Joe Eszterhas

József Antal Eszterhás (Hungarian: [ˈjoːʒɛf ɒntɒl ˈɛstɛrhaːʃ]; born November 23, 1944), credited as Joe Eszterhas, is a Hungarian-American writer. Born in Hungary, he grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. After an early career as a journalist and editor, he entered the film industry. His first screenwriting credit was for the film F.I.S.T. (1978). He co-wrote the script for Flashdance, which became one of the highest-grossing films of 1983, and set off a lucrative and prolific run for his career. By the early 1990s, he was known as the highest-paid writer in Hollywood, and noted for his work in the erotic thriller genre. He was paid a then-record $3 million for his script Love Hurts, which was produced as Basic Instinct (1992), and following its success, news outlets reported he earned seven-figure payouts solely on the basis of two-to-four page outlines.

Eszterhas' screenwriting career experienced a decline over the rest of the decade, with films such as Showgirls (1995), Jade (1995), and An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997), the latter receiving negative reviews and performing poorly at the box office. He mostly withdrew from Hollywood afterward, though he has since authored several books. His publications include American Rhapsody (2000), and two volumes of memoirs: Hollywood Animal (2004), an autobiography, and Crossbearer (2008), which detailed his adulthood return to the Catholic faith he was raised in.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Joe Eszterhas, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Joe Eszterhas is known for work in writing across film and television. New Release currently presents 26 verified screen credits connected to this profile.

Selected work includes Carolco, un rêve hollywoodien (2026), Prüdes Hollywood - Laster, Lust und Leidenschaft im Film (2025), Jackie Chan: My Story (1998), Basic Instinct (1992), Showgirls (1995), Sliver (1993), Flashdance (1983), Basic Instinct 2 (2006). The recorded credits span 1978 to 2026, including 26 movies and 0 TV shows.

The filmography below lists available titles, release years and known roles. This profile is updated as additional verified information becomes available.