Matthew Robbins was born in New York City and later attended Johns Hopkins University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Romance Languages. He then pursued a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Southern California School of Cinema.
Robbins began his screenwriting career in partnership with Hal Barwood, and together they wrote and sold six scripts within a three-year period. Their first feature film was The Sugarland Express, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Goldie Hawn, which won the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival.
He went on to write and direct several more films, including MacArthur, The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings, Corvette Summer, and Dragonslayer, which received two Academy Award nominations. Robbins also directed The Legend of Billie Jean and co-wrote the screenplay for Twentieth Century Fox's Warning Sign.
In the 1990s, Robbins began collaborating with Guillermo del Toro, with whom he co-wrote and directed films such as Mimic, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, and Crimson Peak. They also wrote screenplays for The Count of Montecristo, The Coffin, Wind in the Willows, Pinocchio, and At the Mountains of Madness.
Robbins' other notable collaborations include co-writing The Concert with Radu Mihaileanu, Ek Thi Daayan and 7 Khoon Maaf with Vishal Bhardwaj, and The Shot with Joann Sfar. He has also directed numerous TV commercials for various companies, including Coca-Cola, Chrysler, and British Petroleum.
Throughout his career, Robbins has worked with a wide range of directors and actors, and has been involved in a diverse array of projects, from comedy and fantasy to drama and horror.
