Dan O'Bannon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dan O'Bannon
O'Bannon in 2008
Born	Daniel Thomas O'Bannon (1946-09-30)September 30, 1946 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	December 17, 2009(2009-12-17) (aged 63) Los Angeles, California, US
Occupation	Screenwriter, director, actor
Spouse(s)	Diane Lindley ​ (m. 1986)​
Children	1

Daniel Thomas O'Bannon (born September 30, 1946 – died December 17, 2009) was an American screenwriter, director, and visual effects supervisor. He was best known for his work in science fiction and horror movies.

O'Bannon wrote the story and screenplay for the famous film Alien. He also wrote and directed the popular horror comedy The Return of the Living Dead. He helped create computer animation for Star Wars. He also worked on other well-known movies like Dark Star, Heavy Metal, and Total Recall.

Early life and education

Dan O'Bannon was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His mother was Bertha and his father, Thomas Sidney O'Bannon, was a carpenter. As a child, he loved science fiction and horror stories.

He went to the art school at Washington University in St. Louis. There, he performed comedy and helped with makeup for plays. He also drew pictures for the student newspaper. Later, he studied psychology at MacMurray College.

He then decided he wanted to be a film director. He earned a degree in film from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1970. While at USC, he spent many late nights editing student films in old Hollywood.

Career highlights

Starting out in the 1970s

At USC, O'Bannon met John Carpenter. They worked together on a student film. This film later became the science fiction movie Dark Star, released in 1974. The movie was made with a small budget of only $60,000.

O'Bannon did many jobs for Dark Star. He helped write the script, acted in a main role, and edited the film. In 1975, Dark Star won an award for its special effects.

After Dark Star, O'Bannon was hired to work on the special effects for a movie called Dune. However, this project did not get made. This left O'Bannon without money or a home for a while.

He then decided to focus on writing scripts. While staying with his friend Ronald Shusett, they created the story for Alien (1979). This movie became a huge success. O'Bannon wrote the screenplay and helped with the visual design.

Movies in the 1980s

In 1981, O'Bannon helped create the animated movie Heavy Metal. He wrote two parts of the film. He also wrote Blue Thunder (1983) with Don Jakoby. This was an action film about a helicopter surveillance team.

O'Bannon and Jakoby also wrote Lifeforce (1985). This movie was about aliens and vampires. It was not very popular at the time. They worked together again on the 1986 remake of Invaders from Mars.

In 1985, O'Bannon directed his first movie, The Return of the Living Dead. This film was a sequel to Night of the Living Dead. Like Alien, it was very successful and became a "cult classic." This means it gained a strong following over time. That same year, he received the Inkpot Award for his work.

Work in the 1990s

In 1990, O'Bannon and Shusett worked together again on Total Recall. This movie was based on a short story by Philip K. Dick. It starred famous actors like Sharon Stone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Total Recall made over $100 million.

O'Bannon's second movie as a director was The Resurrected (1991). This was a horror film released directly to video. It was based on stories by H. P. Lovecraft. In 1995, he also received a writing credit for the sci-fi film Screamers.

Later years (2000s and after)

In 2001, O'Bannon was a special filmmaker at Chapman University. He and Shusett were also credited as writers for the 2004 science fiction movie Alien vs. Predator. This film was a prequel to Alien.

After his death, a book called Dan O'Bannon's Guide to Screenplay Structure was released in 2013. He co-wrote it with Matt R. Lohr.

Personal life and passing

Dan O'Bannon was married to Diane, and they had a son named Adam. O'Bannon passed away on December 17, 2009, in Los Angeles. He had complications from Crohn's disease. He once said that his experiences with Crohn's disease helped inspire the famous chest-bursting scene in his movie Alien.

Filmography

He also helped rewrite Phobia (1980) without being credited.

See also

In Spanish: Dan O'Bannon para niños