Mark Swift and Damian Shannon

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Mark Swift
Born
NationalityAmerican
CitizenshipUnited States
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, film producer
Damian Shannon
Born
NationalityAmerican
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]

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

Year Film Role Notes
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
Themselves Documentary film
2011 Seconds Apart Executive Producers
2012 I Heart Shakey
2013 Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th Themselves Documentary film
2017 Baywatch Screenwriters From a story by Jay Scherick, David Ronn, Thomas Lennon, and Robert Ben Garant
Nominated- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay

References

  1. .
  2. ^ "A Comic-Con Panel Psychoanalyzes Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers". Yahoo Movies, Richard Rushfield, July 25, 2014
  3. .
  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. .
  7. .
  8. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "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

External links