---
name: "Daniel Waters"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/daniel-waters"
fi1m_id: "daniel-waters"
imdb_id: "nm0914058"
tmdb_id: 5128
wikidata_id: "Q1163097"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "30 November 1962"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 76
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-10-04T23:11:37.177147+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."
---

# Daniel Waters

## Identity

Daniel Waters

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/daniel-waters
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** daniel-waters
- **IMDb ID:** nm0914058
- **TMDB ID:** 5128
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1163097
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Waters_(screenwriter), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1163097, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0914058/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/5128

Writer. Born 30 November 1962 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 30 November 1962, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- **Active:** 1989–1993
- **Also known as:** Dan Waters
- **Frequently works with:** [Denise Di Novi](https://film.one/person/denise-di-novi.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 76, as writer, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 80 (1), 1990s 74 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 76 to 65 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Action 2, Crime 2, Comedy 1, Fantasy 1, Science Fiction 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $440m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Waters_(screenwriter), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1163097, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0914058/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/5128

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Batman Returns*](https://film.one/film/batman-returns.md) (81)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Heathers*](https://film.one/film/heathers.md) (80)

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

## Biography

Daniel Waters is an American screenwriter and film director. He wrote the screenplay for the black comedy *Heathers* (1989) and the story and screenplay for *Batman Returns* (1992).

He has also written screenplays for *The Adventures of Ford Fairlane* (1990), *Hudson Hawk* (1991) and *Demolition Man* (1993). Waters wrote and directed *Happy Campers* (2001) and *Sex and Death 101* (2007), and wrote the screenplay for *Vampire Academy* (2014). He is the brother of director Mark Waters.

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

## On Fi1m (3)

- *Demolition Man* (1993), Fi1m 68, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/demolition-man.md)
- *Batman Returns* (1992), Fi1m 81, Story, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/batman-returns.md)
- *Heathers* (1989), Fi1m 80, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/heathers.md)

## Complete filmography (11)

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

- *Heathers* (2018), series, Writer
- *Whiskey Fist* (2017), as Anti-Abortion Protester · Producer
- *Kiss Kiss Fingerbang* (2015), Producer
- *Vampire Academy* (2014), Screenplay, Executive Producer
- *Sex and Death 101* (2007), Director, Writer
- *Happy Campers* (2001), Director, Writer
- *Demolition Man* (1993), Screenplay — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/demolition-man.md)
- *Batman Returns* (1992), Story, Screenplay — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/batman-returns.md)
- *Hudson Hawk* (1991), Screenplay
- *The Adventures of Ford Fairlane* (1990), Screenplay
- *Heathers* (1989), Writer — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/heathers.md)

## Awards

### Other awards — 3 won, 2 nominated

- Hugo Awards 1993: Best Dramatic Presentation (nominated), for *Batman Returns*
- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay 1992: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay (won), for *Hudson Hawk*
- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay 1991: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay (won), for *The Adventures of Ford Fairlane*
- Edgar Awards 1990: Edgar Awards (won)
- Independent Spirit Awards 1990: Best Screenplay (nominated), for *Heathers*

*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/daniel-waters