Scott Z. Burns

SCOTT Z. BURNS is an award-winning screenwriter, director, producer and playwright. He is the writer, director, executive producer and creator of the Apple TV+ series EXTRAPOLATIONS starring Meryl Streep, Forest Whitaker, Edward Norton and Marion Cotillard. In film, Burns' writing credits include THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM as well as THE INFORMANT!, CONTAGION, SIDE EFFECTS and THE LAUNDROMAT for director Steven Soderbergh. As a director, Burns' credits include PU-239 starring Oscar Isaac and Paddy Considine and THE REPORT starring Adam Driver and Annette Bening. Burns served as a producer for the Academy Award-winning documentary AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH for which he received the Humanitas Prize, as well as an executive producer of AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL and SEA OF SHADOWS which won the Sundance Audience Award. On stage, Burns' play THE LIBRARY was produced at The Public Theater and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for best new American play. He is also the director and executive producer of the short film series THE VIEW FROM HERE exploring end-of-life experiences for the terminally ill.

Burns is a frequent advisor at the Sundance Institute and a member of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Leadership Committee. He attended the University of Minnesota where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in English Literature. Burns began his career in advertising where he was part of the team that created the ‘Got Milk?’ campaign for which he apologizes to lactose intolerant people everywhere.