Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit

Dan Hernandez
Hernandez in 2026
Born
Daniel Jacob Hernandez

(1983-11-20) November 20, 1983 (age 42)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
EducationBrown University
Occupations
  • Film and television writer
  • producer
Years active2013–present
Benji Samit
Samit in 2026
Born
Benjamin Adam Samit

(1984-07-21) July 21, 1984 (age 42)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
EducationBrown University
Occupations
  • Film and television writer
  • producer
Years active2013–present

Daniel Jacob Hernandez (born November 20, 1983) and Benjamin Adam Samit (born July 21, 1984) are an American film and television writer and producer duo. They are most notable for writing Pokémon Detective Pikachu, which they co-wrote with Rob Letterman, Derek Connolly, and Nicole Perlman.

On television, Hernandez and Samit have written for One Day at a Time, The Tick, Super Fun Night, and 1600 Penn. They were named in Paste Magazine's list of the top 28 comedy writers of 2018. In 2019, Samit and Hernandez signed a long-term deal with 20th Television to develop, write, and produce animated and live-action series.

The two first met during their junior year at Brown University.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleWriter(s) Producer(s)
2019 Pokémon Detective Pikachu Yes No
2021 The Addams Family 2 Yes No
2023 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Yes No
2027 Spaceballs: The New One Yes Yes

Television

Year(s)TitleCredit(s)
2012-2013 1600 Penn Staff writer, written by
2014 Super Fun Night Story editor, written by
2017-2020 One Day at a Time Co-executive producer, supervising producer, producer, written by
2016-2019 The Tick Consulting producer, written by
2020 The George Lucas Talk Show May the AR Be LI$$ You (Arli$$ marathon fundraiser);

The George Lucas Holiday Special

2020-2022 Central Park Consulting producer, written by
2022 Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion Creator, executive producer
2023 Koala Man Developed by, executive producer, written by
2024-2025 Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy Developed by, executive producer, written by

Selected Accolades

Year Award Nominated Work Result
2024 Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Writing in a Feature Production Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Nominated
2026 Producers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Children's Program Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - Pieces of the Past Nominated

References

  1. ↑ Mendelson, Scott. "'Pokemon: Detective Pikachu' Might Be The First Blockbuster Video Game Movie". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  2. ↑ "Critic's Notebook: Netflix Needs to Renew 'One Day at a Time' Already". The Hollywood Reporter. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  3. ↑ "Watch the Tick - Season 2 | Prime Video". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  4. ↑ "Scoop: Super Fun Night on ABC - Tuesday, January 7, 2014". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  5. ↑ "Josh Gad to Star in Paramount Comedy 'Heavy Duty'". The Hollywood Reporter. 9 February 2016. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  6. ↑ "The 28 Best Comedy Writers of the Year Who Will die in Global Warming-Related Catastrophes". 11 January 2019.
  7. ↑ Petski, Denise (2019-06-19). "Writers-Producers Dan Hernandez & Benji Samit Ink Overall Deal With 20th Century Fox TV". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
  8. ↑ "Writers Dan Hernandez & Benji Samit On Writing Partnerships". Creative Screenwriting. July 31, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  9. ↑ "'Ultra Violet & Blue Demon' Superhero Comedy Gets Disney Channel Series Order; Scarlett Estevez & More Round Out Cast". Deadline. 28 January 2021.
  10. ↑ "51st Annual Annie Award Nominations Announced". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
  11. ↑ Lambdin, Allison (2025-12-12). "2026 PGA Awards – Sports, Children's and Short-Form Nominees". Producers Guild. Retrieved 2026-10-15.