Dan O'Bannon
Encyclopedia
Daniel Thomas "Dan" O'Bannon (September 30, 1946 – December 17, 2009) was an American motion picture screenwriter
, director
and occasional actor
, usually in the science fiction
and horror
genres.
, the son of Bertha (née Lowenthal) and Thomas Sidney O'Bannon, a carpenter. When O'Bannon was in USC
, he met John Carpenter
and they collaborated on the 45-minute USC School of Cinema-Television short Dark Star
(1970). Carpenter expanded the short into a feature which was released in 1974 with a final budget of only US$60,000. O'Bannon was along, serving in a number of capacities, including scripting, editing and acting as one of the leading roles (Pinback). In 1975 Dark Star won the Golden Scroll
award (as the Saturn Awards were known in the early years) for Best Special Effects
.
O'Bannon, growing up a science fiction and horror enthusiast, had abandoned technical work (including a stint as a computer animator on George Lucas
' classic Star Wars
) for screenwriting. Following Star Wars he was attached to supervise special effects for a Alejandro Jodorowsky
production of Frank Herbert
's Dune
but this fell apart in 1975 leaving O'Bannon homeless and with no money. Together with Ronald Shusett
, he wrote the original story for Alien
(1979), regathered the artistic talent from the defunct Dune project and is generally acknowledged (along with H. R. Giger
and Ridley Scott
) as being one of the main creative forces behind Aliens success.
, writing two segments, "Soft Landing" and "B-17". O'Bannon has voiced his displeasure with his next big-budget outing, John Badham
's Blue Thunder
(1983), an action yarn about a Los Angeles
helicopter
surveillance team. Originally written with Don Jakoby, Blue Thunder also underwent extensive rewriting, losing some of its political content. He and Jakoby also scripted Lifeforce
(1985); a tale directed by Tobe Hooper
, that veers from alien visitation to vampirism
to an apocalyptic
ending. It was not well-received and was considered a box office
flop
. O'Bannon would again collaborate with Jakoby and Hooper for the 1986 remake Invaders from Mars
. Purists considered it inferior to the 1950s original and it also performed poorly at the box office. He also worked as a consultant for the cult-classic C.H.U.D.
, helping to create the design concept for the title creatures.
Also in 1985, O'Bannon moved into the director's chair with Return of the Living Dead
. The film met with success, has become a cult classic, and went on to spawn numerous sequels, just like the earlier Alien.
(1990), an adaptation of the short story, "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" by Phillip K. Dick. This was a project the two had been working on since collaborating on Alien
. The film went on to earn well over US$100 million. An earlier screenplay by the duo titled Hemoglobin was also produced as the low budget feature Bleeders
(1997).
His second directorial feature, The Resurrected
(1992), was a low budget horror effort that was released directly on video and focused on a family's ancient rituals which awaken the dead. It was based on the writings of H. P. Lovecraft
.
O'Bannon also received a co-writing credit on the film Screamers (1995), a science fiction film about post-apocalyptic robots programmed to kill. Adapted from the Philip K. Dick
story "Second Variety
", O'Bannon did his work on the screenplay in the early 1980s.
in Los Angeles on December 17, 2009. He is survived by their son Adam.
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and occasional actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, usually in the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
genres.
Early life and career
O'Bannon was born in St. Louis, MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, the son of Bertha (née Lowenthal) and Thomas Sidney O'Bannon, a carpenter. When O'Bannon was in USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, he met John Carpenter
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
and they collaborated on the 45-minute USC School of Cinema-Television short Dark Star
Dark Star (film)
Dark Star is a 1974 American comedic science fiction motion picture directed by John Carpenter and co-written with Dan O'Bannon.-Backstory and plot:...
(1970). Carpenter expanded the short into a feature which was released in 1974 with a final budget of only US$60,000. O'Bannon was along, serving in a number of capacities, including scripting, editing and acting as one of the leading roles (Pinback). In 1975 Dark Star won the Golden Scroll
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
award (as the Saturn Awards were known in the early years) for Best Special Effects
Saturn Award for Best Special Effects
The following are a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Special Effects:...
.
O'Bannon, growing up a science fiction and horror enthusiast, had abandoned technical work (including a stint as a computer animator on George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
' classic Star Wars
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
) for screenwriting. Following Star Wars he was attached to supervise special effects for a Alejandro Jodorowsky
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Alejandro Jodorowsky Prullansky, known as Alejandro Jodorowsky, is a Chilean filmmaker, playwright, actor, author, comic book writer and spiritual guru...
production of Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
's Dune
Dune (novel)
Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert, published in 1965. It won the Hugo Award in 1966, and the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel...
but this fell apart in 1975 leaving O'Bannon homeless and with no money. Together with Ronald Shusett
Ronald Shusett
Ronald Shusett is a motion picture screenwriter and producer, usually in the science fiction genre.He wrote the original story for Alien with Dan O'Bannon....
, he wrote the original story for Alien
Alien (film)
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
(1979), regathered the artistic talent from the defunct Dune project and is generally acknowledged (along with H. R. Giger
H. R. Giger
Hans Rudolf "Ruedi" Giger is a Swiss surrealist painter, sculptor, and set designer. He won an Academy Award for Best Achievement for Visual Effects for his design work on the film Alien.-Early life:...
and Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
) as being one of the main creative forces behind Aliens success.
1980s
In 1981, O'Bannon helped create the cult classic animation feature Heavy MetalHeavy Metal (film)
Heavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....
, writing two segments, "Soft Landing" and "B-17". O'Bannon has voiced his displeasure with his next big-budget outing, John Badham
John Badham
- External links :...
's Blue Thunder
Blue Thunder
Blue Thunder is a 1983 feature film that features a high-tech helicopter of the same name. The movie was directed by John Badham and stars Roy Scheider...
(1983), an action yarn about a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
surveillance team. Originally written with Don Jakoby, Blue Thunder also underwent extensive rewriting, losing some of its political content. He and Jakoby also scripted Lifeforce
Lifeforce (film)
Lifeforce is a 1985 science fiction film directed by Tobe Hooper from a screenplay by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby, from the novel The Space Vampires, published in 1976, by Colin Wilson.-Plot:...
(1985); a tale directed by Tobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in the horror film genre. His works include the cult classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , along with its first sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 ; the three-time Emmy-nominated Stephen King film adaptation...
, that veers from alien visitation to vampirism
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
to an apocalyptic
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
ending. It was not well-received and was considered a box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
flop
Box office bomb
The phrase box office bomb refers to a film for which the production and marketing costs greatly exceeded the revenue regained by the movie studio. This should not be confused with Hollywood accounting when official figures show large losses, yet the movie is a financial success.A film's financial...
. O'Bannon would again collaborate with Jakoby and Hooper for the 1986 remake Invaders from Mars
Invaders from Mars (1986 film)
Invaders from Mars is a 1986 science fiction film directed by Tobe Hooper from a screenplay by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby. It is a remake of the 1953 science fiction film Invaders from Mars, and is a reworking of that film's screenplay by Richard Blake from an original story by John Tucker Battle...
. Purists considered it inferior to the 1950s original and it also performed poorly at the box office. He also worked as a consultant for the cult-classic C.H.U.D.
C.H.U.D.
C.H.U.D. is a 1984 American horror film produced by Andrew Bonime, and directed by Douglas Cheek with Peter Stein as the director of photography and William Bilowit as production designer. The cast includes Daniel Stern and John Heard. It was followed in 1989 by C.H.U.D. II: Bud the...
, helping to create the design concept for the title creatures.
Also in 1985, O'Bannon moved into the director's chair with Return of the Living Dead
Return of the Living Dead
The Return of the Living Dead is a 1985 American zombie film that was followed by several sequels. The film was written and directed by Dan O'Bannon and starred Clu Gulager, James Karen and Don Calfa....
. The film met with success, has become a cult classic, and went on to spawn numerous sequels, just like the earlier Alien.
1990s
He and Shusett would reteam on Total RecallTotal Recall
Total Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox & Mel Johnson, Jr.. It is based on the Philip K. Dick story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”...
(1990), an adaptation of the short story, "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" by Phillip K. Dick. This was a project the two had been working on since collaborating on Alien
Alien (film)
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
. The film went on to earn well over US$100 million. An earlier screenplay by the duo titled Hemoglobin was also produced as the low budget feature Bleeders
Bleeders (film)
Bleeders is a horror movie released in 1997, based on H. P. Lovecraft's story "The Lurking Fear".-Plot:John and Kathleen Strauss are a couple attempting to uncover the secret to John's rare blood disease. Along the way, they encounter Dr. Marlowe , who is intrigued by the case...
(1997).
His second directorial feature, The Resurrected
The Resurrected
The Resurrected is a 1992 horror film, released direct to video. It was directed by Dan O'Bannon and starred John Terry, Jane Sibbett, Chris Sarandon and Robert Romanus. It is an adaptation of the H. P...
(1992), was a low budget horror effort that was released directly on video and focused on a family's ancient rituals which awaken the dead. It was based on the writings of H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
.
O'Bannon also received a co-writing credit on the film Screamers (1995), a science fiction film about post-apocalyptic robots programmed to kill. Adapted from the Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
story "Second Variety
Second Variety
"Second Variety" is an influential short story by Philip K. Dick first published in Space Science Fiction magazine, in May 1953. It is one of Dick's many stories in which nuclear war has rendered the Earth's surface an uninhabitable, gray ash pile, and the only things remaining are killer robots...
", O'Bannon did his work on the screenplay in the early 1980s.
Personal life and death
O'Bannon was married to Diane Louise Lindley from January 18, 1986 until his death from Crohn's diseaseCrohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
in Los Angeles on December 17, 2009. He is survived by their son Adam.
Selection of his work
- 1974 Dark StarDark Star (film)Dark Star is a 1974 American comedic science fiction motion picture directed by John Carpenter and co-written with Dan O'Bannon.-Backstory and plot:...
– writer, special effects, editor, production design, co-star (Sgt. Pinback) - 1976 The Long TomorrowThe Long Tomorrow"The Long Tomorrow" is the title of a short story comic written by Dan O'Bannon in 1975, and illustrated by Moebius. In his introduction to the French hardcover graphic story collection "The Long Tomorrow", Moebius wrote:...
– writer - 1977 Star WarsStar Wars Episode IV: A New HopeStar Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
– special computer effects - 1979 AlienAlien (film)Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
– writer - 1981 Dead & BuriedDead & BuriedDead & Buried is a 1981 horror film directed by Gary Sherman, starring Melody Anderson and James Farentino. With a screenplay written by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett, the movie was initially banned as a "Video Nasty" in the UK in the early 80s, but was later acquitted of obscenity charges and...
– writer - 1981 Heavy MetalHeavy Metal (film)Heavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....
– writer of two segments, Soft Landing and B-17 - 1983 Blue ThunderBlue ThunderBlue Thunder is a 1983 feature film that features a high-tech helicopter of the same name. The movie was directed by John Badham and stars Roy Scheider...
– writer - 1985 LifeforceLifeforce (film)Lifeforce is a 1985 science fiction film directed by Tobe Hooper from a screenplay by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby, from the novel The Space Vampires, published in 1976, by Colin Wilson.-Plot:...
– writer - 1985 The Return of the Living DeadReturn of the Living DeadThe Return of the Living Dead is a 1985 American zombie film that was followed by several sequels. The film was written and directed by Dan O'Bannon and starred Clu Gulager, James Karen and Don Calfa....
– writer, director, voice - 1986 Invaders from MarsInvaders from Mars (1986 film)Invaders from Mars is a 1986 science fiction film directed by Tobe Hooper from a screenplay by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby. It is a remake of the 1953 science fiction film Invaders from Mars, and is a reworking of that film's screenplay by Richard Blake from an original story by John Tucker Battle...
– writer - 1990 Total RecallTotal RecallTotal Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox & Mel Johnson, Jr.. It is based on the Philip K. Dick story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”...
– writer - 1992 The ResurrectedThe ResurrectedThe Resurrected is a 1992 horror film, released direct to video. It was directed by Dan O'Bannon and starred John Terry, Jane Sibbett, Chris Sarandon and Robert Romanus. It is an adaptation of the H. P...
– director - 1995 Screamers – writer
- 1997 BleedersBleeders (film)Bleeders is a horror movie released in 1997, based on H. P. Lovecraft's story "The Lurking Fear".-Plot:John and Kathleen Strauss are a couple attempting to uncover the secret to John's rare blood disease. Along the way, they encounter Dr. Marlowe , who is intrigued by the case...
– writer - 2004 Alien vs. PredatorAlien vs. Predator (film)Alien vs. Predator is a 2004 American science fiction film directed by Paul W. S. Anderson for 20th Century Fox and starring Sanaa Lathan and Lance Henriksen. The film adapts the Alien vs. Predator crossover imprint bringing together the eponymous creatures of the Alien and Predator series, a...
– writer