An architect of story universes, Jon Cooksey shapes iconic entertainment in all genres of film, television and digital that has resonated with myriad viewers across the globe. His work has won or been nominated for Emmy, Humanitas, Gemini, Leo and Cable Ace awards in TV, plus numerous awards for his comedic feature documentary about saving civilization, How to Boil a Frog.
From his seminal work as head writer/showrunner on Rugrats (both TV and feature), to the cult favorite So Weird, and the Halloweentown MOWs seen by every millennial, Jon’s work has defined childhood for a generation. He was at the forefront of developing for interactive platforms, creating both a PlayStation game and a CD-ROM based on the Rugrats IP, and has now taken an intensive dive into the new worlds of AI and XR, sculpting entertainment on platforms that are only now evolving. Digital projects include development of a slate of interactive VR/AR projects with Titan1Studios, plus writing and producing a high-tech pilot presentation for AMD, to be premiered in mid-2019.
With a deep interest in historical fiction, Jon infuses his cutting edge, often comedic, work with a depth of influences that enrich his storytelling from dark thrillers to family dramas to multiplatform adaptations of graphic novels. Credits as TV showrunner include Arctic Air, Shattered, The Best Years and his original series The Collector. He’s developed 14 pilots for various prodcos and networks, including Comedy Central, FX and ITV (UK), and has run series for Disney Channel and Nickelodeon in the US, for Rogers, Global, CBC and Space in Canada. Altogether he’s produced over 150 hours of TV. He’s currently on track to take a number of original series into the US, Canadian and international markets.
On the feature side, Jon’s recently written Los Angeles: Being the True Story of the largest Lynching in the History of America, and the birth of a City, about the mystery behind the Chinatown Massacre of 1871, based on IP. Other recent feature scripts include The Oracle’s Wife, a biopic about M. King Hubbert, one of the great minds of the 20th century who foresaw the end of the Oil Age, and Hindenburg LZ-129, a film noir thriller that uses the famous disaster as a springboard. And his documentary How To Boil A Frog continues to be screened globally in university classrooms and on digital platforms, infiltrating the conversations of environmental activists on track to change the future.
In general Jon’s goal is to break the boundaries of current entertainment silos, creating broad audiences across multiple platforms (XR, games, TV series, movies, live events, musical theatre, storyworlds, theme park rides, etc.), with stories that have an international appeal.
Jon is repped by Bob Getman at Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer in the US, and by Jennifer Hollyer Agency in Canada. He’s a dual citizen, has a degree in economics from Stanford, and is a member of WGA, WGC and WGGB.
