James Wong (Chinese: 黃毅瑜; Pinyin: Huáng Yìyú; Jyutping: Wong4 Ngai6 Jyu4) (B. April 20, 1959) is an American television producer, writer, and film director notable for his screen works of The X-Files, Space: Above and Beyond, Millennium, Final Destination, The One, Dragonball, and the remakes of Willard and Black Christmas along with writing partner Glen Morgan.
Biography
Early life
Wong was born in Hong Kong, and he moved to the United States along with his family at age 10 to San Diego, California. During his youth, he met his future writing partner Glen Morgan at El Cajon Valley High School. Later on, he went to Loyola Marymount University, joining a comedy improv group. Originally seeking a major in engineering, he later switched to a film major after seeing Apocalypse Now in Cinerama Dome. After graduating, he landed a job as an assistant to Sandy Howard. During this time, both Wong and Morgan wrote screenplays, eventually having one produced.
Writing career with Morgan
With Morgan, he co-wrote The Boys Next Door, after this Wong became a story editor on the short-lived ABC crime drama Knightwatch. Later, with Morgan, Wong would work on many Stephen J. Cannell productions, including Wiseguy (as supervising producer), The Commish (as supervising producer), and as a staff writer and story editor for 21 Jump Street and its spinoff, Booker.
Wong and Morgan began working with Chris Carter on the sci-fi/drama The X-Files, about two FBI agents investigating the paranormal in Vancouver.
In 1995, Wong and Morgan were offered an $8 million, four-year contract deal with 20th Century Fox Television to write and produce television series. As part of this deal, Morgan and Wong went on to create the short-lived series Space: Above and Beyond.
They returned to The X-Files briefly in its fourth season (1996-1997), where they wrote the horror episode "Home". Wong also made his TV directing debut with the conspiracy-themed "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man", written by Morgan. Wong and Morgan took on production and writing duties on Carter's new series Millennium. Later, they would go on to executive produce the short-lived NBC paranormal series, The Others.
In 2000, Wong directed Final Destination, a film he co-wrote with Glen Morgan. Wong followed the directorial debut with The One (2001), an action film starring Jet Li, and with more horror films, Willard (2003), directed by Glen Morgan and starring Crispin Glover, and a second sequel, Final Destination 3 (2006), again directed by Wong. In late 2006, Wong and Morgan's remake of Black Christmas was released; the script was by James Wong and Glen Morgan, and the film was directed by Morgan.
Personal life
He is married to Teena Wong, with whom he has three children. They reside in California.
References
External links
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