Hubbry Logo
Daniel KnaufDaniel KnaufMain
Open search
Daniel Knauf
Community hub
Daniel Knauf
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Daniel Knauf
Daniel Knauf
Daniel Knauf
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Daniel Knauf, sometimes credited under the pseudonyms Wilfred Schmidt and Chris Neal, is an American television screenwriter and producer, as well as comic book writer, best known for his creation of the 2003 HBO series Carnivàle.

Key Information

Early life

[edit]

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Knauf attended several colleges in Southern California studying fine art, and later graduated from the California State University, Los Angeles with a bachelor's degree in English in 1982.[1] He began work as an employee benefits consultant and later a health insurance broker, writing once he was able to support himself and his family financially.[2][1]

Origins of Carnivàle

[edit]

Hoping to become a screenwriter, Knauf's first draft of Carnivàle, written in 1992,[3] was 180 pages long and twice the length of the average feature film.[4] Convinced the screenplay could not work as either a standard television series or a film, he put it aside, planning to one day adapt it into a novel.[3] Carnivàle evolved as a result of Knauf's childhood fascination with carnivals and his interest in "freaks", due in part to the childhood polio that confined his father to a wheelchair, which Knauf felt his father was defined by.[3][2] After meeting with a number of television writers at a Writers Guild of America retreat in the mid-90s, he started to think that his screenplay might work as a television piece. He took the first act and reworked it as a television pilot, but shelved the script again when he could not get the project produced.[2]

Career

[edit]

Knauf went on to write the 1994 HBO-produced television movie Blind Justice,[5] and, during a low-point in his screenwriting career, created his own website, posting his resume and Carnivàle's first act online.[2] He created the 2001 television pilot Honey Vicarro and was a writer and consulting producer for the television series Wolf Lake. He was also writer and director on the 2002 film Dark Descent (his sole directing credit)[1] before a television production scout brought Carnivàle to television producers Scott Winant and Howard Klein, who brought it to HBO where the series ended up being produced,[5] twelve years after Knauf had first drafted the script.[2]

Since Carnivàle was cancelled in 2005, Knauf has moved on to write for Supernatural and Standoff, also serving as a co-executive producer on Standoff. He worked as a writer for the Christian Slater drama My Own Worst Enemy in 2008.

From 2006 to 2008, he and his son Charles Knauf wrote issues #7–18 & #21–28 of Iron Man Vol.4 (later retitled Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.) for Marvel Comics,.[6] In 2008 they wrote a 9 issue The Eternals series.[7][8]

In July 2008, he and Charles had completed & submitted a four-hour TV-movie script for Syfy.[9] It was ordered as a 4-hour miniseries (in 2 parts), meant as a backdoor pilot for the network. Produced by Muse Entertainment and RHI Entertainment, with Paolo Barzman directing.[10] Ultimately the network did not option it as a series.

He was a consulting producer for the latter part of the first season of historical action drama Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Knauf wrote two episodes for the first season. Knauf co-wrote with Andrea Berloff and Caleb Pinkett the script for a mystery thriller, The Legend of Cain,[11] but it has not been produced.

Knauf was the writer and showrunner of the short-lived NBC series Dracula, before joining the staff of The Blacklist with the beginning of season two.

Filmography

[edit]
Daniel Knauf in 2016

Films

[edit]
Year Title Credit Notes
2012 Bxx: Haunted Writer & executive producer
2002 Dark Descent Writer & director as Wilfred Schmidt

Television

[edit]
Year Title Credit Notes
2020–2021 The Astronauts Creator, writer & executive producer 9 episodes
2014–2017 The Blacklist Writer & co-executive/executive producer 59 episodes
2013–2014 Dracula Writer & executive producer
2010 Spartacus: Blood and Sand Writer & consulting producer 6 episodes
2009 The Phantom Writer 2 episodes
2008 My Own Worst Enemy Writer & co-executive producer 6 episodes
Fear Itself Writer Family Man (#1.3)
2006–2007 Standoff Writer, Consulting Producer & co-executive producer 11 episodes
2006 Supernatural Writer Something Wicked (#1.18)
2003–2005 Carnivàle Creator, writer & executive producer 24 episodes
2001–2002 Wolf Lake Writer & consulting producer 7 episodes
2001 Honey Vicarro Writer & executive producer TV movie
1994 Blind Justice Writer

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Daniel Knauf

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Daniel Knauf (born August 7, 1958) is an American television writer, producer, , and author best known for creating and serving as for the HBO supernatural drama series (2003–2005), a critically acclaimed exploration of a during the intertwined with themes of good versus evil. Born in , and raised in the Los Angeles suburb of La Cañada Flintridge, Knauf developed an early passion for storytelling, writing fiction and poetry during high school and briefly attending after graduating in 1976. He later earned a in English from , but set aside his creative ambitions to pursue a stable career in the industry, where he worked for nearly two decades as a broker and executive. At age 27, Knauf began writing screenplays in earnest, achieving his first professional sale, the Western Blind Justice, to in 1994. Knauf's breakthrough came with , which he pitched as a before adapting it into a television series; the show earned 15 Emmy nominations, including wins for its main title theme music and art direction, and garnered a dedicated for its mythic narrative and visual style. Following its cancellation after two seasons due to high production costs, Knauf contributed as a writer and producer on Starz's Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010), NBC's (2013–2014) as showrunner, and executive producer on 59 episodes of NBC's (2014–2017). More recently, he created and showran Nickelodeon's family adventure series The Astronauts (2020–2021), which received a 2022 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Children's or Family Viewing Series and a 2021 nomination. Beyond television, Knauf has written comic books for Marvel, including arcs for , and authored the Gingerland (2023), a tale expanding on themes from his earlier works.

Early life

Childhood and education

Daniel Knauf was born at Glendale Memorial Hospital in and raised in the suburban community of La Cañada, where he spent much of his childhood in a family influenced by his father's resilience and entrepreneurial spirit. His father, a sole proprietor of a brokerage, was disabled by in 1960 but continued working from a , demonstrating extraordinary salesmanship and a strong sense of humor that likely shaped Knauf's appreciation for compelling narratives. Knauf has two older brothers, and the family's dynamics, including his early marriage and the birth of his son by age 27, underscored a practical approach to life that temporarily sidelined his creative pursuits. From a young age, Knauf exhibited a natural talent for , often recognized as the class artist who excelled at drawing, including detailed depictions of dinosaurs, while also being an avid reader. He attended initially before transitioning to public school in La Cañada, experiences that exposed him to structured environments amid the cultural vibrancy of the area. These formative years sparked his interest in , as he began experimenting with and during high school, alongside early using a Super 8 camera, which honed his narrative instincts. A personal period of depression during this time further deepened his emotional insight, influencing the introspective themes that would later emerge in his work. Knauf pursued higher education at several institutions in , initially focusing on fine arts as an art major at , , and . A pivotal shift occurred when he enrolled in classes, which gradually overshadowed his art studies and ignited a passion for written storytelling. He ultimately graduated from , in 1982 with a in English, marking the culmination of his academic journey and laying the groundwork for his future creative endeavors.

Pre-screenwriting pursuits

Following his graduation from California State University, Los Angeles with a in English in 1982, Daniel Knauf entered the world as an consultant to provide financial stability for his young family after marrying at age 22. This role allowed him to build a successful , leveraging skills in client relations and , though it diverged from his earlier interests in and . In the 1980s and 1990s, Knauf transitioned to working as a broker, eventually running his own brokerage for 22 years until 2001, when he sold it to his brother. During this period, he supported a growing household while grappling with chronic clinical depression that had begun in his early teens and intensified by his mid-20s, culminating in a severe breakdown around age 26 or 27. This led to his voluntary admission for psychiatric treatment, a pivotal moment that marked the beginning of his recovery and a conscious shift toward creative outlets as a means of and self-expression. While holding these day jobs, Knauf resumed writing short stories and poetry during his hospitalization, inspired by authors like and . Over the subsequent two decades, he self-taught through books, workshops, and extension classes, producing seven feature-length scripts and iteratively reworking early ideas amid the demands of his professional life. This gradual immersion, fueled by the personal challenges of his depression and recovery, laid the groundwork for his eventual pivot to a full-time career in entertainment.

Carnivàle

Conception and development

Daniel Knauf began developing the concept for in the early 1990s, initially crafting it as a sprawling feature-length inspired by epic fantasies like J.R.R. Tolkien's and the dark, atmospheric tone of Tod Browning's Freaks. The story was set against the backdrop of the , drawing on the historical era's desolation to explore themes of good versus evil, subcultures, and American mythology, with supernatural elements rooted in biblical narratives and John Milton's . Over the next decade, while supporting his family through a career in the business, Knauf revised the script extensively, transforming the original 220-page draft into a more focused narrative that blended magical realism—influenced by —with grounded historical details of the migration and life. This period of iteration allowed him to build a rich world, incorporating supernatural motifs such as angels, demons, and apocalyptic prophecy, while using writing as a therapeutic outlet amid personal challenges like depression. By 2001, recognizing the story's epic scope exceeded a single film, Knauf restructured it as a script, complete with a teaser and five acts, after feedback from a Writers Guild workshop. In 2002, Knauf pitched the project to during the network's bold programming era, leveraging connections from a prior Western spec sale to secure a meeting; he presented a detailed series featuring faux articles, character interviews, and police reports styled as academic research by a skeptical , which captivated executives like and . The pitch emphasized a six-season arc spanning 1934 to 1945, culminating in the dawn of the nuclear age as the end of an "Age of Miracles," and was greenlit shortly thereafter due to HBO's appetite for ambitious, non-traditional content.

Production and reception

Daniel Knauf served as the creator, primary writer, and executive producer of Carnivàle, an original series that aired from September 2003 to March 2005 across two seasons comprising 24 episodes total. The production operated on a substantial budget of approximately $3.5 million per episode, which supported its ambitious scope as one of the network's costliest endeavors at the time. Filming occurred primarily in , utilizing desert terrains and ranch locations to authentically recreate the settings of the 1930s American Midwest. These choices enhanced the series' atmospheric depiction of a navigating economic hardship and intrigue. Thematically, Carnivàle drew from American folklore traditions, weaving motifs of epic good-versus-evil struggles, mythical avatars with otherworldly powers, and the illusory world of Depression-era carnivals to explore broader cultural myths of marginality and redemption. Knauf's vision emphasized a blend of historical realism—such as migrations and radio evangelism—with allegorical fantasy, creating a that mirrored folklore's dual of wonder and peril. Critically, the series garnered widespread acclaim for its visual storytelling and thematic depth, earning five Primetime Emmy Awards in 2004 for creative arts categories, including outstanding for a single-camera series, outstanding costumes for a series, outstanding art direction for a single-camera series, outstanding hairstyling for a series, and outstanding main title design. Despite this recognition and a dedicated , canceled Carnivàle after its second season in 2005, citing escalating production costs exceeding $3.7 million per episode and softening viewership ratings that failed to justify continuation. The abrupt end left numerous plot threads unresolved, diverging from Knauf's original blueprint for a six-season narrative arc structured as a trilogy of two-season "books."

Television career

Early television projects

Knauf began pursuing in his late twenties while working as a broker, eventually selling his first after several years of honing his craft. His debut television project was the 1994 HBO original movie Blind Justice, a Western drama he wrote that follows a nearly blind Civil War veteran protecting a baby while roaming through . Directed by Richard Spence and starring and , the film marked Knauf's entry into professional television writing, though it received mixed reviews for its pacing and execution. In 2001, Knauf joined the writers' room of the supernatural thriller as a consulting producer and , contributing to seven episodes of the series, which centered on a community in a small Washington town. His episodes included "The Changing" and "Four Feet Under," where he helped develop the show's blend of mystery, horror, and romance elements during its single-season run of nine episodes. The series, created by John Leekley, struggled with low ratings and network changes but garnered a for its unique premise. That same year, created and wrote the unsold pilot Honey Vicarro for , a detective drama starring in the title role as a sharp-witted . Intended as a vehicle for McCarthy, the project advanced toward series production but was ultimately shelved after internal network issues derailed its momentum, highlighting the challenges of pilot development in early 2000s television. Directed by Scott Winant, it represented Knauf's attempt to blend noir elements with contemporary appeal but did not proceed beyond the pilot stage. Knauf's early television tenure also included brief writing contributions to mid-2000s series such as Standoff (2006–2007) on , where he served as a consulting and co-executive for 11 episodes, and My Own Worst Enemy (2008) on , focusing on character-driven procedural narratives. These roles built on his foundational experience, emphasizing his versatility in genre storytelling before larger showrunning opportunities.

Major series roles

Following the success of Carnivàle, Daniel Knauf transitioned to prominent roles on several high-profile television series, leveraging his expertise in crafting intricate narratives for genre-driven programming. Knauf served as a and on the STARZ historical drama Spartacus: Blood and Sand in 2010, contributing to seven episodes as consulting producer and penning scripts for at least two, including key installments that advanced the gladiatorial rebellion storyline. In 2013, he took on the role of and head writer for NBC's gothic horror series Dracula, a 10-episode of Bram Stoker's reimagined in , where he oversaw the narrative blending supernatural elements with political intrigue. Knauf joined NBC's procedural thriller as co- and writer starting in season 2, eventually becoming through seasons 4 (2014–2017), contributing to 66 episodes overall and shaping major arcs such as the "Mombasa Cartel" storyline in season 2, which explored international crime syndicates and deepened the show's themes. As creator, , , and for Nickelodeon's family-oriented sci-fi adventure The Astronauts in 2020, Knauf developed and scripted all 10 episodes, centering on a group of children accidentally launched into space aboard the Odyssey II shuttle, emphasizing themes of and discovery for young audiences. Additionally, Knauf provided guest writing services for The CW's supernatural drama , scripting one episode in season 1 (2006), "Something Wicked," which focused on a vengeful spirit targeting children and highlighted brotherly bonds in the narrative.

Film and other media

Screenwriting and directing

Daniel Knauf's screenwriting career in film emerged in the through contributions to low-budget projects, including the for the 1994 Western TV movie Blind Justice, a story of a nearly blind seeking redemption amid bandit threats. This marked one of his early forays into narrative-driven storytelling outside television series. Knauf made his directorial debut with the 2002 independent sci-fi thriller Dark Descent, which he also wrote under the pseudonym Wilfred Schmidt. The film follows an investigator uncovering sabotage and corporate intrigue at a deep-sea outpost after a fatal accident, starring in the lead role. Known alternatively as Descent into Darkness in some markets, it exemplifies Knauf's interest in confined, high-stakes environments blending horror and suspense elements. In 2012, co-wrote the experimental horror project Bxx: Haunted, directed by , a found-footage style investigation of at the long-sealed Blaylock residence in South Pasadena. Presented as a non-linear web-based mystery totaling over 30 hours of interconnected footage, it explores themes of ghostly hauntings through amateur investigators' recordings. This work highlights Knauf's innovative approach to interactive, immersive storytelling in the digital era.

Comic book writing

Daniel Knauf transitioned into comic book writing through collaborations with his son Charles, producing work for that emphasized intricate character psychology and mythological undertones akin to the supernatural and moral complexities in his television series . Knauf and his son co-wrote issues #7–18 and #21–28 of (vol. 4) from 2006 to 2008, a run later rebranded as Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. under Marvel's Civil War event. Their storyline, beginning with the six-issue "Execute Program" arc, explored Tony Stark's evolution as director of S.H.I.E.L.D., confronting advanced threats like the sentient program "F.E.A.T.H.E.R." while navigating espionage, betrayal, and the Superhuman Registration Act's ethical dilemmas. Drawing on philosophical influences such as from Camus and Sartre, the narrative delved into Stark's internal flaws—including alienation, guilt, and —portraying him as a self-forged whose and will define his destiny, in contrast to trauma-driven figures like Batman. This depth extended to apocalyptic good-versus-evil clashes, echoing 's themes of fate and redemption, as Stark grappled with the consequences of his pro-registration stance amid fracturing alliances with heroes like . In 2008, the Knaufs penned the six-issue limited series The Eternals, reviving Jack Kirby's cosmic mythos for a modern audience. The story centered on immortal Eternals—ancient, Celestial-engineered beings—who awaken from memory wipes to confront Deviant threats and reclaim their roles as Earth's hidden gods, blending Greek and Norse mythological archetypes with sci-fi elements of and divine intervention. Their approach infused the series with profound character exploration, examining themes of forgotten heritage, immortality's burdens, and humanity's place in a larger cosmic pantheon, much like the allegorical depth in Knauf's prior TV narratives. The run, illustrated by Daniel Acuña, culminated in a trade paperback titled Eternals: To Defy the Apocalypse, highlighting the Eternals' struggle against apocalyptic forces tied to their origins. Knauf contributed to Captain America stories in the late 2000s, including writing the 2008 one-shot Captain America: Theater of War - Operation: Zero Point. This historical tale depicted Steve Rogers during World War II, uncovering a Nazi anti-gravity weapon plot involving Nick Fury and early S.H.I.E.L.D. precursors, emphasizing themes of patriotism, sacrifice, and the moral weight of wartime decisions that parallel the character introspection in Knauf's other works. He also co-wrote segments for the 2010 anthology Captain America: America First, which revisited 1950s-era adventures against Soviet espionage, further showcasing his interest in heroic mythology and ethical ambiguity within American iconography.

References

  1. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0460567/
  2. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/daniel_knauf
  3. https://www.absolutemusicchat.com/music-qa-sessions/daniel-knauf-on-his-tv-writing-career-and-more/
  4. https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/nonfiction/interview-daniel-knauf/
  5. https://www.amny.com/news/daniel-knauf-talks-roots-and-the-astronauts/
  6. http://www.screenwritersutopia.com/article/a09b9bce
  7. https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/carnivale-creator-daniel-knauf-hired-to-run-nbcs-dracula-44332/
  8. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0460567/awards/
  9. https://www.primetimer.com/interviews/carnivale-hbo-daniel-knauf-six-seasons-and-a-book-series
  10. http://www.absolutemusicchat.com/music-qa-sessions/daniel-knauf-on-his-tv-writing-career-and-more/
  11. https://www.calstatela.edu/al/josef-siroky
  12. https://bridgeartsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Carnivale.pdf
  13. https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/daniel-knauf/bio/3000557151/
  14. https://knauf.tv/
  15. https://www.thehorrorzine.com/Special/DanielKnauf/DanielKnauf.html
  16. https://www.avclub.com/daniel-knauf-opens-up-about-carnivale-s-long-weird-jou-1798236466
  17. https://variety.com/2003/tv/reviews/carnivale-5-1200539342/
  18. https://journals.openedition.org/tvseries/1504?lang=en
  19. https://www.avclub.com/daniel-knauf-tells-us-his-plan-for-the-end-of-carnivale-1798236491
  20. https://variety.com/2004/scene/awards/hbo-takes-emmys-big-haul-1117910337/
  21. https://variety.com/1994/tv/reviews/blind-justice-1200438089/
  22. https://tv.apple.com/us/person/daniel-knauf/umc.cpc.7z66ogm999l45jfkkezqgt6d
  23. https://knauf.tv/honey-vicarro
  24. https://indiefilmhustle.com/daniel-knauf/
  25. https://www.metacritic.com/tv/spartacus-blood-and-sand/credits/
  26. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/134048-daniel-knauf?language=en-US
  27. https://deadline.com/2012/10/carnivale-creator-to-run-nbcs-dracula-350017/
  28. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2296682/
  29. https://www.space.com/the-astronauts-nickelodeon-space-tv-show-showrunner-interview
  30. https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/nickelodeon/shows/the-astronauts/about/
  31. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460681/fullcredits/
  32. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109294/fullcredits/
  33. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0271451/
  34. https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Dark-Descent/dp/B000A2T1J4
  35. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2402328/
  36. https://www.polygon.com/gaming/2012/4/19/2959931/bxx-haunted-is-a-32-hour-non-linear-mystery-from-the-creator-of/
  37. https://www.cbr.com/the-invincible-iron-dan-daniel-knauf-talks-iron-man/
  38. https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/4018/the_invincible_iron_man_2004_7
  39. https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/20978/the_invincible_iron_man_2004_28
  40. https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/21390/eternals_2008_1
  41. https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/22369/captain_america_theater_of_war_operation_zero-point_1_2008_1
  42. https://www.marvel.com/comics/creators/890/daniel_knauf
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.