Aaron Waltke

Aaron John Waltke (born August 8, 1984)[1] is an American screenwriter and Emmy-winning, Annie-nominated executive producer and showrunner.[2] He is best known for his work on Guillermo del Toro's Trollhunters (2016–2018), Wizards: Tales of Arcadia (2020), Unikitty! (2018–2020), and Star Trek: Prodigy (2021–present).[3][4] In 2020, he was named by The College Magazine as one of its "20 under 40" List.[5]

Aaron Waltke
Waltke at the 2018 Annie Awards
Born (1984-08-08) August 8, 1984
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
NationalityAmerican
Other namesAaron J. Waltke
Occupation(s)screenwriter and television producer
Notable work
Spouse
Ellen Tremiti
​
(m. 2016)​

Early life

Aaron Waltke was born and raised in Greenwood, Indiana, in the suburbs of Indianapolis.[6] He attended Indiana University Bloomington, where he majored in Psychology before changing his focus to Telecommunications, English and Theatre.[7] While there, he began directing live theatre, performing sketch comedy, and writing screenplays.[8] He eventually moved to Los Angeles where his work was shown at venues including The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, iO West, The Comedy Store, and the L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival.[9]

Career

Film and television

Waltke began his television career producing and directing documentaries for PBS affiliate WTIU. After moving to Los Angeles, he was hired by The National Lampoon as a writer and producer to create original content for their online comedy and college television networks.[10]

In 2012, he was hired to write a live-action feature film adaptation of The Brave Little Toaster.[11] He was later hired to adapt a live action feature film version of the popular comic strip Heathcliff for the same company.[12]

In 2014, he joined Guillermo del Toro's award-winning Netflix series Trollhunters produced by DreamWorks Animation, for which he was twice-nominated and won an Emmy Award in the category of "Best Writing for an Animated Program," and was nominated for an Annie Award.[13] He later became co-executive producer and co-showrunner on the final installment of the franchise, Wizards: Tales of Arcadia, for which he co-wrote the pilot with del Toro, won a Kidscreen Award for "Best New Series" and was nominated for an Emmy for "Outstanding Children's Animated Series".[14][15][16]

In 2017, he served as a head writer for a Cartoon Network spinoff of The LEGO Movie entitled Unikitty! produced by Warner Bros. Animation.[17] While there, he co-wrote an episode of Teen Titans Go! for the same creative team.[18]

In July 2019, Waltke joined the Paramount+ television series Star Trek: Prodigy as a writer and co-producer, later co-executive producer and co-head writer for the project, which marks the first CBS Studios and Nickelodeon co-production in the Star Trek franchise. He previously collaborated with the show's creators, The Hageman Brothers, on Trollhunters.[19] In 2022, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Animated Series" for his work on the show.[20] In 2023, his work received a nomination for a Television Critics Association Award in the category of "Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming."[21]

In October 2020, Legion M announced that Waltke was attached to develop and executive produce an adult animated feature film with Powerhouse Animation based on George Mann's Ghosts of Manhattan novels, an action sci-fi noir story set in an alternate history 1920s New York.[22]

In 2023, Waltke was hired to develop the story and script for the forthcoming feature film Transformers One, a prequel film in the Transformers franchise.[23]

Personal life

Waltke is married to fellow writer and published mystery author Ellen Tremiti. They reside in Los Angeles.[24]

Waltke engages in youth activism and outreach. He was the keynote speaker at the 2018 RESET Technology & Creativity Conference, a bi-national event between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, aimed at encouraging youth innovation, creativity, and opportunity across the Mexico–US border.[25]

Selected filmography
Aaron Waltke television work
YearTitleCredit
2008–2010National Lampoon's College NetworkWriter, Producer, Director
2012–2013Game Program Attack!Writer (7 episodes)
2016–2018Trollhunters: Tales of ArcadiaWriter (24 episodes), Staff Writer (52 episodes)
2017Teen Titans Go!Writer (1 episode)
2018–2020Unikitty!Head Writer, Story Editor (56 episodes)
2020Wizards: Tales of ArcadiaShowrunner, Co-Executive Producer, Head Writer (10 episodes)
2021–2023Star Trek: ProdigyCo-Producer, Writer (20 episodes) Co-Executive Producer, Co-Head Writer (20 episodes)

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2013 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media The 3rd Annual Streamy Awards Nominated [26]
2018 Kidscreen Awards Best Writing Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia Won [27]
Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production Nominated [28]
Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program Won [29][30]
2019 Outstanding Writing for an Animated Program Nominated [31]
2021 Outstanding Children's Animated Series Wizards: Tales of Arcadia Nominated [32]
Kidscreen Awards Best New Series Won [33]
2022 Children's and Family Emmy Awards Outstanding Animated Series Star Trek: Prodigy Nominated [20][34]
2023 Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming Nominated [35]

References
  1. "Twitter - Aaron Waltke". Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  2. "IMDb page for Aaron Waltke". IMDb. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  3. Holloway, Daniel (July 7, 2020). "'Wizards,' Final Chapter in Guillermo del Toro's 'Tales of Arcadia' Trilogy, Sets Premiere Date". Variety. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  4. Bennett, Tara (August 5, 2020). "Tales of Arcadia: Guggenheim Talks Beautiful Symmetry of Wrapping Up Netflix Franchise with 'Wizards'". Syfy Wire. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  5. "The College's 20 Under 40". The College. August 7, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  6. Bradley, Dan (July 24, 2019). "A Sit Down with Aaron Waltke: From Cornfields to Trollhunters". The HDRoom. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  7. Camacho, Hannah (February 11, 2018). "'Episode #37. Interview with Writer Aaron Waltke (Trollhunters, Unikitty!): Letting a Story Live and Breathe'". The Basic Brainheart Podcast. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  8. Porter Tilley, Jenny (January 22, 2017). "2 IU grads help write the secret world of Netflix's 'Trollhunters'". The Herald-Times Online. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  9. Bradley, Dan (July 24, 2019). "A Sit Down with Aaron Waltke: From Cornfields to Trollhunters". The HDRoom. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  10. Pesola, Eric (October 28, 2020). "Meet Aaron Waltke — one of the creative minds behind Star Trek: Prodigy". The Trek Report. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  11. Foreman, Liza (12 September 2012). "Waterman Gives 'Brave Little Toaster' a New Lease of Life (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  12. Haney, Kendall Michele. "Ep 9 - Serialized Storytelling with Aaron Waltke". The Typin' Toons Podcast. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  13. Porter Tilley, Jenny (January 22, 2017). "2 IU grads help write the secret world of Netflix's 'Trollhunters'". The Herald-Times Online. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  14. Dickson, Jeremy (November 23, 2020). "Who's up for a Kidscreen Award?". The Kidscreen Awards. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  15. Davis, Victoria (August 7, 2020). "Guillermo del Toro's 'Wizards' Brings His 'Tales of Arcadia' Trilogy to a Close". Animation World Network. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  16. Dickson, Jeremy (2021-02-09). "Kidscreen Awards 2021 Winners". Kidscreen. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  17. Joe, Literary (August 7, 2020). "TALES OF ARCADIA Exclusive: Writers Waltke And Quandt On The Franchise And Hopes For An MCU POWER PACK Film". ComicbookMovie.com. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  18. "IMDb page for Aaron Waltke". IMDb. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  19. Lovett, Jaime (July 30, 2019). "Star Trek Animated Series Reveals Writing Team". Comicbook.com. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  20. "Star Trek: Prodigy Nominated for First Annual Children's & Family Emmys". Star Trek. November 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
  21. Pedersen, Rosy Cordero,Erik; Cordero, Rosy; Pedersen, Erik (2023-06-30). "TCA Awards Nominations: 'Succession', 'The Bear' & 'The Last Of Us' Lead; HBO/Max Laps Field With 20 Noms". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-07-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. Carter, Michelle P. (October 13, 2020). "Legion M's New Animated Noir Project... Ghosts of Manhattan!". Official Legion M website. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  23. "Infinite Diversity: A Star Trek Universe Podcast: ID 162: Lower Decks, S4E4: "Something Borrowed, Something Green" on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  24. "Wedding Announcements". The Daily Journal. December 9, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  25. Staff, UC (October 20, 2018). "Binational Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit Coming to UTEP". UTEP Communications. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  26. "Interactive Digital Media Programs to be Honored". Emmys Official Website. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  27. Whyte, Alexandra (February 13, 2018). "And the 2018 Kidscreen Awards go to…". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications. Archived from the original on 2018-02-14. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  28. Hipes, Patrick (December 4, 2017). "Annie Awards: Disney/Pixar's 'Coco' Tops Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 22, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  29. "THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES ANNOUNCES NOMINATIONS FOR THE 45TH ANNUAL DAYTIME EMMY® AWARDS" (PDF). Emmy Awards Official Site. March 21, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-10-23. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  30. Hipes, Patrick (April 27, 2018). "Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards: 'Bold And The Beautiful', 'Sesame Street' Top Winners". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2018-04-28.
  31. Milligan, Mercedes (March 20, 2019). "Daytime Emmy Nominees: 'Elena of Avalor,' 'Watership Down' Lead Animation". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on 2019-03-21.
  32. "2021 Daytime Children's and Lifestyle Nominees" (PDF). Emmys Official Website. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  33. Dickson, Jeremy. "Kidscreen Awards 2021 Winners". Kidscreen.com. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  34. "NATAS ANNOUNCES NOMINATIONS FOR FIRST ANNUAL CHILDREN'S & FAMILY EMMYS AS OF NOVEMBER 10, 2022" (PDF). The Emmys Official Website. November 10, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  35. Pedersen, Rosy Cordero,Erik; Cordero, Rosy; Pedersen, Erik (2023-06-30). "TCA Awards Nominations: 'Succession', 'The Bear' & 'The Last Of Us' Lead; HBO/Max Laps Field With 20 Noms". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-07-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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