Person
Jonathan Gems
Writing · London, United Kingdom
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jonathan Gems (born 1952, London) is a British playwright and screenwriter mostly known for his work on Mars Attacks!, directed by Tim Burton. He also wrote the film's novelization. The son of the playwright Pam Gems, Jonathan Gems wrote a number of plays for theatres on the London fringe before gradually turning to screenwriting. As well as Mars Attacks!, Gems did uncredited rewrite work on Batman. Gems has written a number of unproduced scripts for Burton, including a Beetlejuice sequel titled Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, an updating of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" set in Burbank, California, The Hawkline Monster, a cowboy/monster movie that was to star Clint Eastwood and Jack Nicholson and Go Baby Go, a beach movie in the style of Russ Meyer. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jonathan Gems, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known for

Mars Attacks!
Screenplay

The War Of The Worlds: The Prophetic Novel
Self (Screenwriter)

White Mischief
Screenplay

The Treat
Director

Who Killed British Cinema?
Self
Van Morrison in Ireland
Writer

Nightshift
Additional Dialogue
Filmography
- 2025The War Of The Worlds: The Prophetic NovelSelf (Screenwriter)
- 2018Who Killed British Cinema?Self
- 1998The TreatDirector
- 1996Mars Attacks!Screenplay
- 1987White MischiefScreenplay
- 1981NightshiftAdditional Dialogue
- 1981Van Morrison in IrelandWriter
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