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David Koepp

David Koepp

Writer, director and producer, also actor · Born June 9, 1963 (63) · Pewaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Writers Guild Award nominee

David Gerard Koepp (born June 9, 1963) is an American screenwriter and director. He is the ninth most successful screenwriter of all time in terms of U.S. box office receipts, with a total gross of over $2.3 billion. Koepp has achieved both critical and commercial success in a wide variety of genres: thriller, science fiction, comedy, action, drama, crime, superhero, horror, adventure, and fantasy. Some of the best-known films he has written include the sci-fi adventure films Jurassic Park (1993), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008); the crime film Carlito's Way (1993); the action spy films Mission: Impossible (1996) and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014); the superhero film Spider-Man (2002); the sci-fi disaster film War of the Worlds (2005); and the mystery thriller Angels & Demons (2009). Koepp has directed seven feature films over the course of his career: The Trigger Effect (1996), Stir of Echoes (1999), Secret Window (2004), Ghost Town (2008), Premium Rush (2012), Mortdecai (2015), and You Should Have Left (2020).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 9, 1963 (63)
From
Pewaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Works as
Writer, director and producer, also actor
Titles
37 on MovieCove · 46 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Up 4% in 30 days

What are David Koepp's films like?

Across their 40 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Action18 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
23%
Survival
19%
Self
19%
Bonds
16%
Ideas
9%
Power
8%
Society
5%
Survival12 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 40 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 12 · Serious 17 · Dark 11

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 16 · Stylized 17 · Heightened 7

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 8 · Intense 27

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 9 · Shifting 23 · Whiplash 8

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 26 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 17

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 7 · Engaged 25 · Full focus 8

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 18 · Affecting 16 · Heavy 6

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 30 · Open-ended 10 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
29
Thrilling
18
Dread
13
Absurd
5
Melancholic
9
Other
37

How their films linger

Fun15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 10 with a twist

  • Happy18
  • Bittersweet17
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch David Koepp's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 32 of their 37 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for David Koepp's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

46 credits, 37 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Disclosure Day(2026)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Cold Storage(2026)

    Novel · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Quarto do Pânico (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Original Film Writer

  • Jurassic World: Rebirth(2025)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Black Bag(2025)

    Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Presence(2024)

    Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny(2023)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Kimi(2022)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • You Should Have Left(2020)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Mummy(2017)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Inferno(2016)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Mortdecai(2015)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit(2014)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Premium Rush(2012)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Little Engine That Could(2011)

    Screenplay · Screenstory

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Angels & Demons(2009)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Ghost Town(2008)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull(2008)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Zathura: A Space Adventure(2005)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • War of the Worlds(2005)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Secret Window(2004)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Hack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show Creator

  • Spider-Man(2002)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Big Trouble(2002)

    as Annoyed Sports Radio Host (voice)

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Panic Room(2002)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Stir of Echoes(1999)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Snake Eyes(1998)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Lost World: Jurassic Park(1997)

    Screenplay · Second Unit Director · as Unlucky Bastard

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Trigger Effect(1996)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Mission: Impossible(1996)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Suspicious (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Shadow(1994)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Paper(1994)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Carlito's Way(1993)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Jurassic Park(1993)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Death Becomes Her(1992)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Toy Soldiers(1991)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Bad Influence(1990)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Why Me?(1990)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • I Come in Peace(1990)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Apartment Zero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Producer · Screenplay

  • Micro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Screenplay

  • Spy vs. Spy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Writer

  • The Green Hornet and Kato (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Writer

  • Untitled Jurassic World Rebirth Sequel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Writer

  • Westworld (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Screenplay

Career shape

A full career of 46 titles, 41 of them dated from 1989 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Jurassic Park (1993)

$1.1B worldwide

Highest rated

Jurassic Park (1993)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Disclosure Day (2026)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 46: 1 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting8 of 46: 1 only directing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score60thWriting43 of 46: 28 only writing, 15 with another role · typical Midcredits score58thProducing7 of 46: 0 only producing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score62ndOther crew2 of 46: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

46 titles, 15 with more than one role — writing and directing overlap on 7 of them.

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s15 · 1 acting · 15 crew2000s10 · 1 acting · 9 crew2010s6 · crew2020s9 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

Nominated for a Writers Guild Award in 2026, Original Screenplay.

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do David Koepp's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 56th percentile, the median of all 37; across their 40 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Approval · how many liked their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Reach · how many have seen their films

96thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Midcredits score across 37 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th12
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

16 of their 37 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Broadly Agreed12
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · writer

The Little Engine That Could (2011)

81st percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Jurassic Park (1993)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 48/100 and the plot and story 44/100 in their films, across 37 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is David Koepp's work okay for kids?

Across up to 34 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore32 titles40–85 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity34 titles9–51 · median 26 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity32 titles35–77 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs32 titles11–46 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense32 titles36–83 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does David Koepp work with?

People who share at least 2 of David Koepp's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Steven Spielberg shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles