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Shay Hatten
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Shay Hatten (born March 18, 1994)[1] is an American screenwriter and producer. He is best known for his work on John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019), Army of the Dead, Army of Thieves (both 2021), John Wick: Chapter 4, Rebel Moon (both 2023), Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver (2024), and Ballerina (2025).[2]
Key Information
Early life
[edit]Hatten was born in Oakland, California.[1] He graduated from Moscow High School in 2012 and Loyola Marymount University's School of Film and Television in 2016.[3]
Career
[edit]After graduating, Hatten started his career as an intern and then writing assistant at Team Downey. While there, he wrote his first spec script titled Maximum King!, which focuses on Stephen King during production on his only directorial feature film, Maximum Overdrive. The script was later voted onto the 2016 Black List. He went on to write another script on spec titled Ballerina, which was purchased by Lionsgate in 2017 to be produced by John Wick production company Thunder Road Films.[3][4] Hatten credited the tone of Ballerina with what led to him being brought onto the John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum writing team and later John Wick: Chapter 4.[5]
Hatten also wrote a number of scripts that Zack Snyder would produce starting with the 2021 Netflix films Army of the Dead and its prequel Army of Thieves,[6] followed by a two-parter epic space opera Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, and its follow-up, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver.[7][8]
For television, he wrote pilot episodes for (Future) Cult Classic, a satirical television series,[9] and I Know What You Did Last Summer, for which he also received executive producer credit.[10]
Filmography
[edit]Film
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum | Chad Stahelski |
| 2021 | Army of the Dead | Zack Snyder |
| Army of Thieves | Matthias Schweighöfer | |
| 2022 | Day Shift | J. J. Perry |
| 2023 | John Wick: Chapter 4 | Chad Stahelski |
| Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire | Zack Snyder | |
| 2024 | Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver | |
| 2025 | Ballerina | Len Wiseman |
| 2026 | Resident Evil † | Zach Cregger |
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Television
| Year | Title | Writer | Executive producer |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | (Future) Cult Classic[11] | Yes | Yes | Pilot |
| 2021 | I Know What You Did Last Summer | Yes | Yes | 1 episode |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Donald, Ella (May 28, 2019). "Meet Shay Hatten, The 25 Year Old Who Helped Write John Wick 3". GQ Australia. Archived from the original on June 12, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ McNary, Dave (April 5, 2019). "Dave Bautista Starring in Zack Snyder's 'Army of the Dead' at Netflix". Variety. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ a b O'Connell, Michael (November 13, 2017). "4 Writers on the Scripts That Helped Them Quit Their Day Jobs". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ Fuster, Jeremy (July 25, 2017). "Script by 23-Year-Old Set to Expand 'John Wick' Universe". TheWrap. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ Edwards, Shanee (March 16, 2023). "How John Wick 4 Writer Broke in With His Extreme Spec Script". Final Draft.
- ^ Trumbore, Dave (August 12, 2019). "Zack Snyder Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Shot of 'Army of the Dead' as Filming Continues". Collider. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ Kit, Borys (July 6, 2021). "Zack Snyder Sets Next Movie, Sci-Fi Adventure 'Rebel Moon,' at Netflix (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ^ Northrup, Ryan (August 22, 2023). "Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon 2 Releases On Netflix Just 5 Months After First Movie". Screen Rant.
- ^ Porter, Rick (February 13, 2019). "Syfy Slasher-Movie Satire Pilot Sets Cast". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 26, 2019). "Neal Moritz Re-Ups Overall Deal At Sony Pictures TV". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (March 1, 2019). "'(Future) Cult Classic': Justin Bartha & Geoffrey Owens Cast In Syfy Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
External links
[edit]- Shay Hatten at IMDb
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Shay Hatten
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early life
Upbringing
Shay Hatten was born on March 18, 1994, in Oakland, California.[1] Limited public information exists regarding his family background, though it is known that his father pursued a PhD in entomology when Hatten was five years old, prompting a family relocation from the diverse urban environment of Oakland to a small town in northern Idaho.[5] Growing up primarily in Idaho after the move, Hatten developed an early fascination with storytelling through cinema and writing. As a teenager, Hatten's interest in filmmaking deepened; he experimented with stop-motion videos in his basement and started journaling ideas that would evolve into narrative concepts, predating any formal training.[5] This reflected a self-taught passion for screenwriting sparked in his youth.Education
Shay Hatten attended Loyola Marymount University's School of Film and Television, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in screenwriting in 2016.[7][3] During his studies, Hatten engaged in practical projects that developed his screenwriting abilities, including an internship at Team Downey, the production company of Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey, which he secured toward the end of his tenure at LMU.[4] This hands-on experience allowed him to apply classroom-learned techniques in a professional setting, refining his craft through real-world script development and collaboration. Hatten's education at LMU equipped him with a strong foundation in narrative structure, character development, and industry practices, directly bridging his academic training to early professional opportunities in screenwriting.[8]Career
Industry beginnings
Shay Hatten entered the film industry through an internship at Team Downey, the production company founded by Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey, which he secured near the end of his studies at Loyola Marymount University.[4] This opportunity, beginning around 2016 following his graduation, immersed him in professional screenwriting environments and leveraged the foundational skills he acquired from his film school training in crafting narratives and scripts.[9] Over a three-year stint working on-and-off at Team Downey, Hatten advanced from intern to writing assistant, where he was specifically paired with Robert Downey Jr. to collaborate on story development.[5] In this role, he contributed to brainstorming sessions and script ideation, gaining hands-on experience in the creative process of Hollywood production.[6] These early, largely non-credited efforts involved assisting on various development projects at the company, where Hatten honed his abilities in pitching concepts and refining material under high-profile mentorship.[10] This period built crucial industry networks and positioned him for subsequent opportunities, marking the foundational phase of his professional ascent in screenwriting.[9]John Wick franchise contributions
Shay Hatten's entry into the John Wick franchise began with his co-writing credit on John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019), where he collaborated with Derek Kolstad, Chris Collins, and Marc Abrams on the screenplay, building on Kolstad's original story. Hatten contributed to escalating the central conflict involving the High Table, the shadowy international council of assassins, by expanding its influence and introducing new layers to its hierarchy and rules, such as the excommunication mechanics and global enforcement mechanisms that heighten the stakes for protagonist John Wick.[11] This included plot elements like Wick's desperate alliances and pursuits across locations such as Morocco, which broadened the franchise's world-building beyond New York.[11] Hatten advanced to a story credit and co-writing role on John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) alongside Michael Finch. In this installment, he focused on narrative escalation by delving deeper into the High Table's mythology, portraying it as an even more formidable and omnipresent antagonist through the introduction of high-ranking figures like the Marquis de Gramont and intricate dueling protocols.[11] The screenplay emphasized an international scope, incorporating settings in Berlin, Osaka, and Paris to depict Wick's globe-spanning odyssey, including iconic sequences like the Arc de Triomphe car chase and the 222-step Sacré-Cœur staircase fight, which integrated environmental choreography with character-driven tension.[11][6] Hatten served as the screenwriter for the spin-off Ballerina (2025), directed by Len Wiseman, adapting his original 2017 spec script into a standalone story set between Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. The film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), a ballerina-trained assassin seeking revenge for her family's murder, while connecting to the broader universe through cameos from Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, and Anjelica Huston, and by exploring the Ruska Roma ballet academy's role in Wick's own origins.[12] This narrative maintains franchise lore—such as High Table repercussions—while carving out an independent arc centered on Eve's personal vendetta and training, distinct from Wick's central journey.[12] These contributions, stemming from Hatten's early industry networking via his Ballerina spec script acquisition by Lionsgate in 2017, solidified his reputation for crafting high-octane action sequences that blend balletic precision with visceral combat, alongside intricate world-building that enriches the John Wick universe's mythology and global assassin society.[5][11]Zack Snyder collaborations
Shay Hatten first collaborated with director Zack Snyder on Army of the Dead (2021), co-writing the screenplay with Snyder and Joby Harold based on a story by Snyder. The film merges zombie horror with heist thriller elements, following a team of mercenaries led by Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) who venture into a zombie-quarantined Las Vegas to execute a high-stakes casino robbery. Hatten helped shape the character arcs and ensemble dynamics, structuring the diverse group's relationships into smaller subgroups that evolve through interpersonal conflicts and survival challenges amid the undead threat.[13] Building on this partnership under Snyder's production company The Stone Quarry, Hatten penned the full screenplay for Army of Thieves (2021), a prequel directed by Matthias Schweighöfer and based on a story co-developed by Hatten and Snyder. Set in Europe prior to the zombie apocalypse, the movie adopts a lighter, comedic tone centered on intricate safe-cracking heists targeting legendary Göttersdämmerung bank vaults. It traces the origin of safecracker Ludwig Dieter (Schweighöfer) as he joins a ragtag crew for these capers, emphasizing clever puzzles and romantic subplots over horror.[14][15] Hatten extended his work with Snyder to the Rebel Moon duology, co-writing the screenplays for Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire (2023) and Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver (2024) alongside Snyder and Kurt Johnstad, drawing from Snyder's foundational story concept. These epic space operas follow Kora (Sofia Boutella), a former soldier who assembles a band of rebels—including warriors from various worlds—to protect a peaceful farming colony from the fascist Motherworld regime, blending influences from Star Wars and Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. Hatten contributed a key draft of the script after completing Army of the Dead, refining the narrative to amplify the ensemble's interpersonal bonds and the genre's expansive visual set pieces.[16][17] Across these projects, Hatten and Snyder cultivated a collaborative approach that prioritized enhancing Snyder's signature visual spectacle—such as slow-motion action and mythic imagery—while deepening ensemble-driven storytelling, transitioning from the contained chaos of the Army films to the interstellar scope of Rebel Moon.[18]Other projects
Hatten expanded his range into action-comedy with the screenplay for Day Shift (2022), co-written with Tyler Tice and directed by J.J. Perry in his feature debut. The Netflix film follows a hardworking father, played by Jamie Foxx, who balances family life with his secret job as a vampire hunter in Los Angeles, blending fast-paced fight sequences with humorous takes on supernatural tropes. Produced by Shaun Redick and others, it highlights Hatten's ability to infuse genre elements with relatable character dynamics.[19] Hatten also co-wrote the screenplay for the rebooted Resident Evil film, slated for theatrical release on September 18, 2026, directed by Zach Cregger. This Sony Pictures production, in collaboration with PlayStation Productions and Constantin Film, introduces a new storyline inspired by Capcom's iconic horror video game series, prioritizing atmospheric tension and survival horror over previous adaptations' action-heavy approach. Starring talents like Austin Abrams and Paul Walter Hauser, it underscores Hatten's experimentation with horror narratives outside established franchises.[20] Early in his career, Hatten showcased genre experimentation through unproduced spec scripts, including Maximum King (2016), a surreal black comedy imagining Stephen King's chaotic direction of his 1986 film Maximum Overdrive. The script, which earned 15 votes on that year's Black List of top unproduced screenplays, demonstrated his knack for meta-humor and bold conceptual twists, helping establish his reputation in Hollywood.Filmography
Feature films
Shay Hatten has contributed to several feature films as a screenwriter, with credits spanning action, thriller, and sci-fi genres, primarily through collaborations with directors like Chad Stahelski and Zack Snyder.| Year | Title | Credit | Release Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum | Screenplay (co-written with Derek Kolstad, Chris Collins, and Marc Abrams) | Theatrical release by Lionsgate Films |
| 2021 | Army of the Dead | Screenplay (co-written with Zack Snyder and Joby Harold) | Netflix original streaming film |
| 2021 | Army of Thieves | Screenplay and story (co-written with Zack Snyder) | Netflix original streaming film[21] |
| 2022 | Day Shift | Screenplay (co-written with Tyler Tice) | Theatrical and Netflix streaming release[22] |
| 2023 | John Wick: Chapter 4 | Screenplay (co-written with Michael Finch) | Theatrical release by Lionsgate Films |
| 2023 | Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire | Screenplay (co-written with Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad); executive producer | Netflix original streaming film[23] |
| 2024 | Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver | Screenplay (co-written with Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad); executive producer | Netflix original streaming film[24] |
| 2025 | Ballerina | Screenplay | Theatrical release by Lionsgate Films (released June 6, 2025) |
| 2026 | Resident Evil | Screenplay (co-written with Zach Cregger) | Upcoming theatrical release (in production) |
Television series
Hatten's television work primarily encompasses writing for pilots and individual episodes within horror and thriller genres, often in collaboration with established production teams.| Year | Title | Role | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | (Future) Cult Classic | Writer | Syfy | Pilot episode for a satirical slasher series set 18 years in the future, blending high school drama with speculative elements.[25] |
| 2021 | I Know What You Did Last Summer | Executive producer, teleplay writer (1 episode) | Amazon Prime Video | Contributed to the slasher series adaptation, including teleplay for one episode; originally attached as series writer before Sara Goodman took over primary writing duties.[26][27][28] |