Caroline Thompson

Caroline Thompson (born April 23, 1956) is an American novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer. She wrote the screenplays for Tim Burton's films Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Corpse Bride. She co-wrote the story for Edward Scissorhands and recently co-adapted a new stage version of the film with director and choreographer Matthew Bourne. Recently it has been announced that she will adapt the screenplay for the film version of Wicked Lovely, a bestselling fantasy series.

Early life

Thompson was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Bettie Marshall (née Warner), a teacher, and Thomas Carlton Thompson, Jr., a lawyer. She received her early education in Washington. Thereafter she went to Cambridge, Massachusetts to attend Radcliffe College, Harvard University, and eventually graduating from Amherst College in English and classic literature in 1978.

Career

Thompson moved to Los Angeles, supporting herself as a freelance book reviewer and writer. In 1983, she published a novel "First Born" which director Penelope Spheeris chose to make into a film, and from whom she started learning scriptwriting while writing the drafts of the film's screenplay. Though the movie was never made, the project gave her the impetus to find a new career as a screenwriter.