---
name: "James Schamus"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/james-schamus"
fi1m_id: "james-schamus"
imdb_id: "nm0770005"
tmdb_id: 1617
wikidata_id: "Q1354081"
roles: ["Writer","Producer"]
born: "7 September 1959"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 12
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 8
updated: "2026-10-05T16:39:40.466251+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."
---

# James Schamus

## Identity

James Schamus

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/james-schamus
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** james-schamus
- **IMDb ID:** nm0770005
- **TMDB ID:** 1617
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1354081
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Schamus, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1354081, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0770005/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1617

Writer and producer. Born 7 September 1959 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer, Producer
- **Born:** 7 September 1959, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- **Active:** 1993–present
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 12: 8 writing, 4 producing
- **Frequently works with:** [Ang Lee](https://film.one/person/ang-lee.md), [Sihung Lung](https://film.one/person/lung-sihung.md), [Wang Hui-ling](https://film.one/person/wang-huiling.md), [Hsu Li Kong](https://film.one/person/hsu-li-kong.md), [Ted Hope](https://film.one/person/ted-hope.md), [William Kong](https://film.one/person/bill-kong.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 3 Oscar nominations
- **Average Fi1m score:** 78, as writer, over 8 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 82 (5), 2000s 82 (4), 2020s 73 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 80 to 75 across 7 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 6, Action 4, Romance 4, Adventure 2, Comedy 2, Fantasy 2
- **Screen time:** 15 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $959m across 7 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Schamus, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1354081, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0770005/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1617

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*Eat Drink Man Woman*](https://film.one/film/eat-drink-man-woman.md) (82), [*The Wedding Banquet*](https://film.one/film/the-wedding-banquet.md) (81)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*](https://film.one/film/crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon.md) (90)
- **Disney+:** [*The Assistant*](https://film.one/film/the-assistant.md) (81)
- **Netflix:** [*The Boroughs*](https://film.one/tv/the-boroughs.md) (73)

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

## Biography

James Schamus is an American screenwriter, producer and business executive. He was born on 7 September 1959 in Detroit, Michigan. He co-founded the production company Good Machine and later co-founded and served as CEO of Focus Features.

Schamus has frequently collaborated with director Ang Lee. Their joint credits include *The Ice Storm* (1997), *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* (2000), *Hulk* (2003) and *Lust, Caution* (2007). He also produced *Brokeback Mountain* (2005) and wrote the screenplay for *The King's Daughter* (2022). He created the Netflix series *Somos.* (2021) and wrote one episode of the 2026 series *The Boroughs*, on which he also served as consulting producer.

Schamus is Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University, where he has taught film history and theory since 1989. He heads the New York-based production company Symbolic Exchange.

*Sources: imdb.com, arts.columbia.edu, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (12)

### Wrote (8) — the average rests on these

- *The Boroughs* (2026), Fi1m 73, Writer, Consulting Producer — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-boroughs.md)
- *Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms* (2023), Fi1m 65, Script Consultant — [page](https://film.one/film/creation-of-the-gods-i-kingdom-of-storms.md)
- *Lust, Caution* (2007), Fi1m 76, Screenplay, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/lust-caution.md)
- *Hulk* (2003), Fi1m 72, Story, Producer, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/hulk.md)
- *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* (2000), Fi1m 90, Screenplay, Executive Producer, Lyricist — [page](https://film.one/film/crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon.md)
- *The Ice Storm* (1997), Fi1m 85, Producer, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/the-ice-storm.md)
- *Eat Drink Man Woman* (1994), Fi1m 82, Screenplay, Associate Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/eat-drink-man-woman.md)
- *The Wedding Banquet* (1993), Fi1m 81, Producer, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-wedding-banquet.md)

### Produced (4)

- *The Assistant* (2020), Fi1m 81, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-assistant.md)
- *Brokeback Mountain* (2005), Fi1m 92, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/brokeback-mountain.md)
- *Happiness* (1998), Fi1m 78, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/happiness.md)
- *Sense and Sensibility* (1995), Fi1m 85, Co-Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/sense-and-sensibility.md)

## Complete filmography (62)

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

- *The Boroughs* (2026), series, Writer, Consulting Producer — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-boroughs.md)
- *Son-in-Law* (2026), Producer, Writer
- *The Wedding Banquet* (2025), Screenplay, Producer, Original Film Writer
- *McVeigh* (2024), Executive Producer
- *We Grown Now* (2024), Executive Producer
- *Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms* (2023), Script Consultant — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/creation-of-the-gods-i-kingdom-of-storms.md)
- *The King's Daughter* (2022), Screenplay
- *Somos.* (2021), series, Writer, Executive Producer, Creator
- *Driveways* (2020), Producer
- *The Assistant* (2020), Producer — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/the-assistant.md)
- *30/30 Vision: Three Decades of Strand Releasing* (2019), Director
- *Frames* (2019), as Narrator (voice) · Director
- *Adam* (2019), Producer
- *The Tomorrow Man* (2019), Producer
- *Furlough* (2018), Executive Producer
- *Dayveon* (2017), Executive Producer
- *Casting JonBenet* (2017), Producer
- *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: A Retrospective* (2016), Actor
- *Indignation* (2016), Screenplay, Director, Producer
- *Junction 48* (2016), Executive Producer
- *Alone in Berlin* (2016), Producer
- *Suffragette* (2015), Executive Producer
- *That Film About Money* (2014), Producer, Writer, Director
- *Taking Woodstock* (2009), Screenplay, Producer
- *Lust, Caution* (2007), Screenplay, Executive Producer — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/lust-caution.md)
- *Brokeback Mountain* (2005), Producer — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/brokeback-mountain.md)
- *Hulk* (2003), Producer, Story, Screenplay — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/hulk.md)
- *Buffalo Soldiers* (2002), Executive Producer
- *Auto Focus* (2002), Executive Producer
- *Tortilla Soup* (2001), Original Film Writer
- *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* (2000), Screenplay, Executive Producer, Lyricist — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon.md)
- *Love God* (1999), Executive Producer
- *Ride with the Devil* (1999), Screenplay, Producer
- *Lola and Billy the Kid* (1999), Executive Producer
- *Happiness* (1998), Executive Producer — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/happiness.md)
- *Office Killer* (1997), Executive Producer
- *Wonderland* (1997), Executive Producer
- *The Ice Storm* (1997), Producer, Screenplay — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/the-ice-storm.md)
- *The Myth of Fingerprints* (1997), Executive Producer
- *Arresting Gena* (1997), Executive Producer
- *She's the One* (1996), Producer
- *Walking and Talking* (1996), Producer
- *Sense and Sensibility* (1995), Co-Producer — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/sense-and-sensibility.md)
- *The Brothers McMullen* (1995), Executive Producer
- *Roy Cohn/Jack Smith* (1995), Producer
- *Safe* (1995), Executive Producer
- *What Happened Was...* (1994), Executive Producer
- *Eat Drink Man Woman* (1994), Screenplay, Associate Producer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/eat-drink-man-woman.md)
- *A Psychic Mom* (1993), Coordinating Producer
- *The Wedding Banquet* (1993), Producer, Writer — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/the-wedding-banquet.md)
- *MOTV (My Own TV)* (1993), Coordinating Producer
- *In the Soup* (1992), Associate Producer
- *Ambition* (1992), Producer
- *Thank You and Good Night* (1992), Producer
- *Surviving Desire* (1992), Associate Producer
- *Pushing Hands* (1991), Writer, Executive Producer
- *Warrior: The Life of Leonard Peltier* (1991), Executive Producer
- *I Was on Mars* (1991), Line Producer
- *Keep It for Yourself* (1991), Actor
- *Poison* (1991), Executive Producer
- *Fatale*, Producer
- *The Spacesuit*, Producer

## Gallery

- ![photo by “Neil Grabowsky / Montclair Film Festival” (2016)](https://film.one/media/person/22525/gallery-ce24ef141e1e.jpg) photo by “Neil Grabowsky / Montclair Film Festival” (2016) — Montclair Film Festival, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/James_Schamus_2016.jpg/1280px-James_Schamus_2016.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![James Schamus](https://film.one/media/person/22525/gallery-6441add09ce4.jpg) James Schamus — Sebaso, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/James_Schamus_Berlinale_2014.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![James Schamus and Ben Rosenfield at the premiere of Indignation during the Montclair Film Festival 2016.](https://film.one/media/person/22525/gallery-42f971601f24.jpg) James Schamus and Ben Rosenfield at the premiere of Indignation during the Montclair Film Festival 2016. — Montclair Film, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/James_Schamus_and_Ben_Rosenfield_%2826999564775%29.jpg/1280px-James_Schamus_and_Ben_Rosenfield_%2826999564775%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![photo by “Neil Grabowsky / Montclair Film Festival” (2016)](https://film.one/media/person/22525/gallery-d4b6ac6f36d6.jpg) photo by “Neil Grabowsky / Montclair Film Festival” (2016) — Montclair Film Festival, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Neil_Grabowsky-Indignation-TTL_9070_%2826999563955%29.jpg/1280px-Neil_Grabowsky-Indignation-TTL_9070_%2826999563955%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![James Schamus](https://film.one/media/person/22525/gallery-06e8cfd8595a.jpg) James Schamus — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 3 nominated

- 2006: Best Picture (nominated), for *Brokeback Mountain*
- 2001: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*
- 2001: Best Original Song (nominated), for *A Love Before Time*

### Other awards — 2 won

- Hugo Awards 2001: Best Dramatic Presentation (won), for *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*
- Best Screenplay Award 1997: Best Screenplay Award (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/james-schamus