Chris Weitz Producer - Born November 30, 1969 in New York City, New York, USA

Birth Name Christopher John Weitz

Height 6' 0½" (1.84 m)

Mini Bio (1) Chris Weitz was born on November 30, 1969 in New York City, New York, USA as Christopher John Weitz. He is a producer and writer, known for About a Boy (2002), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). He has been married to Mercedes Martinez since 2006. They have one child.

Spouse (1) Mercedes Martinez (2006 - present) 1 child

Trivia (20) *1.* Son of Susan Kohner. **2.** Younger brother of Paul Weitz. ***3.*** Nephew of producer Pancho Kohner. ****4.**** Son of the late fashion designer and novelist John Weitz. *****5. ***** Graduated from Cambridge University, where he was a classmate of Rachel Weisz. ******6. Grandson of Paul Kohner and Lupita Tovar. *******7. Started reading The Golden Compass (2007) while he was filming About a Boy (2002). ********8. He graduated with a degree in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge. *********9. Before he was going to direct The Golden Compass (2007), he was invited by director Peter Jackson to visit the set of King Kong (2005) in order to gain insight into directing a big-budget film. **********10. In 2005 Weitz announced his departure from the The Golden Compass (2007), citing the enormous technical challenged involved, and the fear being denounced by both the book's fans and detractors. He was replaced by British director Anand Tucker. Ironically, Tucker left the project in 2006 over creative differences with New Line and Weitz returned to the director's chair, after receiving a letter from Philip Pullman asking him to reconsider. ***********11. In 2007 he and his brother, Paul Weitz, met with Michael Moorcock the writer of the Elric of Melnibone books, to talk about a movie adaptation. Chris had been a fan of the books since childhood, and Moorcock trusted him with the project. *12. Has worked on 9 projects where John Cho stars. **13. Got the directing job of The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) after Catherine Hardwicke backed out. ***14. His movie About a Boy (2002) is one of author Stephenie Meyer's favorite movies. She's the author of The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) which he is set to direct. ****15. Originally offered Brad Pitt the lead in About a Boy (2002) but he turned it down. However, they later worked together on Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005). *****16. His first movie experience was Midway (1976). ******17. Lived by the sea when he was a kid. That's the reason why he didn't like the movie Jaws (1975). *******18. Saw Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) for the first time, when he was 7 years old. ********19. Has directed 1 actor to an Oscar nomination: Demián Bichir (Best Actor, A Better Life (2011)). *********20. His father was a German Jewish immigrant, who left the country because of the Nazi regime. His maternal grandfather was a Czech Jewish immigrant, and his maternal grandmother, who was Mexican, had Mexican, and some Irish, ancestry.

Personal Quotes (3) *1.* Like many people with a Y chromosome, I hadn't delved into the Twilight books. I tried to experience the books in the way that I thought the average reader would - which is to gobble them. The way that you read a book at 13 is different. You read it at a gallop, while you are eating. You avoid human contact. I read New Moon over the course of a day and a half in Ojai, Calif., at a very crunchy retreat that included a sweat lodge. Actually, my only pause was for a sweat lodge during which I asked the Quileute ancestors to come and give me good luck. Somewhere Jacob Black was pleased. I was channeling Team Jacob because he needs it in this movie. Everyone already knows about Edward. **2.** I wouldn't have made The Golden Compass (2007) had I known that the final version put out on screens was not as I intended it. I didn't get to show my version of the film. Unfortunately, that version really can't be finished because it would cost somewhere between 15 and 17 million dollars just to complete the special effects. I look at the film that's out there now and all I can be proud of is certain moments, the casting, the effects and the look. But the final product, I can't vouch for that. I do feel badly towards the fans of the book. I promised to deliver but wasn't able to do so. ***3.*** [on the box office failure of The Golden Compass]: The Golden Compass became a bad experience because the studio didn't have faith in the strength of the ideas of the novel, which is ironic because it's one of the greatest fantasy novels ever written, if not the greatest, and they took the religion out of it and tried to turn it into a popcorn movie. We had an inferior product, which was trying to avoid anything with any religious content in it, which emasculated the film. I think there were some very unwise decisions that led to its financial ruin here, and in turn, to the destruction of New Line as we knew it.