Hales has worked extensively in the theatre (both as actor and stage director), film and television. He began his screenwriting career in 1970, with the British television series
Manhunt. Hales has written for the American series
Dallas, as well as many iterations — series and DVD releases — of
George Lucas's
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones. In 1977 he directed the stage play
Mecca by
E. A. Whitehead at the
Open Space Theatre, London. Hales wrote the 1980
Agatha Christie film ''
The Mirror Crack'd. He is credited with the story for the 2002 prequel to The Mummy, The Scorpion King'', and is co-author (with George Lucas) of the screenplay for 2002's
Star Wars film
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Writing the middle film in the
Star Wars prequel trilogy, Lucas and Hales continued to refine their script as production began. The production draft was completed less than a week before commencement of principal photography. Hales worked with Lucas as costumes were designed and sets were constructed. “At that stage,
Attack of the Clones felt like a ‘virtual film’ because we got the script only three days before we started shooting,” recalls producer
Rick McCallum. “We had to build these sets to a script that didn’t exist.” ==Screenwriting filmography==