Jim Thomas

Jim Thomas, also credited as James Thomas and James E. Thomas (Arabic: جيمس إيرل توماس), is an American screenwriter based in California. Working primarily in mainstream action and adventure storytelling, he became widely associated with high-concept, high-stakes genre filmmaking.

Thomas is best known for his long-running creative partnership with his brother, John Thomas. Together, they wrote and/or played a major role in developing several notable screenplays, including Predator (1987) and Predator 2 (1990), films that helped define modern sci‑fi action cinema and expanded a durable franchise.

Beyond the Predator universe, the Thomas brothers’ credits span major studio releases such as Executive Decision (1996), Wild Wild West (1999), and Behind Enemy Lines (2001), as well as the TV series Hard Time on Planet Earth. Jim Thomas has also appeared via archive footage in making-of documentaries connected to the Predator films.