1999–2003: Early career and breakthrough
An early boost to Lindelof's writing career came in 1999, when he was selected as a semifinalist for a Nicholl Fellowship for his screenplay Perfectionists.[10] Before this, he had worked on reviewing scripts at Paramount, Fox, and Alan Ladd studios.
In 1999, Lindelof began his professional career as a writer on the drama series Wasteland and the anthology series Undressed. He received further attention as a writer on the CBS crime drama series Nash Bridges, which he worked on from 2000 to 2001. He then wrote and produced the NBC crime drama series Crossing Jordan, which he worked on until the end of its third season.
2004–2010: Lost and commercial success
In 2004, Lindelof received further recognition and success as an executive producer and showrunner (alongside Carlton Cuse) on the drama series Lost. The series was praised for its unique brand of storytelling and strong characters. The first two seasons of the show were ratings juggernauts and the show never fell out of the Top 30 throughout its six seasons on the air. Lindelof's work on Lost garnered numerous awards and nominations throughout its run, including winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2005.[11]
Lindelof and the Lost writing staff won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Dramatic Series at the February 2006 ceremony for their work on the first and second seasons.[12] He was nominated for the WGA Award for Best Dramatic Series a further three times: namely, the February 2007 ceremony for his work on the second and third seasons,[13] at the February 2009 ceremony for his work on the fourth season[14] and at the February 2010 ceremony for his work on the fifth season.[15] Lindelof and his co-writer Drew Goddard were also nominated for the WGA Award for Best Episodic Drama at the February 2008 ceremony for writing the episode "Flashes Before Your Eyes".[16]
Lindelof and co-showrunner Carlton Cuse have been heralded as two of the first to truly embrace the changing times with things such as their daily podcast and being active in the fan community. A majority of the six seasons were met with critical praise, but both Lindelof and Cuse were not afraid to address critiques on the show, be it through the podcast or other forms of media. However, Lindelof said in late 2013 that he would no longer be addressing those displeased with the way the show ended, stating:
"And what do I do? I jump at the opportunity to acknowledge how many people were dissatisfied with how it ended. I try to be self-deprecating and witty when I do this, but that's an elaborate (or obvious?) defense mechanism to let people know I'm fully aware of the elephant in the room and I'm perfectly fine with it sitting down on my face and shitting all over me ... And here's my part: I will finally stop talking about it. I'm not doing this because I feel entitled or above it — I'm doing it because I accept that I will not change hearts nor minds. I will not convince you they weren't dead the whole time, nor resent you for believing they were despite my infinite declarations otherwise.[17]"
Lindelof was featured on a December 2008 episode of The Write Environment, a public television series featuring in-depth, candid one-on-one interviews with some of TV's most prolific and well-known series creator and writers. The interview is also available on DVD.[18][19]
While approaching the end of Lost, it was rumored that Lindelof and series co-creator J. J. Abrams would write and direct a film adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. Lindelof dismissed this in a Q&A with USA Today in late 2009. He commented, "After working six years on Lost, the last thing I want to do is spend the next seven years adapting one of my favorite books of all time. I'm such a massive Stephen King fan that I'm terrified of screwing it up. I'd do anything to see those movies written by someone else. My guess is they will get made because they're so incredible. But not by me."[20] Lindelof later served as co-producer on the 2009 science fiction action film, Star Trek, which was directed by frequent collaborator J. J. Abrams.
In May 2023, Lindelof and Cuse were accused of fostering a "toxic workplace" by several cast members and writers during their tenure on Lost. In an excerpt from the book Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood, author Maureen Ryan interviewed various actors, writers, and crew members from the series on the alleged toxicity behind the scenes. Multiple sources claimed that Lindelof had said about the departure of Harold Perrineau from the series that the actor "called me racist, so I fired his ass."[21] Lindelof responded to the allegations by saying, "I have no recollection of those specific things. And that's not me saying that they didn't happen. I'm just saying that it's literally baffling my brain—that they did happen and that I bore witness to them or that I said them. To think that they came out of my mouth or the mouths of people that I still consider friends is just not computing."[18] Lindelof acknowledged personal failings during his time as showrunner on Lost, saying "My level of fundamental inexperience as a manager and a boss, my role as someone who was supposed to model a climate of creative danger and risk-taking but provide safety and comfort inside of the creative process—I failed in that endeavor" and "I have significantly evolved and grown, and it shouldn't have had to come at the cost and the trauma of people that I hurt on Lost."[18]
2011–2017: The Leftovers, films, and critical acclaim
In 2011, Lindelof aided in development of the fantasy series Once Upon a Time, which was created by former Lost writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. He was not officially credited in the pilot.[22] Also in 2011, Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci, and several other writers, contributed to the screenplay of the film version of the comic book series Cowboys & Aliens.
Lindelof co-wrote the screenplay for Ridley Scott's science fiction film Prometheus, which was released in June 2012 to commercial success. Lindelof also produced the 2013 science fiction action sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, and cowrote its screenplay with Kurtzman and Orci. Also that year, he co-wrote the screenplay for the action adventure film World War Z.
He co-wrote the screenplay for the science fiction adventure film Tomorrowland with director Brad Bird, based on a story by Lindelof, Bird, and Jeff Jensen. The film was in development for many years before being released in 2015.[23][24]
2018–present: Watchmen and further films
In August 2018, it was announced that Lindelof would be adapting Alan Moore's Watchmen as a series for HBO. He had previously been quoted as saying it was his favorite graphic novel and a huge inspiration on Lost.[36] The series, which features an original story set after the events of the graphic novel, premiered in 2019 to critical acclaim. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series has a 95% rating based on 112 reviews, with an average rating of 8.58/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Bold and bristling, Watchmen isn't always easy viewing, but by adding new layers of cultural context and a host of complex characters it expertly builds on its source material to create an impressive identity of its own."[37] While HBO had not confirmed a second season following the show's broadcast, Lindelof stated that if there were, he would not likely be back for it, but instead have another producer step forward to tell another story set in this universe. Lindelof said he felt that the show was "not my story" and that "These nine episodes are sort of everything that I have to say at this point about Watchmen".[38]
Comics
Lindelof is the writer of the six-issue comic-book miniseries Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk for Marvel Comics, which takes place in the Ultimate Marvel universe.[46] It began publication in January 2006. Production was suspended after the second issue in February 2006 due to Lindelof's heavy workload elsewhere. The last of the scripts was submitted to Marvel in 2008 and the series resumed publication in March 2009.
He also wrote the first issue of the comic book series Legends of the Dark Knight (Vol. 2), published by DC comics, in June 2012.
Lindelof wrote a Rip Hunter story for Time Warp No. 1 (May 2013) which was drawn by Jeff Lemire and published by Vertigo.[47][48]
