---
name: "Mark Boal"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/mark-boal"
fi1m_id: "mark-boal"
imdb_id: "nm1676793"
tmdb_id: 51686
wikidata_id: "Q370765"
roles: ["Writer","Producer"]
born: "23 January 1973"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 68
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-17T18:18:48.785576+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."
---

# Mark Boal

## Identity

Mark Boal

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/mark-boal
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** mark-boal
- **IMDb ID:** nm1676793
- **TMDB ID:** 51686
- **Wikidata ID:** Q370765
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Boal, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q370765, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1676793/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/51686

Writer and producer. Born 23 January 1973 in New York City, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer, Producer
- **Born:** 23 January 1973, New York City, New York, USA
- **Active:** 2008–2013
- **Frequently works with:** [Kathryn Bigelow](https://film.one/person/kathryn-bigelow.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscars (2 won · 4 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 68, as writer, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 86 (1), 2010s 59 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 68 to 68 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 2, Thriller 2, Action 1, Adventure 1, Science Fiction 1, War 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $426m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Boal, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q370765, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1676793/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/51686

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Hurt Locker*](https://film.one/film/the-hurt-locker.md) (86)
- **Apple TV:** [*Zero Dark Thirty*](https://film.one/film/zero-dark-thirty.md) (80)

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

## Biography

Mark Boal is an American journalist, screenwriter and film producer. Born on 23 January 1973 in New York City, he graduated from Oberlin College in 1995. He began his career as a freelance journalist, contributing to publications including Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, Salon and Playboy.

Boal wrote the screenplay for the 2008 film *The Hurt Locker*, which he also produced. The film, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, earned him Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture. His earlier article "Death and Dishonor" formed the basis for the 2007 film *In the Valley of Elah*, which he co-wrote. He later wrote and produced *Zero Dark Thirty* (2012), again with Bigelow.

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

## On Fi1m (3)

- *After Earth* (2013), Fi1m 38, Script Consultant — [page](https://film.one/film/after-earth.md)
- *Zero Dark Thirty* (2012), Fi1m 80, Writer, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/zero-dark-thirty.md)
- *The Hurt Locker* (2008), Fi1m 86, Writer, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-hurt-locker.md)

## Complete filmography (8)

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

- *Echo 3* (2022), series, Executive Producer, Story, Teleplay, Writer, Director, Creator
- *Triple Frontier* (2019), Story, Screenplay, Executive Producer
- *Detroit* (2017), Screenplay, Producer
- *Death in the Terminal* (2016), Executive Producer
- *After Earth* (2013), Script Consultant — Fi1m 38, [page](https://film.one/film/after-earth.md)
- *Zero Dark Thirty* (2012), Writer, Producer — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/zero-dark-thirty.md)
- *The Hurt Locker* (2008), Producer, Writer — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hurt-locker.md)
- *In the Valley of Elah* (2007), Story

## Gallery

- ![Mark Boal is the writer of the movie "The Hurt Locker." Screening was at the Landmark Sunshine Theater, NYC. Director, writer, and actor were in attendance and  (2009)](https://film.one/media/person/100350/gallery-236d697ec96c.jpg) Mark Boal is the writer of the movie "The Hurt Locker." Screening was at the Landmark Sunshine Theater, NYC. Director, writer, and actor were in attendance and  (2009) — Becca Dorstek from NYC & Jersey Shore, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Mark_Boal_01.jpg/1280px-Mark_Boal_01.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Mark Boal is the writer of the movie "The Hurt Locker." Screening was at the Landmark Sunshine Theater, NYC. Director, writer, and actor were in attendance and  (2009)](https://film.one/media/person/100350/gallery-282ee528599a.jpg) Mark Boal is the writer of the movie "The Hurt Locker." Screening was at the Landmark Sunshine Theater, NYC. Director, writer, and actor were in attendance and  (2009) — Becca Dorstek from NYC & Jersey Shore, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Mark_Boal_02.jpg/1280px-Mark_Boal_02.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Mark Boal](https://film.one/media/person/100350/gallery-042867c7b59c.jpg) Mark Boal — Mark_Boal_02.jpg: Becca Dorstek from NYC & Jersey Shore, USA
derivative work: RanZag (talk), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Mark_Boal_02_cropped.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 2 won, 4 nominated

- 2013: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *Zero Dark Thirty*
- 2013: Best Picture (nominated), for *Zero Dark Thirty*
- 2011: Best Picture (nominated), for *The Hurt Locker*
- 2010: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (won), for *The Hurt Locker*
- 2010: Best Picture (won), for *The Hurt Locker*
- 2009: Best Picture (nominated), for *The Hurt Locker*

*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/mark-boal