Josh Friedman (born February 14, 1967) is an American screenwriter and television producer. He is best known for his work on the science-fiction action genre, including on the series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, the film adaptation of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds (2005), Terminator: Dark Fate (2019), James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024). He also wrote the neo-noir murder mystery The Black Dahlia (2006).

Career

Friedman has developed several television pilots, including the TNT series Snowpiercer, based on Bong Joon-ho's film of the same name. Friedman departed the program in January 2018 due to creative differences with the network, and he was replaced by Graeme Manson. Friedman later claimed that he felt pressured to leave by TNT due to a "radical difference in vision", with an implicit threat of blacklisting should he fail to comply. Following his departure, pilot director Scott Derrickson refused to return for reshoots in solidarity with Friedman. He is currently attached to Foundation, based on Isaac Asimov's Foundation series.

Filmography

Film writer

Story only

Television