John Logan John David Logan is the - and - nominated screenwriter , producer and ardent " Star Trek " fan who wrote the screenplay for , for which he also shared story credit with Rick Berman and Brent Spiner . Several minor characters in " Star Trek Nemesis " were named for friends of Logan ' s . Romulan Commander Donatra and Helmsman Branson were named for friend Donna Branson , while Commander Martin Madden was named for Logan ' s companion , Marty Madden . In addition , the Bassen Rift was named for his basset hound . Career . Hailing from Chicago , Illinois , and graduating from Northwestern University in 1983 , Logan began as a playwright before turning to writing for the screen . His first foray into screenwriting was the 1996 made - for - television movie " Tornado ! " His first feature was the 1999 horror movie " Bats " , which starred " Nemesis " actress Dina Meyer and guest actor Bob Gunton . He then wrote the acclaimed TV movie " RKO 281 " , for which he won a Writers Guild of America ( WGA ) TV Award and received an Emmy Award nomination . James Cromwell was one of the main actors in " RKO 281 " . Logan received his Academy Award nominations for his work on the Academy Award - winning motion pictures " Gladiator " ( 2000 ) and " The Aviator " ( 2004 ) , the latter of which also featured Brent Spiner in a small role . Logan also received BAFTA Award nominations for these films , as well as nominations from the Golden Globes , the Satellite Awards , and the WGA for " The Aviator " . In addition , Logan wrote the stories and the initial screenplays for the critically - lauded films " Any Given Sunday " and " The Last Samurai " . His most recently - released project , the Tim Burton - directed " Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street " , opened in December 2007 . He earned Saturn Award nominations from the Academy of Science Fiction , Fantasy & Horror Films for both " Gladiator " and " Sweeney Todd " . Upcoming projects . Logan has written scripts for a number of high - profile films in recent years . He scripted the 2011 Academy Award - winning CG - animated film " Rango " , which featured the voices of Ian Abercrombie , John Cothran , Jr . , Timothy Olyphant , and Stephen Root . He adapted the novel " The Invention of Hugo Cabret " as the 3D feature " Hugo " for director , which was also released in 2011 . In addition , Logan wrote and produced an adaptation of William Shakespeare ' s " Coriolanus " , directed by . He also scripted the 2011 HBO movie " The Miraculous Year " , which starred Frank Langella . Logan wrote the initial screenplay for " Lincoln " , a biographical drama on Abraham Lincoln to be directed by . He has also written the film " Empire " for . In 2009 , he wrote a screenplay for a film adaptation of the popular video game " Bioshock " , to be directed by ( who also directed " Rango " ) . In 2007 , Logan was reportedly working on an adaptation of William Shakespeare ' s " The Merchant of Venice " set in 20th century Las Vegas as a starring vehicle for Patrick Stewart , who would also produce . According to Stewart , the idea for this film came from an argument between himself and Logan when the latter called " Merchant " a " loathsome play " . As of 2010 , however , no further development on this production has been announced . On 11 January 2011 , it was announced that Logan will be co - writing the screenplay for the 23rd James Bond film , " Skyfall " , released on 9 November 2012 .