Evan Spiliotopoulos was honored with the Edgar Rice Burroughs Legacy Award in 2024 by the Tarzana International Film Festival (TZIFF) in partnership with Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. This prestigious award recognizes screenwriters, directors, or producers who embody Burroughs’ spirit in action, adventure, fantasy, and science fiction. 

Evan Spiliotopoulos, the 2024 Edgar Rice Burroughs Legacy Award recipient, has distinguished himself as a screenwriter, producer, and director whose work reflects the adventurous imagination and mythic storytelling spirit associated with Edgar Rice Burroughs. From Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast to Hercules, The Huntsman: Winter’s War, The Pope’s Exorcist, and his feature directorial debut The Unholy, Spiliotopoulos has contributed to films that span fantasy, action, horror, legend, and large-scale cinematic world-building. His career demonstrates a powerful command of genre storytelling: adapting beloved material, shaping heroic journeys, and creating stories that invite audiences into worlds of wonder, danger, and transformation. Through his body of work, Spiliotopoulos has helped keep adventure and imagination alive on screen, making him a fitting and deserving honoree for an award dedicated to the enduring creative legacy of Edgar Rice Burroughs.