As "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1" continues to burn up box offices around the world, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg has officially become the highest-grossing female screenwriter in Hollywood—earning over $2.56 billion (with a "b") in worldwide revenue from her manuscripts.
Prior to "Breaking Dawn: Part 1"'s insane international run (which now clocks in at $647.3 million), scribe Linda Woolverton held the record. Woolverton has had a 20-year career thus far, with some of her biggest hits including Tim Burton's 2010 adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland," Disney's 1994 smash hit "The Lion King" and, last but not least, Disney's 1991 blockbuster "Beauty and the Beast."
Of course the competition is far from settled, as there are all kinds of factors that could change the current standings. "Breaking Dawn: Part 1" is still in theaters for one thing. Plus, there's still "Breaking Dawn: Part 2" to come, which, unless something goes terribly wrong, should be another cash cow in the Rosenberg camp. But Woolverton has some momentum going too. Next January, Disney will re-release a 3-D version of "Beauty and the Beast," which could mean major bucks to her name.
Oh, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, she also has two huge projects in development: an "Alice" sequel and a "Sleepy Beauty" adaptation with Angelina Jolie set to star. There also haven't been adjustments for inflation… but we won't bore you with the pesky math.
The key takeaway here is that both Rosenberg and Woolvertion are blowing it out of the water—one script at a time. Ladies, let the bloodbath friendly race to the top begin.
