Matthew Reilly facts for kids

Matthew John Reilly (born 2 July 1974) is a very popular Australian writer. He is known for writing exciting action and thriller books that are enjoyed by many people around the world.

Matthew Reilly's Early Life

Matthew Reilly was born in Sydney, Australia, on 2 July 1974. He grew up in a suburb called Willoughby with his brother. His father worked for the Department of Corrective Services, and his mother was a mathematics teacher.

He went to St Aloysius' College in Sydney and finished school in 1992. After that, he studied Law at the University of New South Wales from 1993 to 1997.

Writing Career and Books

Matthew Reilly wrote his first book, Contest, when he was just 19 years old. He published it himself in 1996 because many publishers in Australia did not accept it. He printed 1,000 copies using a bank loan.

A book editor from Pan Macmillan found a copy of Contest in a bookstore. This led to Pan Macmillan signing Reilly for a two-book deal. He wrote his second book, Ice Station, while he was still at university. This book quickly became popular with publishers in the US, UK, and Germany.

Since then, Matthew Reilly has sold over 8 million copies of his books worldwide. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages. Several of his books have been the top-selling fiction titles in Australia. These include Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves (in 2011), Seven Ancient Wonders (in 2005), The Five Greatest Warriors (in 2009), and The Tournament (in 2013). His writing is known for its bold and fast-paced action.

In 2007, Reilly wrote a TV script called Literary Superstars. A famous producer, Darren Star, picked up the script, and Sony Pictures bought it for the ABC Network. However, a writers' strike in Hollywood stopped the project, and it was not made into a show.

In 2015, an audio drama version of his book Ice Station was created. This was the first time his work was adapted into something other than a book.

Directing a Movie

In 2017, Matthew Reilly started writing a story that could be made into a movie with a moderate budget. This story became the screenplay for the film Interceptor. The movie is about a female US Army captain who must stop 16 nuclear missiles aimed at American cities.

Reilly worked with screenwriter Stuart Beattie to develop the script. This collaboration eventually led to Netflix funding the film. Matthew Reilly directed the movie himself, which was his first time directing. Filming took place in Sydney in early 2021. The movie stars Elsa Pataky as the main character and Australian actor Luke Bracey as the villain. Elsa Pataky's husband, actor Chris Hemsworth, was one of the movie's producers. Interceptor was released on Netflix in mid-2022.

Personal Life and Hobbies

In 2004, Matthew Reilly married Natalie Freer. She had also attended the University of New South Wales. Reilly has said that Natalie encouraged him to self-publish his first book. In December 2011, Natalie passed away. This was a very difficult time for Reilly, and he took a break from his book tours and online communication. He later shared how much he missed her and how hard it was for him.

Matthew Reilly is a big fan of Hollywood movies. He owns several movie props, like a life-size statue of Han Solo frozen in carbonite from Star Wars, a golden idol from Raiders of the Lost Ark, and a DeLorean car from Back to the Future. He always hoped to direct a movie based on one of his own stories, which he achieved with Interceptor.

In 2015, Reilly moved to Los Angeles, California, with Kate Freeman. They got married in April 2023.

Fun Facts About Matthew

In 2004, Matthew Reilly married Natalie Freer. She went to the same university as him. Matthew says Natalie encouraged him to self-publish his first book.

Matthew is a big fan of Hollywood movies. He even owns cool movie props! He has a life-size statue of Han Solo frozen in carbonite from Star Wars. He also has a golden idol from Raiders of the Lost Ark. And he owns a DeLorean car, just like the one from Back to the Future!

Matthew always hoped to direct a movie based on one of his own stories. He finally got to do this when he co-wrote and directed Interceptor.

Matthew Reilly moved to Los Angeles, California, in 2015 with Kate Freeman. They got married in April 2023.