David Self

David Self
Born	(1970-01-08)January 8, 1970 Texas City, Texas,U.S.
Occupation	Screenwriter

David Christopher Self(born January 8, 1970) is an Americanscreenwriterbest known as the author of the screenplays for the filmsThe Haunting,Road to PerditionandThe Wolfman.

Early life

David Self was born inTexas City, Texason January 8, 1970. He was raised inDanvers, Massachusetts,where he graduated fromSt. John's Preparatory School.He received hisbachelor's degreeandmaster's degreeinEnglish literaturefromStanford University.He moved toLos Angeles, California,after graduation; he had no contacts and got an entry-level job atWalt Disney Picturesin 1994.

Career

Early efforts

His first script was aspec scripttitledDawn's Early Light,a thriller about a terrorist attack on theWhite House.It was not produced, but it circulated widely in Hollywood.His first commissioned script wasFirestorm,a dramatic film script based on thedocumentary filmFires of Kuwait.The script was purchased by Avatar Entertainment, a subsidiary of theWalt Disney Company,but the script went intodevelopment helland was never produced.His second script, a 1996 or 1997 adaptation ofJoseph R. Garber's 1995 novel of corporate espionage and assassination,Vertical Run,was commissioned byWarner Brothers,but it, too, went into development hell and was never produced.

His third script wasThirteen Days,based on the memoirs ofJohn F. KennedyadvisorKenneth O'Donnell.The semi-fictional script (which showed O'Donnell counseling Kennedy during theCuban Missile Crisis) was commissioned by producerArmyan Bernstein,who had readDawn's Early Light.Bernstein initially approached Self with the idea of a love story set against the background of the Cuban Missile Crisis, but Self convinced him to jettison the love story and write a straightforward history picture with O'Donnell as the "everyman" stand-in. Self began writing the script in the spring of 1997.Self worked closely with directorLawrence Kasdanon the script (Kasdan hoped to direct it).It was the first script of Self's to go into production, although it would be the second of his films released.

Self's fourth effort wasGates of Fire,a retelling of theBattle of Thermopylaefrom the point of a view of a young Spartan warrior who survives the battle. The script was based on Steven Pressfield's novel of the same name. Pressfield was the first writer chosen to adapt the novel, but Self was brought in to make major changes and finish it. It sold in 1998.Another script,Coup D'Etat(about a military overthrow of the government of the United States), also sold in 1998,but both films went into development hell and never emerged.

Feature film success

Prior to 1998, all the films Self worked on were for independent production companies. His first screenplay for a major studio wasThe Haunting,which he wrote forSteven Spielberg.After finishingThirteen Days,Self showed the script to Spielberg. According to Self, Spielberg considered directing the picture for a time. Spielberg then asked Self to write his remake of the 1963 film,The Haunting.Spielberg worked directly with Self to work out the film.Made into a feature film in 1999, the script was heavily revised by screenwriter and novelistMichael Tolkin(including a new ending), although Self received sole writing credit.

WhenThe Hauntingwent into production, Spielberg offered Self a one-year contract. It included office space at theDreamWorksstudio and a blind script commitment.

The success ofThe Hauntingled to another major project,Road to Perdition.Self was hired in July 2000 to adapt theDC Comicsgraphic novelby writerMax Allan Collinsand illustratorRichard Piers Rayner.The film, directed bySam Mendes,won plaudits for its acting, direction and cinematography, and was a box office hit. Self's script received positive attention, andUniversal Studioshired him to do a rewrite ofTony Gilroy's screenplay forThe Bourne Identity.He was uncredited for the script polish.Self then pitchedThe Wing,a World War I fighter-pilot picture, to Universal. While thespec scriptwas purchased by the studio, it was never produced.

In 2005, Self pitched an untitled science fiction series to theFox Network.Fox picked up the option to produce, andBreck Eisnerdirected a television movie (Beyond) in 2006.Thebackdoor pilotnever was picked up as a series, however.

In 2006, Self was attached to two separate screenplays for films based on the superheroesDeathlokandCaptain America.He also wrote an early draft based on another superhero,Namor.

In 2007, Self did a major rewrite ofAndrew Kevin Walker's script for thewerewolfmovie,The Wolfman.Self added extensive characterization, built up the relationship between father and son, and added more than 17 pages of dialogue and action at the behest of directorJoe Johnston.Johnston ordered Self to do a second rewrite just four weeks before shooting was to begin. Self also helped contribute additional rewrites during five weeks of reshooting in the spring of 2009. Self's second script had a long sequence in which the werewolf terrorizes London, and his climax for the film was originally much longer. In 2008, Johnston cut the London sequence from the film and asked Self to dramatically shorten the ending. But in the editing room, it was clear that these sequences needed to be retained. Self also helped with new material for the ending. Self's second rewrite ended with werewolf Lawrence Talbot surviving. But during reshoots, Self scripted an ending in which both werewolves (Sir John Talbot and Lawrence Talbot) die. Reshoots beefed up the ending in which both characters died, and this version made it into the film.

While Self was working onThe Wolfman,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer(MGM) hired him to script aRoboCopremakein July 2008.However, after much delay (primarily due to MGM's financial difficulties and November 2010 bankruptcy),RoboCopwent intoturnaround.Self was ultimately replaced byNick Schenk,Joshua ZetumerandJames Vanderbilt.

In 2011,Paramount Pictureshired Self to script a feature film based on authorJohn Scalzi'sOld Man's Warseries of novels. The story follow the adventures of an elderly man who receives a genetically enhanced body that allows him to avenge the death of his wife by joining the military.Self also worked in 2012 on a film adaptation of the video game seriesGod of War.Self wrote a first draft of a script, but the screenwriting duties were then given toPatrick MeltonandMarcus Dunstan.Self will executive produce the picture, his first production credit.

Credits

• The Haunting(1999)
• Thirteen Days(2000)
• Road to Perdition(2002)
• The Bourne Identity(2002) (uncredited)
• Beyond(2006 TV Movie)
• The Wolfman(2010)
• Desert Warrior(TBA)

External links

• David SelfatIMDb