Melissa Rosenberg
Seamlessly transitioning from television to the silver screen, Melissa Rosenberg is proving to be one of Hollywood’s most versatile and sought-after writers.
Rosenberg wrote the screenplay for the highly-anticipated vampire romance Twilight. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, and based on the best-selling novel by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight tells the story of a high school girl named Bella (Kristen Stewart) who finds her soul mate in the stunning vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson). The film, released by Summit Entertainment, opened on November 21 to a record $70m. The film has grossed over $278m worldwide. Rosenberg recently signed on to write the next two sequels: New Moon, and Breaking Dawn.
With her extensive background in teen-related drama, Rosenberg seemed a natural fit for the adaptation of Twilight, a task she was given only six weeks to complete. She was more than happy to sign on. “You get to be inventive with these pieces,” Rosenberg said. “I can live the high school experience I never had, because on film, anything can happen.”
Rosenberg is set to return to television as both head writer and co-executive producer of the Showtime original series Dexter, which finished its third season this December. Her work on the show helped earn it the prestigious Peabody Award, an Emmy nomination, and a Writer’s Guild of America award nomination. “On this show, I’m allowed to take risks, with the character development, as well as the story,” said Rosenberg. “When you’re doing 22 episodes a year for network, you may not get the time you need to do your best work. On a cable show, doing 12 episodes, I have the time to develop my thoughts, to connect all the dots and make a strong, well-rounded story.”
Rosenberg launched her screenwriting career with the box-office smash Step Up. A trained dancer herself, Rosenberg was perfect to the write the film, an urban romance between a naturally gifted troublemaker (Channing Tatum) and an upper-class ballerina (Jenna Dewan). Released in 2006, the film has earned over $114 million worldwide and launched Tatum into Hollywood heartthrob status. Rosenberg was no stranger to writing for the teenaged set; before signing on to write Step Up, Rosenberg wrote several episodes of Fox’s series The O.C.
Inspired by character-driven projects, Rosenberg’s other credits include Ally McBeal, Party of Five, Boston Public, The Outer Limits and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Although she appreciates her start in network television, she feels she has found a comfortable niche in cable programming.
Rosenberg earned her B.A. in dance and theatre from Bennington College in Vermont, with a goal toward becoming a choreographer. When Rosenberg moved to Los Angeles, she pursued a different avenue: writing. While working as an assistant to a television producer, Rosenberg went on to earn an MFA at the University of Southern California, through the Peter Stark Producing Program at the School of Cinematic Arts.
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