at theaters, although Artforum
Artforum
Artforum is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art.-Publication:The magazine is published ten times a year, September through May, along with an annual summer issue...
magazine selected this film as one of the "10 most artistic [film] achievements of 1997". Neumeier also appeared in this film in the brief role of a man convicted of murder and sentenced to immediate execution.