Dean Devlin
Encyclopedia
Dean Devlin is an America
n screenwriter
, producer
, television director
and former actor
. He is the founder of the production company
Electric Entertainment
.
, the son of actress Pilar Seurat
and Don Devlin, a writer, actor, and producer. His father was Jewish and his mother was Filipino
. He is married to actress Lisa Brenner
.
, The Wild Life
, Real Genius
and Martians Go Home
. Due to his youthful appearance, Devlin often played teenage characters despite being in his 20s.
was for Universal Soldier
which was a worldwide hit. He reached prominence as a writer/producer working alongside director Roland Emmerich
whom he teamed with after appearing in Emmerich's film Moon 44
. Together they cowrote and produced Stargate
which became the first movie to have a web site (run by Devlin himself). The team then produced Independence Day
and Godzilla
. Their final collaboration was on the 2000 Mel Gibson film The Patriot
, where Devlin met his future wife. Devlin has also produced Cellular
, Who Killed the Electric Car?
, and Flyboys
. On 12 October 2009 Devlin's screenwriting partner Roland Emmerich
revealed that he and Devlin have written a script for a sequel to Independence Day. Emmerich also revealed they are in contract negotiations with Will Smith
. They have stated they do not want to make the sequel if Smith cannot return. On 19 October 2009 Devlin announced on his Twitter account that negotiations are coming along very nicely and a deal will be expected to be announced very soon. On June 24th, 2011, Devlin confirmed that he and Emmerich have found an idea for the sequels and have written a treatment for it.
and currently produces The Librarian franchise
and the drama series Leverage
, of which he has directed twelve episodes.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, television director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
and former actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is the founder of the production company
Production company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...
Electric Entertainment
Electric Entertainment
Electric Entertainment is a full-service film, television and new media production company, established in 2001 by veteran writer/producer Dean Devlin , and led by Devlin along with partners Kearie Peak, Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan.-Company Biography:On December 7, 2008, TNT debuted “Leverage,”...
.
Personal life
Devlin was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the son of actress Pilar Seurat
Pilar Seurat
Pilar Seurat was a Filipina-American film and television actress in the 1960s.-Life and career:Born as Rita Hernandez in Manila, Seurat began her Hollywood career as a dancer in Ken Murray's "Blackouts", the popular postwar variety show at the El Capitan Theatre...
and Don Devlin, a writer, actor, and producer. His father was Jewish and his mother was Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
. He is married to actress Lisa Brenner
Lisa Brenner
Lisa Dawn Brenner is a US film and television actress. Brenner played Maggie Cory on Another World. She was also in All My Children as Allison Sloan....
.
Actor
Devlin appeared as an actor on numerous television shows throughout the 1980s. He also appeared in films including My BodyguardMy Bodyguard
My Bodyguard is a 1980 comedy-drama film released by 20th Century Fox, directed by Tony Bill , and written by Alan Ormsby...
, The Wild Life
The Wild Life (film)
The Wild Life is a 1984 comedy-drama film, written by Cameron Crowe and directed by Art Linson.The movie was an indirect sequel to the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The film is only available on VHS and Laserdisc in pan and scan with stereo analog tracks. No DVD version has been released due...
, Real Genius
Real Genius
Real Genius is a 1985 satirical comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge. The film's screenplay was written by Neal Israel, Pat Proft and Peter Torokvei. It stars Val Kilmer and Gabriel Jarret....
and Martians Go Home
Martians Go Home (film)
Martians Go Home is a 1990 comedy film starring Randy Quaid. It was directed by David Odell and written by Charles S. Haas based on the novel by science fiction author Fredric Brown....
. Due to his youthful appearance, Devlin often played teenage characters despite being in his 20s.
Film
Devlin gradually began writing scripts. His first produced screenplayScreenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
was for Universal Soldier
Universal Soldier (1992 film)
Universal Soldier is a 1992 American science fiction action film directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as soldiers who kill each other in Vietnam but are reanimated in a secret Army project along with a large group of other previously dead...
which was a worldwide hit. He reached prominence as a writer/producer working alongside director Roland Emmerich
Roland Emmerich
Roland Emmerich is a German film director, screenwriter, and producer.His films, most of which are Hollywood productions filmed in English, have grossed more than $3 billion worldwide, more than those of any other European director...
whom he teamed with after appearing in Emmerich's film Moon 44
Moon 44
Moon 44 is a 1990 science fiction, action film from Centropolis Film Productions, directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Michael Paré and Lisa Eichhorn and co-starring Brian Thompson.- Plot :...
. Together they cowrote and produced Stargate
Stargate (film)
Stargate is a 1994 American adventure-military science fiction film released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco Pictures. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first release in the Stargate franchise...
which became the first movie to have a web site (run by Devlin himself). The team then produced Independence Day
Independence Day (film)
Independence Day is a 1996 science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same...
and Godzilla
Godzilla (1998 film)
Godzilla is a 1998 science fiction monster disaster film film co-written and directed by Roland Emmerich. It is a loose remake of the 1954 giant monster classic Godzilla. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The film relates a tale of a nuclear incident...
. Their final collaboration was on the 2000 Mel Gibson film The Patriot
The Patriot (2000 film)
The Patriot is a 2000 historical war film directed by Roland Emmerich, written by Robert Rodat, and starring Mel Gibson, Chris Cooper, and Heath Ledger. It was produced by the Mutual Film Company and Centropolis Entertainment and was distributed by Columbia Pictures...
, where Devlin met his future wife. Devlin has also produced Cellular
Cellular (film)
Cellular is a 2004 thriller film directed by David R. Ellis and starring Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, Jason Statham and William H. Macy. The screenplay was written by Chris Morgan, Larry Cohen and J...
, Who Killed the Electric Car?
Who Killed the Electric Car?
Who Killed the Electric Car? is a 2006 documentary film that explores the creation, limited commercialization, and subsequent destruction of the battery electric vehicle in the United States, specifically the General Motors EV1 of the mid 1990s...
, and Flyboys
Flyboys
Flyboys is a 2006 American drama film set during World War I, starring James Franco, Martin Henderson, Jean Reno, Jennifer Decker, David Ellison, Abdul Salis, Philip Winchester, and Tyler Labine. It was directed by Tony Bill, a pilot and aviation enthusiast. The screenplay was written by Phil...
. On 12 October 2009 Devlin's screenwriting partner Roland Emmerich
Roland Emmerich
Roland Emmerich is a German film director, screenwriter, and producer.His films, most of which are Hollywood productions filmed in English, have grossed more than $3 billion worldwide, more than those of any other European director...
revealed that he and Devlin have written a script for a sequel to Independence Day. Emmerich also revealed they are in contract negotiations with Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
. They have stated they do not want to make the sequel if Smith cannot return. On 19 October 2009 Devlin announced on his Twitter account that negotiations are coming along very nicely and a deal will be expected to be announced very soon. On June 24th, 2011, Devlin confirmed that he and Emmerich have found an idea for the sequels and have written a treatment for it.
Television
Devlin also produced The Triangle miniseriesMiniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
and currently produces The Librarian franchise
The Librarian franchise
The Librarian is a series of made-for-TV original movies from Turner Network Television starring Noah Wyle as a librarian who protects a secret collection of artifacts.-Origin:...
and the drama series Leverage
Leverage (TV series)
Leverage is an American television drama series on TNT that premiered in December 2008. The series is produced by director/executive producer Dean Devlin's production company Electric Television...
, of which he has directed twelve episodes.