Straight Outta Compton Screenwriter Andrea Berloff Gives Advice

Before our Oscar-Nominated Screenwriter’s Panel with Jeff Goldsmith, Andrea Berloff, screenwriter of Straight Outta Compton, gave some useful advice to students and professionals looking to get involved in the film industry.

Andrea Berloff worked with fellow writer Jonathan Herman and director F. Gary Gray on Straight Outta Compton, whose previous projects include The Negotiator, Friday, The Italian Job and Law-Abiding Citizen.

Andrea Berloff previously wrote the film, World Trade Center, directed by the legendary Oliver Stone and starring the equally legendary Nicolas Cage.

Straight Outta Compton is an R-Rated film that charts the rise of rappers like Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E, the formation of NWA and subsequent successes and challenges of living in South Central Los Angeles. The movie has been both a critical and financial success, bringing in over $201 Million(!) at the box office, and costing only $28 Million to produce. The film’s ‘A’ rating by Cinemascore also indicates that the picture will likely continue to see healthy sales upon digital and retail release later this year.

Andrea Berloff isn’t resting after the successes of Straight Outta Compton. She is hard at work on several future projects, including Conan The Barbarian, starring Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Sleepless Night, starring Jamie Foxx and Michelle Monaghan, and Blood Father, starring Mel Gibson.

Screenwriter Jonathan Herman finished writing the new imagining of Ghost in the Shell film starring Scarlett Johansson, and directed by Rupert Sanders. Ghost in the Shell is slated for theatrical release in 2017.

Andrea Berloff

Andrea Berloff, writer of ‘Straight Outta Compton’

Director F. Gary Gray is also keeping busy, and is directing the next film in the Fast and Furious franchise, Fast 8.

Interested in learning more about Andrea Berloff’s career in writing? Check out our Q&A with her during our annual Oscar-Nominated Screenwriters panel, and our Q&A with Andrea Berloff and Jonathan Herman after our screening of Straight Outta Compton.