Mark Swift and Damian Shannon

Last updated
Mark Swift
Born
United States
Nationality American
CitizenshipUnited States
Occupation(s) Screenwriter, film producer
Damian Shannon
Born
United States
Nationality American
CitizenshipUnited States
Occupation(s) Screenwriter, film producer

Mark Swift and Damian Shannon are American screenwriters and film producers. [1] [2] They are known for their collaborative script-writing projects, [3] [4] in particular Freddy vs. Jason [5] and later the 2009 reboot Friday the 13th . [6] [7]

Contents

Early life and education

Shannon attended Bishop McNamara High School and New York University. [8] He then enrolled at the University of Southern California, where he met fellow student and later writing partner Mark Swift. Swift went on to graduate from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore; he also attended the Benjamin School. [9]

Career

Swift and Shannon wrote an adaptation of the comic book Danger Girl for New Line Cinema in 2000. [10] They were two of four writers on the 2004 animated film Shark Tale . [11] [12]

Swift and Shannon wrote a script for the film Friday the 13th , which was released in 2009. [13] [14] [15] They also wrote a script for a sequel before that project was canceled. [16] They had previously written the script for the 2003 film Freddy vs. Jason , [17] [18] after several previously written scripts had been rejected by the producers at New Line Cinema. [19]

In 2011, Swift and Shannon were executive producers of the film Seconds Apart . [20] In 2012 they wrote and directed a horror film for Disruption Entertainment. [21]

They wrote the script for Baywatch (2017), an adaptation of the TV series. [22] [23] [8]

In 2014, Swift and Shannon worked on an original horror project for New Line Cinema, [24] and co-produced O'Lucky Day, a comedy for Paramount Pictures starring Peter Dinklage. In 2015, the pair worked together on a script for a live-action Aladdin prequel titled Genies. [25] [26] [27]

Some of their unreleased projects include Vikings for Disney, an adaptation of the Image comic Hawaiian Dick , [28] Inland Saints for Paramount, [29] and an adaptation of Howard Chaykin’s graphic novel Power & Glory. [24]

Filmography

YearFilmRoleNotes
2003 Freddy vs. Jason Screenwriters
2009 Friday the 13th From a story by Swift, Shannon, and Mark Wheaton
His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th ThemselvesDocumentary film
2011 Seconds Apart Executive Producers
2012 I Heart Shakey
2013Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13thThemselvesDocumentary film
2017 Baywatch ScreenwritersFrom a story by Jay Scherick, David Ronn, Thomas Lennon, and Robert Ben Garant
Nominated- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay

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References

  1. ↑ Jim Craddock (2004). VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever. Visible Ink. p. 317. ISBN   978-0-7876-7470-0.
  2. ↑ "A Comic-Con Panel Psychoanalyzes Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers". Yahoo Movies, Richard Rushfield, July 25, 2014
  3. ↑ Leslie Halliwell (2006). Halliwell's Film Video and DVD Guide 2007. HarperCollins. ISBN   978-0-00-723470-7.
  4. ↑ "Interview: The Writers of Friday the 13th". Shock till you Drop, Ryan Turek February 3rd 2009.
  5. ↑ "Revisiting all 8 of Freddy’s nightmares, the richest of the slasher franchises". AV Club, By Kenji Fujishima, Jan 14, 2016
  6. ↑ Roger Ebert (6 December 2011). Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2012. Andrews McMeel Publishing. pp. 193–. ISBN   978-1-4494-2150-2.
  7. ↑ Andrew Repasky McElhinney (22 October 2013). Second Takes: Remaking Film, Remaking America. McFarland. pp. 200–. ISBN   978-0-7864-7761-6.
  8. 1 2 "Damian Shannon '88 Hollywood Screenwriter". Irish Update, Volume 34 No. 1 Fall 2015. page 18.
  9. ↑ "Hollywood Screenwriter Mark Swift '88 Named 2014 Distinguished Alumnus". The Benjamin School. Buc Banter Online News. 4 June 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  10. ↑ "Damian Shannon and Mark Swift". Variety, July 27, 2000.
  11. ↑ "Shark Tale". review by Roger Ebert. October 1, 2004
  12. ↑ " Shark Tale". Slant Magazine, by Nick Schager, September 26, 2004
  13. ↑ "Friday the 13th: Killer Cut (2009)". DVD Talk.
  14. ↑ "Skydance Dives In for Competing Bermuda Triangle Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. June 17, 2015 by Rebecca Ford and Borys Kit
  15. ↑ "A Slice of Life Friday the 13th". New York Times, By NATHAN LEE, FEB. 12, 2009
  16. ↑ "Friday The 13th Producer Says Film Is Now On The Right Track". Pop Culture Now, Jay Jayson. 05/19/2016
  17. ↑ "A Comic-Con Panel Psychoanalyzes Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers". Yahoo News, Richard Rushfield, July 25, 2014
  18. ↑ Frederick S. Clarke (2003). Cinefantastique. F. S. Clarke. p. 7.
  19. ↑ "Hockey Masks, Machetes and Razor Fingers: The Writers Behind ‘Freddy Vs. Jason’ Tell All!". Bloody Disgusting, By Trace Thurman on May 13, 2016
  20. ↑ "Writer George Richards Previews His Latest, After Dark Originals - Seconds Apart". GeekWeek. Chris Campbell | Jan 28 2011
  21. ↑ "FRIDAY THE 13TH Writers Damian Shannon and Mark Swift to Direct High School Horror Movie". The Collider, by Brendan Bettinger March 22, 2012
  22. ↑ "Dwayne Johnson and David Hasselhoff Strut Their Stuff on ‘Baywatch’ Set". The Wrap, Joe Otterson on March 23, 2016
  23. ↑ "The Baywatch Team Assembles in a New Cast Photo". Coming Soon, Silas Lesnick ON April 26, 2016
  24. 1 2 "New Line Picks Up Secret Horror Pitch From Friday the 13th Writers". The Hollywood Reporter. Heat Vision. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  25. ↑ "Disney’s Wish for Live-Action ‘Aladdin’ Prequel Comes True With ‘Genies’". The Wrap, By Jeff Sneider on July 15, 2015
  26. ↑ "Disney and live action fairytale movies: UK release date calendar". Den of Geek, Rob Leane, 15 Aug 2016
  27. ↑ "Disney conjures up live-action Aladdin prequel in classic “be careful what you wish for” ". AV Club, By William Hughes, Jul 15, 2015
  28. ↑ "NBC Developing Johnny Knoxville Comedy Based on ‘Hawaiian Dick’ Comic Series". Variety, Whitney Friedlander, November 17, 2015
  29. ↑ "New vision for Schumacher’s ‘Saints’". Variety, Tatiana Siegel, November 17, 2008
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