David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick | |
|---|---|
| Born | David Leslie Johnson Mansfield, Ohio, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Ohio State University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Spouses | Kimberly Lofstrom (div. 2012)Stacy McGoldrick (m. 2015) |
David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (né Johnson) is an American screenwriter and producer of film and television.[1] He has written the screenplays for the films Orphan (2009), Wrath of the Titans (2012), The Conjuring 2 (2016) and its sequels The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) and The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025), and the DC Extended Universe films Aquaman (2018) and its sequel Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023).
Early life
Johnson began writing plays in the second grade and wrote his first screenplay at age nineteen after graduating from Lexington High School in Lexington, Ohio. He attended Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Photography and Cinema.
Career
Johnson began his career as a production assistant on Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption, which was filmed on location in Johnson's hometown of Mansfield, Ohio, at the historic Mansfield Reformatory, where Johnson's great-grandfather had been a prison guard. Johnson spent the next five years as Darabont's assistant, using the opportunity to hone his craft as a screenwriter. He wrote at least two scripts for the cancelled Return of the Thing, a four-hour sequel mini-series to John Carpenter's 1982 cult classic The Thing. The project was ultimately cancelled for unknown reasons. He would further work with Darabont on his television series The Walking Dead and Mob City.
Johnson has collaborated several times with filmmaker James Wan, contributing entries in The Conjuring franchise, dramatizations of the real-life cases of Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators,[2] as well as the DC Comics film Aquaman and its sequel.[3][4] He is also set to write a film adaptation of the board game Mice and Mystics.[5] He wrote a sequel to The Flash as well.[6]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Writer | Executive Producer |
Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Orphan | Yes | No | Jaume Collet-Serra |
| 2011 | Red Riding Hood | Yes | No | Catherine Hardwicke |
| 2012 | Wrath of the Titans | Yes | No | Jonathan Liebesman |
| 2016 | The Conjuring 2 | Yes | No | James Wan |
| 2018 | Aquaman | Yes | No | |
| 2021 | The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It | Yes | No | Michael Chaves |
| 2022 | Orphan: First Kill | Story | Yes | William Brent Bell |
| 2023 | Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | Yes | No | James Wan |
| 2025 | The Conjuring: Last Rites | Yes | Yes | Michael Chaves |
| 2026 | Insidious: Out of the Further[7] | Story | Yes | Jacob Chase |
Television
| Year | Title | Writer | Consulting Producer |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-2022 | The Walking Dead | Yes | Yes | 14 episodes |
| 2013 | Mob City | Yes | No | 2 episodes |
Other credits
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Shawshank Redemption | Production assistant |
| 1999 | The Green Mile | Assistant to Frank Darabont |
| 2021 | Till Death | Producer |
| 2026 | Orphans |
References
- "Breaking the Mold: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick on THE CONJURING 3". 4 June 2021.
- Snieder, Jeff (January 6, 2015). "James Wan's Conjuring 2 Brings on Wrath of the Titans Scribe for Rewrite (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- "Warner Taps David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick to Pen 'Aquaman' Sequel". Forbes.
- Couch, Aaron (June 10, 2021). "'Aquaman 2' Is Titled 'The Lost Kingdom'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- McNary, Dave (2018-10-24). "DreamWorks Animation to Develop 'Mice and Mystics' Movie (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- Kit, Borys (2022-10-17). "DC at a Turning Point: James Gunn Pitches Secret Movie, Dwayne Johnson Flexes His Superman Power (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 12, 2025). "Lin Shaye & Amelia Eve To Star In Blumhouse & Sony's Next 'Insidious' Movie From Jacob Chase". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 12, 2025.