Scott Z Burns Headshot

Scott Z. Burns

Writer, Director, Producer

SCOTT Z. BURNS is an award-winning screenwriter, director, producer and playwright. He is the writer, director, executive producer and creator of the Apple TV+ series EXTRAPOLATIONS starring Meryl Streep, Forest Whitaker, Edward Norton and Marion Cotillard, which premiered on March 17. The scripted series features eight interconnected stories exploring how the upcoming changes to our planet will affect love, faith, work and family. In film, Burns' writing credits include THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM as well as THE INFORMANT!, CONTAGION, SIDE EFFECTS and THE LAUNDROMAT for director Steven Soderbergh. As a director, Burns' credits include PU-239 starring Oscar Isaac and Paddy Considine and THE REPORT starring Adam Driver, Annette Bening and Jon Hamm, which tells the story of the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program. Burns served as a producer for the Academy Award-winning documentary AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, as well as an executive producer for AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL and SEA OF SHADOWS. On stage, Burns' play THE LIBRARY, which deals with a high school shooting, was produced at The Public Theater and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for best new American play. 

Burns is a frequent advisor at the Sundance Institute and a member of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Leadership Committee. He attended the University of Minnesota where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in English Literature. Burns began his career in advertising. Before leaving the industry, he was part of the team that created the ‘Got Milk?’ campaign. 

Photo Credit: Georgina Cates

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