---
name: "Anthony Shaffer"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/anthony-shaffer"
fi1m_id: "anthony-shaffer"
imdb_id: "nm0787289"
tmdb_id: 7750
wikidata_id: "Q573997"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "15 May 1926"
died: "6 November 2001"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-10-04T23:15:05.229616+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Anthony Shaffer

## Identity

Anthony Shaffer

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/anthony-shaffer
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** anthony-shaffer
- **IMDb ID:** nm0787289
- **TMDB ID:** 7750
- **Wikidata ID:** Q573997
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Shaffer_(writer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q573997, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0787289/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/7750

Writer. Born 15 May 1926 in Liverpool, England, UK. Died 6 November 2001.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 15 May 1926, Liverpool, England, UK
- **Died:** 6 November 2001
- **Active:** 1972–1993
- **Also known as:** Anthony Joshua Shaffer, Энтони Шаффер
- **Average Fi1m score:** 78, as writer, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 86 (2), 1990s 63 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 78 to 76 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Mystery 2, Thriller 2, Crime 1, Drama 1, Horror 1, Romance 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $147m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Shaffer_(writer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q573997, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0787289/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/7750

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Wicker Man*](https://film.one/film/the-wicker-man.md) (90)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Anthony Joshua Shaffer (15 May 1926 – 6 November 2001) was an English playwright and screenwriter. He was born in Liverpool to a Jewish family and educated at St Paul's School, London, and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he read law. He worked as a barrister and advertising executive before becoming a full-time writer.

Shaffer is best known for his Tony Award-winning play *Sleuth* (1970) and its 1972 film adaptation. His screenplays include Alfred Hitchcock's *Frenzy* (1972) and the folk horror film *The Wicker Man* (1973). He also wrote screenplays for *Death on the Nile* (1978), *Evil Under the Sun* (1982) and *Appointment with Death* (1988). He was the identical twin brother of playwright Peter Shaffer.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, screenonline.org.uk.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *Sommersby* (1993), Fi1m 63, Author — [page](https://film.one/film/sommersby.md)
- *The Wicker Man* (1973), Fi1m 90, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/the-wicker-man.md)
- *Sleuth* (1972), Fi1m 82, Screenplay, Theatre Play — [page](https://film.one/film/sleuth.md)

## Complete filmography (14)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Tamanna* (2014), Author
- *Sleuth* (2007), Teleplay
- *The Wicker Man* (2006), Original Film Writer
- *A Sleuthian Journey with Anthony Shaffer* (2002), Thanks
- *Burnt Offering: The Cult of The Wicker Man* (2001), Actor
- *Sommersby* (1993), Author — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/sommersby.md)
- *Appointment with Death* (1988), Screenplay
- *Evil Under the Sun* (1982), Screenplay
- *Death on the Nile* (1978), Screenplay
- *Absolution* (1978), Writer
- *The Wicker Man* (1973), Screenplay — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/the-wicker-man.md)
- *Sleuth* (1972), Screenplay, Theatre Play — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/sleuth.md)
- *Frenzy* (1972), Screenplay
- *Mr. Forbush and the Penguins* (1971), Screenplay

## Awards

### Other awards — 1 won

- Edgar Awards 1971: Edgar Awards (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/anthony-shaffer