Robert Mark Kamen
Encyclopedia
Robert Mark Kamen is a screenwriter
who has been writing major motion pictures for over twenty-five years. He is best known as creator and co-creator of the Karate Kid
and Transporter
franchises, as well as the 2009 action thriller Taken
.
—his co-creator on The Fifth Element
, The Transporter, and Taken. The two first worked together on the Natalie Portman
and Jean Reno
thriller The Professional
; after the success of Fifth Element, Besson invited Kamen to join him in his goal of creating a "mini-studio" in Europe, making “movies that would travel, international movies, you know, action movies."
. He received a B.A. from New York University
and a Ph.D in American Studies from The University of Pennsylvania.
, and commutes to work in Paris at Besson’s headquarters.
drama A Walk in the Clouds—the vineyard came to focus on Cabernet Sauvignon
. In the years afterward, according to the oenophile social networking site Snooth
, "The vineyard became stronger and better than before."
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
who has been writing major motion pictures for over twenty-five years. He is best known as creator and co-creator of the Karate Kid
The Karate Kid
The Karate Kid is a 1984 American martial arts romantic drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Robert Mark Kamen, starring Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita and Elisabeth Shue. It is an underdog story in the mold of a previous success, Avildsen's 1976 film Rocky...
and Transporter
The Transporter
The Transporter is a 2002 French action film directed by Louis Leterrier and Corey Yuen and written by Luc Besson, who was inspired by BMW Films' The Hire series....
franchises, as well as the 2009 action thriller Taken
Taken (film)
Taken is a 2008 action thriller film produced by Luc Besson, starring Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, and Famke Janssen. The screenplay is written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, and was directed by Pierre Morel...
.
Collaboration with Luc Besson
Kamen is a frequent collaborator of French writer, director and producer Luc BessonLuc Besson
Luc Besson is a French film director, writer, and producer. He is the creator of EuropaCorp film company. He has been involved with over 50 films, spanning 26 years, as writer, director, and/or producer.-Early life:...
—his co-creator on The Fifth Element
The Fifth Element
The Fifth Element is a 1997 French science fiction film directed, co-written, and based on a story by Luc Besson, starring Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, and Milla Jovovich...
, The Transporter, and Taken. The two first worked together on the Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman
Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
and Jean Reno
Jean Reno
Jean Reno is a French actor. Working in French, English, Spanish and Italian, he has appeared not only in numerous successful Hollywood productions such as The Pink Panther, Godzilla, The Da Vinci Code, Mission: Impossible, Ronin and Couples Retreat, but also in European productions such as the...
thriller The Professional
Léon (film)
Léon is a 1994 French thriller film written and directed by Luc Besson...
; after the success of Fifth Element, Besson invited Kamen to join him in his goal of creating a "mini-studio" in Europe, making “movies that would travel, international movies, you know, action movies."
Background and education
Kamen grew up in the Bronx borough of New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He received a B.A. from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
and a Ph.D in American Studies from The University of Pennsylvania.
Personal
Kamen lives in New York, owns a vineyard in SonomaSonoma, California
Sonoma is a historically significant city in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA, surrounding its historic town plaza, a remnant of the town's Mexican colonial past. It was the capital of the short-lived California Republic...
, and commutes to work in Paris at Besson’s headquarters.
Filmography
- TapsTaps (film)Taps is a 1981 drama film starring George C. Scott, Timothy Hutton, Ronny Cox, as well as then up-and-comers Tom Cruise and Sean Penn. Hutton was nominated for a Golden Globe award in 1982 for his role in the film. The film was directed by Harold Becker. The screenplay by Robert Mark Kamen, James...
(1981) - Split ImageSplit Image (film)Split Image is a 1982 film that tells the story of an all-American college athlete who becomes involved in a youth-oriented "cult", and his family's struggle to bring him home...
(1982) - The Karate Kid (1984)
- The Karate Kid, Part IIThe Karate Kid, Part IIThe Karate Kid, Part II is a 1986 American martial arts film and is a sequel to 1984's The Karate Kid. Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita reprise their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi, respectively. The original music score was composed by Bill Conti...
(1986) - The Karate Kid, Part IIIThe Karate Kid, Part IIIThe Karate Kid, Part III is a 1989 martial arts film, and the second sequel to the hit motion picture The Karate Kid . The film stars Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, Thomas Ian Griffith, Robyn Lively, and Martin Kove. Like the first two films, it was directed by John G. Avildsen and written...
(1989) - The PunisherThe Punisher (1989 film)The Punisher is a 1989 film starring Dolph Lundgren as Frank Castle, directed by Mark Goldblatt from a screenplay by Boaz Yakin. It is loosely based on the Marvel Comics' character The Punisher. The film changes many details of the comic book origin and the main character does not wear the...
(producer, rewriter) - GladiatorGladiator (1992 film)Gladiator is a 1992 sport film, directed by Rowdy Herrington, and starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., James Marshall, Brian Dennehy, and Robert Loggia. The film tells the story of two teenagers trapped in the world of illegal underground boxing. One is fighting to pay off gambling debts accumulated by his...
(first version but not related to actual 1992 film) - Lethal Weapon 3Lethal Weapon 3Lethal Weapon 3 is a 1992 American action film directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo and Stuart Wilson. It is a sequel to Lethal Weapon and Lethal Weapon 2, and it is part of the Lethal Weapon film series.The movie is set in 1992, six years after...
(1992) - The Power of OneThe Power of One (film)The Power of One is a 1992 dramatic film based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Bryce Courtenay. Set in South Africa during the '30s and '40s, the film centers on the life of Peter Philip 'P.K.' Kenneth-Keith , a young English boy raised during the apartheid era, and his relationship with a...
(1992) - A Walk in the CloudsA Walk in the CloudsA Walk in the Clouds is a 1995 American romantic drama film directed by Alfonso Arau. The screenplay by Robert Mark Kamen, Mark Miller, and Harvey Weitzman is based on the 1942 Italian film Four Steps in the Clouds by Piero Tellini, Cesare Zavattini, and Vittorio de Benedetti.-Plot:Shortly after...
(1995) - The Devil's OwnThe Devil's OwnThe Devil's Own is a 1997 action thriller movie starring Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Rubén Blades, Natascha McElhone, Julia Stiles and Treat Williams. It was the final film directed by Alan J...
(1997, uncredited rewrite) - The Fifth ElementThe Fifth ElementThe Fifth Element is a 1997 French science fiction film directed, co-written, and based on a story by Luc Besson, starring Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, and Milla Jovovich...
(1997) - Kiss of the DragonKiss of the DragonKiss of the Dragon is a 2001 martial arts action film, directed by Chris Nahon, co-written and produced by Luc Besson, and starring Jet Li, Bridget Fonda, and Tchéky Karyo....
(2001) - The TransporterThe TransporterThe Transporter is a 2002 French action film directed by Louis Leterrier and Corey Yuen and written by Luc Besson, who was inspired by BMW Films' The Hire series....
(2002) - Black SashBlack Sash (TV series)Black Sash is an American action adventure drama television series starring Russell Wong. It ran from March 30, 2003, to June 1, 2003. Including pilots, a total of eight episodes were made, however only six episodes were aired on The WB.-Plot:...
(2003, TV creator) - Transporter 2Transporter 2Transporter 2 is a 2005 action film directed by Louis Leterrier and produced by Luc Besson. It is the sequel to The Transporter . It is itself followed by Transporter 3 ....
(2005) - BandidasBandidasBandidas is a 2006 French/Mexican/American Western comedy film starring Salma Hayek and Penélope Cruz directed by Norwegian directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg and produced and written by Luc Besson...
(2006) - TakenTaken (film)Taken is a 2008 action thriller film produced by Luc Besson, starring Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, and Famke Janssen. The screenplay is written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, and was directed by Pierre Morel...
(2008) - Transporter 3Transporter 3Transporter 3 is a 2008 French-English action film, and is the third installment in the Transporter film series, as well as the first not to be distributed by 20th Century Fox in the United States. Both Jason Statham and François Berléand reprised their roles, as Frank Martin and Tarconi,...
(2008) - ColombianaColombiana (film)Colombiana is a 2011 French-American action film co-written and produced by Luc Besson and directed by Olivier Megaton. The film stars Zoë Saldana in the lead role...
(2011)
Kamen Estate Wines
Kamen's Sonoma vineyard is known as Kamen Estate Wines. After a "devastating" 1996 fire—Kamen had coincidentally included a vineyard fire in his 1995 vintnerVintner
A vintner is a wine merchant. You pronounce it like this In some modern use, in particular in American English, the term is alsoused as a synonym for winemaker....
drama A Walk in the Clouds—the vineyard came to focus on Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
. In the years afterward, according to the oenophile social networking site Snooth
Snooth
Snooth is a social networking website based in New York City, USA. It was founded in November 2006 by Philip J. K. James, a graduate of Oxford University and Columbia Business School. The company raised $300,000 in seed financing in December 2006...
, "The vineyard became stronger and better than before."