Matt Greenhalgh

Matthew Greenhalgh is an English screenwriter from Manchester. He is best known for writing the screenplays of several biopic films, including Control, Nowhere Boy (2009), Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (2017), and Back to Black (2024). He has received five BAFTA nominations, winning once for Most Promising Newcomer for Control—which also earned him an Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Screenplay.

Early life and education Greenhalgh was born in Salford in the Greater Manchester area of England, to Philip Greenhalgh and Rita Greenhalgh (née Roberts).

Greenhalgh graduated from St Bede's College, Manchester and Loreto College, Manchester. He attended Warrington Collegiate Institute with a focus in media studies.

Career Greenhalgh started out writing nightclub reviews for the Manchester magazine, City Life.

Greenhalgh got his start working in television on the Channel 4 TV series Hollyoaks and Brookside as a runner.

In 2002, Greenhalgh wrote for the BBC TV series, Clocking Off. In 2003, he wrote one of the 90 minute episodes of the last series of the ITV series, Cold Feet. He worked as a writer and director on series 1 and 2 of the BBC3 series, the Mancunian Burn It, and then as a writer and director on the Channel 4 series, Legless.

Greenhalgh's film writing debut was a biopic of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, the 2007 film Control, He was awarded the Carl Foreman BAFTA award at the 61st British Academy Film Awards, and was nominated for Best Screenplay at the British Independent Film Award for his work on the film. Control was adapted from the book, Touching From a Distance, written by Ian Curtis' wife, Deborah Curtis.

Greenhalgh wrote the 2009 film Nowhere Boy, about a young John Lennon, which was directed by Sam Taylor Wood and starred Aaron Johnson. The film was nominated for a BAFTA and a BIFA for Best Screenplay.

In 2010, Greenhalgh wrote and directed the short film, Acid Burn, which starred Agyness Deyn and Matthew Beard. In 2011, he directed the script for the short film, Supermarket Girl, which starred Matthew Beard and Nichola Burley. directed by Michael Winterbottom and starring Steve Coogan and Anna Friel which premiered in Sundance Film Festival 2013 and Berlin Film Festival 2013.

Greenhalgh wrote the 2017 Paul McGuigan film, Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, starring Annette Bening, Jamie Bell and Julie Walters. He was nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

In July 2022, it was announced that the feature film Back to Black, based on the life and career of late singer Amy Winehouse had been scripted by Greenhalgh, with Sam Taylor-Johnson directing the movie. It was released in 2024, starring Marisa Abela, Jack O'Connell, and Eddie Marsan.

Personal life Greenhalgh is married to British television producer Nicola Shindler, with whom he has two daughters and a son.

Awards 2003: BAFTA TV Award, Best New Writer (nomination) for Clocking Off 2007: British Independent Film Award, Best Screenplay (nomination) for Control 2007: Chicago International Film Festival, Silver Hugo Award, Best Screenplay for Control 2008: BAFTA Awards, Carl Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer for Control 2008: BAFTA Awards, Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film (nomination) for Control – with Orian Williams, Todd Eckert, Anton Corbijn 2008: Evening Standard British Film Awards, Best Screenplay for Control 2008: London Critics Circle Film Awards, ALFS Award, British Breakthrough – Filmmaking for Control 2009: British Independent Film Award, Best Screenplay (nomination) for Nowhere Boy 2012: Move On – Writer 2013: The Look of Love – Written by 2017: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool – Screenplay 2022: Floodlights — Screenplay 2024: Back to Black — Screenplay

Selected works and publications