Drew Goddard

Biography

Drew Goddard is an American screenwriter, director, and producer celebrated for his inventive approach to storytelling and his ability to blend genres with intelligence and wit. He was born on February 26, 1975, in Houston, Texas, and raised in Los Alamos, New Mexico. From a young age, Goddard was fascinated by movies, comic books, and science fiction—a passion that would later shape his creative voice in Hollywood.

After graduating from Los Alamos High School, he attended the University of Colorado Boulder, where he studied screenwriting and film production. Goddard began his professional career in television, writing for acclaimed shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, both created by Joss Whedon. His sharp dialogue, layered characters, and talent for balancing humor with tension quickly made him a standout voice in genre television.

He went on to write for other influential series, including Alias and Lost, the latter earning him a Writers Guild of America Award. His transition to feature films was equally successful—he made his big-screen debut as a writer with the found-footage monster movie Cloverfield (2008), which became a critical and commercial success.

In 2012, Goddard made his directorial debut with The Cabin in the Woods, a meta-horror film co-written with Joss Whedon. The film was widely praised for its originality, blending horror, science fiction, and satire in a way that both honored and reinvented genre conventions. He later wrote and produced World War Z (2013) and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Martian (2015), directed by Ridley Scott.

Goddard also created and served as showrunner for the first season of Netflix’s Daredevil (2015), helping to launch Marvel’s acclaimed television universe. In 2018, he wrote and directed Bad Times at the El Royale, a neo-noir thriller that showcased his flair for complex narratives and stylish direction.

Known for his sharp writing, genre innovation, and creative risk-taking, Drew Goddard continues to be one of the most versatile and respected voices in modern film and television—a storyteller who consistently challenges audiences to think deeper while keeping them thoroughly entertained.