Marcus Dunstan
Encyclopedia
Marcus Dunstan is an American screenplay writer and director.
, Illinois. He spent his formative years working in movie theaters and studying film at the University of Iowa
.
While in college Dunstan experimented with 16mm film often using himself as the guinea pig in poorly executed stunts that left him dragging behind a car, the target of flying knives, and thrice being set on fire. He holds the record for spilling the most fake blood ever in a student film. Since moving to Los Angeles in 1999, Dunstan toiled in several odd jobs including a retirement home, an Optometry
clinic, and a video store while spending his nights writing on a borrowed computer from fellow screenwriter, Patrick Melton
.
In March 2005, Dunstan and Melton won Season Three of Project Greenlight
with their screenplay, Feast
. The director was John Gulager
. The film starred Krista Allen
and Eric Dane
and was produced by Dimension Films
and Neo Art & Logic
.
Dunstan has written the screenplays for Feast
, Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds
, Feast 3: The Happy Finish
, The Collector
, Saw IV
, Saw V
, Saw VI
, and Saw 3D. He is also in pre-producation and post-production for several of his other screenplays. In addition to writing the screenplay for The Collector, he also directed the film. He will direct the sequel to The Collector, titled The Collection. The film, produced by Liddell Entertainment and Fortress Features, began filming in January 2011.
In addition to writing and directing, he and writing partner Patrick Melton
have made cameo appearances in Saw V
, Supergator
, Feast
and The Collector
, appearing in the later two through the same puppet show clip shown on TV screens. He also co-written the Thriller novel Black Light - Don't Look Too Deep alongside Patrick Melton
and Stephen Romano, which will published on October 5th, 2011 over Mulholland Books as hardcover
.
Life and career
Dunstan was born in MacombMacomb, Illinois
Macomb is a city in and the county seat of McDonough County, Illinois, United States. It is situated in western Illinois southwest of Galesburg. The population was 18,588 at the 2000 census. Macomb is the home of Western Illinois University.- Geography :...
, Illinois. He spent his formative years working in movie theaters and studying film at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
.
While in college Dunstan experimented with 16mm film often using himself as the guinea pig in poorly executed stunts that left him dragging behind a car, the target of flying knives, and thrice being set on fire. He holds the record for spilling the most fake blood ever in a student film. Since moving to Los Angeles in 1999, Dunstan toiled in several odd jobs including a retirement home, an Optometry
Optometry
Optometry is a health care profession concerned with eyes and related structures, as well as vision, visual systems, and vision information processing in humans. Optometrists, or Doctors of Optometry, are state licensed medical professionals trained to prescribe and fit lenses to improve vision,...
clinic, and a video store while spending his nights writing on a borrowed computer from fellow screenwriter, Patrick Melton
Patrick Melton
Patrick Melton is an American screenwriter.-Early life:Melton was born in Champaign, Illinois. He attended Evanston Township High School, and graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies...
.
In March 2005, Dunstan and Melton won Season Three of Project Greenlight
Project Greenlight
Project Greenlight was a contest and television series focusing on first-time filmmakers being given the chance to direct a feature film. It was created by Alex Keledjian, developed by Eli Holzman and produced by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Sean Bailey, and Chris Moore through their production...
with their screenplay, Feast
Feast (film)
Feast is a 2005 black comedy horror film, a result of Project Greenlights third season, the amateur filmmaking documentary series and contest. The winning team was composed of writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, and director John Gulager...
. The director was John Gulager
John Gulager
John Thompson Gulager is an actor, cinematographer and film director.-Acting career:The production and filming of Feast was the main focus of season three of Project Greenlight. The film, made for Miramax, had a limited theatrical release. The DVD version was released on October 17, 2006. He was...
. The film starred Krista Allen
Krista Allen
Krista Allen is an American actress. She is best known for her work in the television series Days of Our Lives, Baywatch Hawaii, and What About Brian; and in the Hollywood films Liar Liar, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Anger Management, and The Final Destination...
and Eric Dane
Eric Dane
Eric Dane is an American actor. After appearing in television roles throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he became known for playing Dr...
and was produced by Dimension Films
Dimension Films
Dimension Films is a motion picture unit currently a part of The Weinstein Company. It was formerly used as Bob Weinstein's label within Miramax Films, to produce and release genre films...
and Neo Art & Logic
Neo Art & Logic
Neo Art & Logic is a Los Angeles-based film and television production company. Founded by producers Joel Soisson, W.K. Border and Michael Leahy, the company has an ongoing relationship with Miramax and Dimension Films.-Neo Art & Logic films:...
.
Dunstan has written the screenplays for Feast
Feast (film)
Feast is a 2005 black comedy horror film, a result of Project Greenlights third season, the amateur filmmaking documentary series and contest. The winning team was composed of writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, and director John Gulager...
, Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds
Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds
Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds is a direct-to-DVD 2008 horror - black comedy film and sequel to the 2005 film Feast. The film was directed by John Gulager and written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton....
, Feast 3: The Happy Finish
Feast 3: The Happy Finish
Feast 3: Happy Finish is the third entry in the Feast trilogy. The film was released, direct to DVD, on February 17, 2009.-Plot:The film picks up where the previous film left off. Honey Pie is mauled and beheaded by a monster. Lightning survived the explosion near him and stumbles off...
, The Collector
The Collector (2009 film)
The Collector is a 2009 American horror film written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton and directed by Marcus Dunstan. Originally titled The Midnight Man, the script was originally intended to be a Saw prequel, but the producers were against the idea and quickly dismissed it.-Plot:Arkin, is an...
, Saw IV
Saw IV
Saw IV is a 2007 Canadian-American horror film and midquel to 2006's Saw III. It was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by newcomers Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan and Thomas Fenton. The film was released in North America on October 26, 2007...
, Saw V
Saw V
Saw V is a 2008 Canadian-American horror film directed by David Hackl and written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan and stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor and Scott Patterson...
, Saw VI
Saw VI
Saw VI is a 2009 horror film directed by Kevin Greutert from a screenplay written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. It is the sixth installment of the seven–part Saw film series and stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Mark Rolston, Peter Outerbridge, and Shawnee Smith...
, and Saw 3D. He is also in pre-producation and post-production for several of his other screenplays. In addition to writing the screenplay for The Collector, he also directed the film. He will direct the sequel to The Collector, titled The Collection. The film, produced by Liddell Entertainment and Fortress Features, began filming in January 2011.
In addition to writing and directing, he and writing partner Patrick Melton
Patrick Melton
Patrick Melton is an American screenwriter.-Early life:Melton was born in Champaign, Illinois. He attended Evanston Township High School, and graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies...
have made cameo appearances in Saw V
Saw V
Saw V is a 2008 Canadian-American horror film directed by David Hackl and written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan and stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor and Scott Patterson...
, Supergator
Supergator
Supergator is a 2007 horror film from Roger Corman starring Brad Johnson and Kelly McGillis. The music was by Damon Ebner.-Background:After Corman produced Dinocroc in 2004, he wanted to creat a sequel to be named Dinocroc 2. However, Sci-Fi Channel turned down the project after claiming that...
, Feast
Feast (film)
Feast is a 2005 black comedy horror film, a result of Project Greenlights third season, the amateur filmmaking documentary series and contest. The winning team was composed of writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, and director John Gulager...
and The Collector
The Collector (2009 film)
The Collector is a 2009 American horror film written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton and directed by Marcus Dunstan. Originally titled The Midnight Man, the script was originally intended to be a Saw prequel, but the producers were against the idea and quickly dismissed it.-Plot:Arkin, is an...
, appearing in the later two through the same puppet show clip shown on TV screens. He also co-written the Thriller novel Black Light - Don't Look Too Deep alongside Patrick Melton
Patrick Melton
Patrick Melton is an American screenwriter.-Early life:Melton was born in Champaign, Illinois. He attended Evanston Township High School, and graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies...
and Stephen Romano, which will published on October 5th, 2011 over Mulholland Books as hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
.
Writer
| Film | Release Date | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Feast Feast (film) Feast is a 2005 black comedy horror film, a result of Project Greenlights third season, the amateur filmmaking documentary series and contest. The winning team was composed of writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, and director John Gulager... |
2005 | $3,200,000 |
| Saw IV Saw IV Saw IV is a 2007 Canadian-American horror film and midquel to 2006's Saw III. It was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by newcomers Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan and Thomas Fenton. The film was released in North America on October 26, 2007... |
2007 | $10,000,000 |
| Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds is a direct-to-DVD 2008 horror - black comedy film and sequel to the 2005 film Feast. The film was directed by John Gulager and written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton.... |
2008 | $2,000,000 |
| Saw V Saw V Saw V is a 2008 Canadian-American horror film directed by David Hackl and written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan and stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor and Scott Patterson... |
2008 | $10,800,000 |
| Feast 3: The Happy Finish Feast 3: The Happy Finish Feast 3: Happy Finish is the third entry in the Feast trilogy. The film was released, direct to DVD, on February 17, 2009.-Plot:The film picks up where the previous film left off. Honey Pie is mauled and beheaded by a monster. Lightning survived the explosion near him and stumbles off... |
2009 | $2,000,000 |
| The Collector The Collector (2009 film) The Collector is a 2009 American horror film written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton and directed by Marcus Dunstan. Originally titled The Midnight Man, the script was originally intended to be a Saw prequel, but the producers were against the idea and quickly dismissed it.-Plot:Arkin, is an... |
2009 | $3,400,000 |
| Saw VI Saw VI Saw VI is a 2009 horror film directed by Kevin Greutert from a screenplay written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. It is the sixth installment of the seven–part Saw film series and stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Mark Rolston, Peter Outerbridge, and Shawnee Smith... |
2009 | $11,000,000 |
| Saw 3D | 2010 | $20,000,000 |
| Piranha 3DD | 2011 | $20,000,000 |
| The Collection | 2011 | $10,000,000 |