Professional screenwriter, director and film producer Jeff Nathanson will host an advanced exclusive screening of the upcoming film “Tower Heist” at 7 p.m. in UCSB’s Pollock Theater.

The film, starring Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller, is an action-comedy about blue-collar workers banding together to seek revenge on the Wall Street con-man who swindled them with a Ponzi scheme. Nathanson is credited with an impressive history of blockbusters, including “Catch Me If You Can,” “Rush Hour 2,” “Rush Hour 3,” “The Terminal” and “The Last Shot,” and has worked with cinema legends Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.

NBC Universal field marketing assistant Tanya Leverault said Nathanson, who started his college career at UCSB before transferring to UCLA, selected the venue for an opportunity to revisit his Gaucho roots.

“[Nathanson] took his first writing classes at UCSB and he feels like he owes UCSB because that’s where he started,” Leverault said. “He didn’t graduate from there, but he discovered that he wanted to become a screenwriter from taking classes at UCSB.”

Second-year economics major David Ma said the Q&A session will present a unique chance to interact with the creative mind responsible for several major motion pictures.

“After seeing all his successful movies that I love so much, I am most looking forward to hearing about how he got to where he is and came up with the scripts to all these movies,” Ma said.

According to Leverault, Nathanson looks forward to reconnecting with the campus community and showcasing his endeavors.

“[His movies] have affected so many people,” Leverault said. “[Now] he wants to see where he’s been and show people what he’s done.”

First-year communication major Joselyn Jaramillo said Nathanson’s latest work is likely to impress attendees.

“Based on all his other movies, it’s probably going to be filled with a lot of action and a lot of comedy, which I’m looking forward to,” Jaramillo said.

The screening is being presented through the Script to Screen Series, a way for screenwriters, actors and directors to share the creative processes.