James V. Hart is a screenwriter, producer, and novelist who contributed to the screenplay for Muppet Treasure Island (along with Kirk Thatcher and Jerry Juhl) and later co-wrote both the story and teleplay for Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (along with Brian Henson and Bill Barretta). He also served as executive producer on the latter.
Born in Louisiana, Hart began producing low-budget "drive-in" movies in the 1970s, including Summer Run. In 1977, he attempted a screenplay adaptation of Dracula. The screenplay would eventually become Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 film Dracula. Hart also wrote the screenplay to Steven Spielberg's Hook (with Robin Williams), and served as a producer on both films.
Other writing credits include adapting Carl Sagan's Contact (starring Jodie Foster), Tuck Everlasting, Sahara, and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. Producing credits include Kenneth Branagh's 1994 adaptation of Frankenstein and the shelved television series Mister Sterling (starring Jason Bateman). In 2005, Hart published his first children's novel, Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth, yet another take on the Peter Pan character.