---
name: "Joe Eszterhas"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/joe-eszterhas"
fi1m_id: "joe-eszterhas"
imdb_id: "nm0000390"
tmdb_id: 10492
wikidata_id: "Q220834"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "23 November 1944"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 51
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-10-04T18:06:16.839025+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."
---

# Joe Eszterhas

## Identity

Joe Eszterhas

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/joe-eszterhas
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** joe-eszterhas
- **IMDb ID:** nm0000390
- **TMDB ID:** 10492
- **Wikidata ID:** Q220834
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Eszterhas, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q220834, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000390/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10492

Writer. Born 23 November 1944 in Csakanydoroszlo, Hungary.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 23 November 1944, Csakanydoroszlo, Hungary
- **Active:** 1983–2006
- **Frequently works with:** [Alan Marshall](https://film.one/person/alan-marshall.md), [Paul Verhoeven](https://film.one/person/paul-verhoeven.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 51, as writer, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 54 (1), 1990s 57 (2), 2000s 36 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 51 to 44 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 3 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 2, Mystery 2, Thriller 2, Crime 1, Romance 1
- **Screen time:** 8 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $613m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Eszterhas, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q220834, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000390/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10492

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Flashdance*](https://film.one/film/flashdance.md) (54), [*Showgirls*](https://film.one/film/showgirls.md) (42)
- **Hulu:** [*Basic Instinct*](https://film.one/film/basic-instinct.md) (72)

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

## Biography

Joe Eszterhas is a Hungarian-American screenwriter and author. Born in Csákánydoroszló, Hungary, he grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and began his career as a journalist and editor before entering film.

His first screenwriting credit was for *F.I.S.T.* (1978). He went on to write *Flashdance* (1983), *Jagged Edge* (1985), *Basic Instinct* (1992), *Sliver* (1993), *Showgirls* (1995) and *Jade* (1995). He was reported as the highest-paid screenwriter in Hollywood during the early 1990s. He later published books including the memoir *Hollywood Animal* (2004) and has largely withdrawn from screenwriting.

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

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Basic Instinct 2* (2006), Fi1m 36, Characters — [page](https://film.one/film/basic-instinct-2.md)
- *Showgirls* (1995), Fi1m 42, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/showgirls.md)
- *Basic Instinct* (1992), Fi1m 72, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/basic-instinct.md)
- *Flashdance* (1983), Fi1m 54, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/flashdance.md)

## Complete filmography (22)

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

- *Carolco, un rêve hollywoodien* (2026), Actor
- *Prüdes Hollywood - Laster, Lust und Leidenschaft im Film* (2025), Actor
- *The Impact* (2022), Writer
- *Children of Glory* (2006), Screenplay
- *Basic Instinct 2* (2006), Characters — Fi1m 36, [page](https://film.one/film/basic-instinct-2.md)
- *Jackie Chan: My Story* (1998), Thanks
- *An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn* (1998), as Joe Eszterhas · Writer
- *Telling Lies in America* (1997), Screenplay
- *Jade* (1995), Writer, Executive Producer
- *Showgirls* (1995), Writer — Fi1m 42, [page](https://film.one/film/showgirls.md)
- *Sliver* (1993), Screenplay, Executive Producer
- *Nowhere to Run* (1993), Screenplay, Story
- *Basic Instinct* (1992), Screenplay — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/basic-instinct.md)
- *Music Box* (1989), Screenplay, Executive Producer
- *Checking Out* (1988), Writer
- *Betrayed* (1988), Writer, Executive Producer
- *Hearts of Fire* (1987), Writer
- *Big Shots* (1987), Writer
- *Jagged Edge* (1985), Screenplay
- *Flashdance* (1983), Screenplay — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/flashdance.md)
- *F.I.S.T.* (1978), Writer, Screenplay
- *Untitled Basic Instinct Reboot*, Writer

## Awards

### Other awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay 1984: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay (nominated), for *Flashdance*

*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/joe-eszterhas