Mark Boal on AllMovie

A journalist by trade, Mark Boal became involved in show business when an article he wrote for Playboy in 2004 entitled "Death and Dishonor" was adapted into the screenplay for the Paul Haggis film In the Valley of Elah. The story of an Iraq War veteran who was murdered after his return home was a critical success, and Boal would go on to write and produce 2009's The Hurt Locker, directed by Kathryn Bigelow. The movie would strike a major chord with audiences and critics alike, earning the writer an Oscar nomination and win for Best Original Screenplay.