Linda C. Woolverton

Screenwriter, Playwright and Novelist

Woolverton reimagined “Sleeping Beauty" as told from the point of view of its perceived villain. “Maleficent" premiered in 2014 and starred Angelina Jolie. She also co-penned the sequel, “Maleficent Mistress of Evil" (2019).
She wrote the screenplay for the Tim Burton-directed “Alice in Wonderland." The 2010 film reimagined Alice as a determined young woman returning to Wonderland. This film earned Woolverton the title of first—and currently still the only—solo female screenwriter of a billion-dollar movie.
Woolverton wrote the screenplay for “Beauty and the Beast" (1991), the first animated feature nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. She adapted her screenplay into the Broadway musical, for which she received a Tony nomination. The show ran for 13 years, the 10^th-longest running production in Broadway history.
Wanting to write an animated feature for Disney, Woolverton walked into Disney Animation Studios in Glendale, California, one day to give the receptionist her young adult novel, “Running Before the Wind." Two days later, a Disney executive asked if she would come work for them.
Woolverton's CSULB mentor, Ken Rugg, helped her discover her passion for children's theatre, while CSUF was the only school offering a specialty in Theater for Children. Upon graduation, she wrote and performed in her own company, which put on shows in churches, playgrounds, parks and malls in Southern California.

Notable CSU Alumni in artists & authors