View source for Philip LaZebnik

{{short description|American screenwriter and producer (born 1953)}}

{{Infobox person
| name               = Philip LaZebnik
| imagesize          = 
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1953|2|8}}<ref name="DOB">{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/philip_lazebnik|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=2 March 2023|title=Philip LaZebnik}}</ref>
| birth_place        = [[Ann Arbor, Michigan]]
| occupation         = [[Screenwriter]] and [[film producer]]
| education          = [[Harvard University]] ([[B. A.|BA]])
| nationality        = American
| relatives          = [[Ken LaZebnik]] (brother)<br>[[Rob LaZebnik]] (brother)
}}

'''Philip LaZebnik''' (born February 8, 1953)<ref name="DOB"/> is an American screenwriter and producer. He is known for writing the animated films ''[[Pocahontas (1995 film)|Pocahontas]]'' (1995), ''[[Mulan (1998 film)|Mulan]]'' (1998), ''[[The Prince of Egypt]]'' (1998), and ''[[The Road to El Dorado]]'' (2000).

== Early life and education ==
He grew up in [[Columbia, Missouri]], attended [[Hickman High School]], and graduated from [[Harvard College]] in 1976, with a B.A. in classics. His brothers are [[Ken LaZebnik]] and [[Rob LaZebnik]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harben |first=Katherine K. |title=The Hollywood touch |url=https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/the-hollywood-touch/article_6da34a37-a98a-5d69-bff2-90d4d76e4d92.html |access-date=2022-07-04 |website=Columbia Missourian |date=22 July 2008 |language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==
LaZebnik has written screenplays for films including ''[[Pocahontas (1995 film)|Pocahontas]]'', ''[[Mulan (1998 film)|Mulan]]'', ''[[The Prince of Egypt]]'', and ''[[The Road to El Dorado]]''. LaZebnik also wrote episodes for ''[[Wings (1990 TV series)|Wings]]'', ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'', ''[[The Torkelsons]]'' and ''[[The Torkelsons|Almost Home]]''. LaZebnik has served on the board of directors of the [[Writers Guild of America West]] (2001–02) and the Writers Branch Executive Committee of the [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] (2001–03). The screenplay for ''Mulan'' won the 1998 Annie Award for best animation screenplay. He has written numerous films and television series in Europe and the US.

He wrote the book for the musical "Fairy Tale" about Hans Christian Andersen with songs by [[Stephen Schwartz (composer)|Stephen Schwartz]], and wrote the book and lyrics for "Oktoberfest: the Musical" (2016) with music by Harold Faltermeyer. In collaboration with Mads Æbeløe Nielsen he wrote the book for the theatrical musical version of ''[[:da:Djævelens lærling (musical)|Djævelens lærling]]'' (or ''The Devil's Apprentice''), a best-selling Danish fantasy novel of the same name by Kenneth B. Andersen, with songs and music by Madeline Myers.<ref name="mynewsdesk">{{Cite news|url=http://www.mynewsdesk.com/dk/havekommunikation/pressreleases/kenneth-boegh-andersens-fantasy-roman-djaevelens-laerling-faar-verdenspremiere-som-musical-2522740|title=Mynewsdesk.com: Kenneth Bøgh Andersen's ''Djævelens lærling'' to premiere as musical |newspaper=Mynewsdesk |date=30 May 2018 |language=da}}</ref><ref name="rudersdal">{{Cite news|url=https://www.aoh.dk/artikel/ny-stor-fantasy-musical-i-kongrescentret|title=AOH.dk: Musical ''Djævelens lærling'' to premiere at MCH Herning Congress Center |date=2 July 2018 |language=da}}</ref>

He co-wrote the book for the theatrical musical "Snow White and Me" with Ronald Kruschwak, music and lyrics by Pippa Cleary, which premiered in Brno, Czech Republic at Meska Divadlo in 2022. He wrote book and lyrics for "Oktoberfest" with music by Harold Faltermeyer, which premiered in Los Angeles and opens in Berlin, Germany at the Renaissance Theatre on July 7, 2024.

He wrote the book for DreamWorks' theatrical musical version of ''[[The Prince of Egypt (musical)|The Prince of Egypt]]'' with songs by [[Stephen Schwartz (composer)|Stephen Schwartz]] which opened October 14, 2017, at TheatreWorks in Palo Alto, California<ref name="TheatreWorks">{{Cite web|url=https://theatreworks.org/201718-season/201718-season/prince-of-egypt|title=''The Prince of Egypt'' musical page at TheatreWorks website|access-date=2018-10-04|archive-date=2022-05-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519110351/https://www.theatreworks.org/201718-season/201718-season/prince-of-egypt/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and then April 6, 2018, at Fredericia Theatre in Denmark.<ref name="fredericia">{{Cite web|url=http://www.fredericiateater.dk/poe/|title=''The Prince of Egypt'' musical at Fredericia Teater, Denmark|language=da|access-date=2018-10-04|archive-date=2018-10-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005073438/http://www.fredericiateater.dk/poe/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Prince of Egypt premiered at the Dominion Theatre in London's West End February 25, 2020. The London West End production was filmed live and is available digitally.

== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
|-
|1995 || ''[[Pocahontas (1995 film)|Pocahontas]]'' || rowspan="15" | Writer 
|-
|1998 || ''[[Mulan (1998 film)|Mulan]]'' 
|-
|1998 || ''[[The Prince of Egypt]]'' 
|-
|2000 || ''[[The Road to El Dorado]]'' 
|-
|2006 || ''[[The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar]]'' 
|-
|2006 || ''[[Asterix and the Vikings]]'' 
|-
|2007 || ''The Treasure of the Templar Knights 2''
|-
|2007 || ''[[The Three Investigators and the Secret of Skeleton Island]]'' 
|-
|2000 || ''The Treasure of the Templar Knights 3''
|-
|2009 || ''[[The Three Investigators and the Secret of Terror Castle]]'' 
|-
|2014|| ''[[Asterix and Obelix: Mansion of the Gods]]'' 
|-
|2015 || ''Emma and Santa Claus''
|-
|2019 || ''The Shamer's Daughter 2''
|-
|2022 || ''Richard the Stork and the Mystery of the Great Jewel''
|-
|2023 || ''The Prince of Egypt: Live from the West End''
|-
|}

=== Television ===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1988-1989 || ''[[Day by Day (American TV series)|Day by Day]]'' || Writer || 33 episodes 
|-
|1990-1991 || ''[[Wings (1990 TV series)|Wings]]'' || Writer / Co-producer || 5 episodes
|- 
|1991-1992 || ''[[The Torkelsons]]'' || Writer / Producer || 5 episodes
|-
|1991 || ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' || Writer || 2 episodes
|-
|1993 || ''Almost Home'' || Writer / Producer || 3 episodes 
|-
|1994 || ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' || Writer || Episode: Fascination 
|-
|2011 || ''Ludwig and Santa Claus'' || Writer ||
|-
|2013 || ''Hindenburg: the Last Flight'' || Writer ||
|-
|2013 || ''The Hong Kong Affair'' || Writer ||
|-
|}

=== Theatre ===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|2004 || ''Hans Christian Andersen: My Fairytale'' || Writer || 
|-
|2016 || ''Octoberfest The Musical'' || Writer || Los Angeles<ref>{{cite web |website=playbill.com |url=https://playbill.com/article/theatre-transforms-into-beer-hall-for-oktoberfest-the-musical |title=Theatre Transforms into Beer Hall for Oktoberfest the Musical }}</ref>
|-
|2020 || ''[[The Prince of Egypt (musical)|The Prince of Egypt]]'' || Writer || [[West End (theatre)|West End]]
|-
|2022 || ''Snow White and Me'' || Writer || 
|}

== Awards and nominations ==
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Association 
! Category
! Project
! Result
|-
|rowspan=2|1995 || rowspan=2|[[CableAce Award]] || Children's Programming || rowspan=2|''[[Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle]]'' || {{nom}}
|-
| Children's Series || {{nom}}
|-
| 1998 || [[Annie Award]] || [[26th Annie Awards|Outstanding Writing for an Animated Feature]] || ''[[Mulan (1998 film)|Mulan]]'' || {{won}} 
|-
|}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0493857}}

{{Annie Award for Writing in a Feature Production 1996–2010}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lazebnik, Philip}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Columbia, Missouri]]
[[Category:Hickman High School alumni]]
[[Category:Harvard College alumni]]
[[Category:American male screenwriters]]
[[Category:American film producers]]
[[Category:Animation screenwriters]]
[[Category:Annie Award winners]]
[[Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios people]]
[[Category:DreamWorks Animation people]]
[[Category:Writers from Ann Arbor, Michigan]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Michigan]]
[[Category:Film producers from Michigan]]
[[Category:Writers from Columbia, Missouri]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Missouri]]
[[Category:Film producers from Missouri]]