1994–2000: Early career and breakthrough Goldsman’s first major breakthrough in feature film screenwriting came in 1994 with
The Client, a legal thriller directed by
Joel Schumacher. The film, based on
John Grisham’s 1993 novel of the same name, starred
Susan Sarandon and
Tommy Lee Jones.
The Client was a box-office success and received positive reviews from critics. In 1995, Goldsman wrote the screenplay for
Batman Forever, marking his second collaboration with Schumacher. The film was produced by
Tim Burton and starred
Val Kilmer,
Tommy Lee Jones,
Jim Carrey,
Nicole Kidman, and
Chris O'Donnell. Batman Forever was a commercial success, grossing over $330 million worldwide and becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 1995. The film received mixed reviews from critics, though its critical reception did not impact its strong box office performance and audience scores. In 1996, Goldsman collaborated for a third time with director Schumacher on
A Time to Kill, a legal drama based on
John Grisham’s 1989 novel of the same name. The film featured a cast that included
Sandra Bullock,
Samuel L. Jackson,
Matthew McConaughey, and
Kevin Spacey, with
Donald and
Kiefer Sutherland in supporting roles and
Octavia Spencer making her film debut.
A Time to Kill was a commercial success and received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics. In 1997, Goldsman collaborated with Schumacher for a fourth time on the superhero film
Batman & Robin. The film starred
George Clooney,
Chris O'Donnell,
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Uma Thurman, and
Alicia Silverstone. Unlike their previous collaborations, the film underperformed relative to expectations at the box office. While it roughly broke even, the film received overwhelmingly negative reviews from both critics and audiences and is widely regarded as one of the worst films ever made. Despite the film’s poor reception,
Warner Bros. initially planned a sequel and offered Goldsman the opportunity to write it with Schumacher set to direct. However, Goldsman declined, and after failed attempts to develop the sequel with another writer, Warner Bros. ultimately canceled the project. In 1998, Goldsman wrote the screenplay for the sci-fi action-adventure film
Lost in Space, directed by
Stephen Hopkins. Based on the
Irwin Allen television series of the same name, the film starred
William Hurt,
Matt LeBlanc,
Gary Oldman, and
Heather Graham. While
Lost in Space received mostly negative reviews from critics, it performed moderately well at the box office. It debuted at number one, ending the 15-week streak of
James Cameron's Titanic at the top of the box office. That same year, Goldsman co-wrote the screenplay for the fantasy drama
Practical Magic alongside
Robin Swicord and
Adam Brooks. Directed by
Griffin Dunne, the film starred
Sandra Bullock,
Nicole Kidman, and
Aidan Quinn and was based on
Alice Hoffman’s novel of the same name. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics and had an underwhelming box office performance. However, it has since developed a cult following.
2000–2010: Oscar win In 2001, Goldsman wrote the screenplay for
A Beautiful Mind, a biographical drama based on the life of mathematician
John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in Economics known for his contributions to game theory. Directed by
Ron Howard and starring
Russell Crowe as Nash, the film depicts Nash’s time as a
Princeton student and his struggles with schizophrenia. The film received eight nominations and won four, including Best Picture at the
74th Academy Awards. Goldsman received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, marking his first Oscar nomination and win. In 2008, Goldsman joined the
first season crew of the
Fox horror/
mystery series
Fringe as writer, director, and consulting producer. The first episode Goldsman directed and wrote was "Bad Dreams". In its
fifth season, Goldsman remained a consulting producer.
2010–2020: Expansion into franchises and genre films He produced the
Universal Pictures feature
Lone Survivor, from writer/director
Peter Berg, based on the book
Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by
Marcus Luttrell. It tells the story of Luttrell's
Navy SEAL team in 2005
Afghanistan, on a mission to kill a terrorist leader. It starred
Mark Wahlberg,
Emile Hirsch,
Ben Foster and
Taylor Kitsch, and was released in 2013. In 2014, Goldsman made his feature film directorial debut with
Winter’s Tale, a film adaptation of
Mark Helprin’s novel. The film starred
Colin Farrell,
Russell Crowe,
Jessica Brown Findlay,
Jennifer Connelly,
Will Smith, and
William Hurt. Warner Bros. originally optioned the
novel for Goldsman, but its complexity and his other projects delayed progress. Following the passing of his wife in 2010, Goldsman found renewed inspiration in the story, prompting him to resume writing and ultimately direct the film himself. To bring the project to fruition, Goldsman sought support from industry connections and contributed personal funds to the production. With Warner Bros. cutting the budget in half, he adjusted the screenplay by streamlining the novel’s fantasy elements and love story. Despite production challenges, including setbacks from
Hurricane Sandy and the bankruptcy of the film’s visual effects company, Goldsman completed the project. He described
Winter’s Tale as an exploration of finding meaning, hope, and connection in life’s hardships, themes he hoped would resonate with audiences. with
Frank Grillo in the leading role. In 2015,
Paramount Pictures announced that Goldsman would head a team of writers and filmmakers to create a multifilm
cinematic universe branching out from
Hasbro's Transformers franchise. He co-wrote and produced the
film adaptation of
Stephen King's
The Dark Tower series, released on August 4, 2017, which was one of Goldsman's post-Apotheosis films. In July 2017, Akiva Goldsman signed a two-year first-look deal with Paramount Pictures for his production company, Weed Road, after previously working with Warner Bros for many years. As part of the agreement, Goldsman planned to produce an adaptation of
Tom Clancy’s novel
Rainbow Six, with
Josh Appelbaum and Corin Nemec attached as screenwriters. The deal also included Goldsman’s involvement in developing adaptations of the
Ologies series of fantasy books, which include
Alienology,
Dragonology,
Monsterology, and
Vampireology. Goldsman was revealed in September 2018 to have been on the writing staff for
Star Trek: Picard, a series focusing on the later years of Captain
Jean-Luc Picard. In 2020, he was signed as creator and co-showrunner of the
Paramount+ series
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
2020–present: Recent work In February 2025, it was announced that Goldsman was developing a new television universe at
Legendary Television, featuring three reimagined sci-fi series originally created by
Irwin Allen. The project is expected to include updated versions of
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,
Land of the Giants, and
The Time Tunnel, drawing inspiration from Allen’s original works. ==Personal life==