Justin Kuritzkes

Justin Kuritzkes (born May 5, 1990) is an American playwright and novelist best known for writing the screenplay for the 2024 Luca Guadagnino sports romance Challengers. He has also been the subject of media coverage because of his activities on YouTube, such as the 2011 video "Potion Seller".

Early life and education
Kuritzkes was born and raised in Los Angeles, California to a Jewish family. His father is a gastroenterologist and his mother practiced real estate law.

In 2008, Kuritzkes graduated from Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles.

Kuritzkes attended Brown University where he studied philosophy and literary arts. At Brown, Kuritzkes studied with playwrights Gregory Moss, Lisa D'Amour, and Erik Ehn, participated in Production Workshop, and was involved in local protests affiliated with the Occupy movement. Kuritzkes graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 2012.

Career
Kuritzkes' one-act play An Autobiography of my Brother, first written for the 2008 Harvard-Westlake Playwrights Festival, was among the works honored at the 2010 Young Playwrights Competition.

Beginning during his time at Brown University, Kuritzkes uploaded videos recorded using the Photo Booth application to Youtube. The most famous of these videos, Potion Seller, went viral online and inspired parodies in publications including The New Yorker.

Kuritzkes received a MacDowell Fellowship in both 2012 and 2016. In 2016, his play The Sensuality Party toured the university circuit of New York state. He released the novel Famous People in 2019.

Kuritzkes wrote the screenplay for Luca Guadagnino's romantic sports drama Challengers. Ahead of the film's release, he was named one of the top 10 screenwriters to watch in 2023 by Variety. He also adapted William S. Burroughs' 1985 novel Queer for a film directed by Guadagnino.

In April 2024, Variety reported that Kuritzkes would write the screen adaptation of the Don Winslow novel City on Fire, set to star Austin Butler.

Personal life
Kuritzkes has been married to filmmaker Celine Song since June 11, 2016. They live together in New York City.