Writing and Directing Major Hits

Screenwriter, director, and producer Juel Taylor has a hand in three major movies and films. Just three years after graduating in 2015 with a Master’s from the University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinematic Arts, Taylor wrote for the major motion film “Creed II”.

Taylor credits his colleague and friend Steven Caple Jr. for the opportunity. Caple directed Creed II and recommended Taylor, who was eventually selected to co-write the script.

By 2021, Taylor wrote the screenplay for “Space Jam: A New Legacy” starring NBA legend Lebron James. Now in 2023, he’s made his debut as a director for the Netflix film “They Cloned Tyrone”. He also wrote and co-produced the film.

Scooby-Doo Inspiration, Art Design, & Creativity

In its simplest form, Taylor describes his writing as “weird”, but his work is much more complex than that. His latest film They Cloned Tyrone touches on multiple genres including comedy and mystery.

Taylor says some of his inspiration for the film came from Scooby-Doo, specifically how the heroes of the cartoon aren’t seen as the “typical” detectives yet they are “uniquely” qualified to solve the mystery at hand.

It’s no shock that Taylor’s writing is creative. At one point, he had an interest in video game design, but after a few art classes, he chose film. Even with a change in his early career, he said all of his interests: gaming, writing, and directing, are connected.

“It’s all storytelling in a different way,” Taylor said.

It wasn’t until later in his career that Taylor realized the position he was aiming for in the game industry was to be a lead game designer. In a sense, he says he’s doing that work with his films.

“I think in a lot of ways, you are the director of the game,” said Taylor.

Bubble of Normalcy

Before the major movies, the red carpets, and media interviews, Taylor spent his time playing video games with friends and being around family. Taylor is happy to say he’s still doing the same things he used to do.

Taylor describes himself as a pretty mellow dude who creates “a bubble of normalcy” in his life as he continues to cement his name in film history.

Taylor keeps his peace and creativity constantly going by working at home. For him, getting dressed, finding somewhere to go, and even the possibility of being stuck in traffic, can all affect his writing process.

“In order to get into the rhythm I have to make it easily accessible for me,” he said.

His home provides him the flexibility that outside spaces typically can’t. One moment he’s working on his couch conducting a phone call next he’s in his bed researching films.

Taylor is enjoying his time of normalcy. He likes being able to shop in the grocery store in peace, but in the future, this is likely to change as he continues to write hits.

“You can go for ambitious things and still be normal.”

– Juel Taylor