Todd Farmer
Encyclopedia
Todd Farmer is an American writer and actor, having written the scripts for Jason X
(2001), Messengers 2: The Scarecrow (2009), My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009), and Drive Angry
(2011).
. At a young age he moved to Benton, Kentucky
, where he attended Benton Elementary School and Marshall County High School. He attended Freed–Hardeman University, a Divinity college, to study religion, but dropped out before his senior year. In the mid 1990s he and his wife Melanie moved to Los Angeles
, where Farmer started his career working for Sean S. Cunningham
.
was the 10th entry in the Friday the 13th franchise. He wrote the screenplay and chose a futuristic setting in order to not collide with the continuity of Freddy vs. Jason
, another film in the series, being still in development at the time.
Farmer also wrote the screenplay for The Messengers, but not much of it found its way into the finished film which went through several re-writes after the original production company had sold the rights to Ghost House / Mandate Pictures
by means of a turnaround deal. 2 years later though, Messengers 2: The Scarecrow, a straight-to-DVD production and technically a prequel to the first film, actually used Farmer's original script and adapted it with only minor changes in the third act.
Together with director Patrick Lussier
, Farmer wrote the screenplay for 4 films so far, with the 3D remake of the 1981 Canadian slasher film My Bloody Valentine
being their first collaboration. Most recently, they made the supernatural revenge thriller Drive Angry
starring Nicolas Cage
, Amber Heard
and William Fichtner
.
In between both films they wrote the script for a third installment of the Halloween
reboot, which has not been turned into a movie yet due to a lack of funding. Right now Farmer and Lussier are working on a reboot of Hellraiser
which will explore the world Clive Barker
created in the original film based on his novella The Hellbound Heart
.
Apart from writing, Farmer also played smaller parts in all of his films except for the two The Messengers installments.
Jason X
Jason X is a 2002 science fiction horror slasher film directed by James Isaac. It is the tenth in the Friday the 13th film series and stars Kane Hodder as the undead mass murderer Jason Voorhees, the film made $16,951,798 worldwide with a budget of $14 million...
(2001), Messengers 2: The Scarecrow (2009), My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009), and Drive Angry
Drive Angry
Drive Angry is a 2011 American action film starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Patrick Lussier. It was released on February 25, 2011.- Plot :...
(2011).
Early life
Farmer was born to Dennis and Bonnie Farmer in Fort Madison, IowaFort Madison, Iowa
Fort Madison, situated on the Mississippi River, is a city in and one of the county seats of Lee County, Iowa, United States. The other county seat is Keokuk. The population was 10,715 at the 2000 census...
. At a young age he moved to Benton, Kentucky
Benton, Kentucky
Benton is a city in Marshall County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 4,197 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marshall County....
, where he attended Benton Elementary School and Marshall County High School. He attended Freed–Hardeman University, a Divinity college, to study religion, but dropped out before his senior year. In the mid 1990s he and his wife Melanie moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where Farmer started his career working for Sean S. Cunningham
Sean S. Cunningham
Sean Sexton Cunningham is an American film director, producer, and writer. He is best known for creating the Friday the 13th series of horror films, which introduced the fictional killer Jason Voorhees...
.
Career
Farmer's first film Jason XJason X
Jason X is a 2002 science fiction horror slasher film directed by James Isaac. It is the tenth in the Friday the 13th film series and stars Kane Hodder as the undead mass murderer Jason Voorhees, the film made $16,951,798 worldwide with a budget of $14 million...
was the 10th entry in the Friday the 13th franchise. He wrote the screenplay and chose a futuristic setting in order to not collide with the continuity of Freddy vs. Jason
Freddy vs. Jason
Freddy vs. Jason is a 2003 American slasher film directed by Ronny Yu. The film is a crossover between the A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th franchises...
, another film in the series, being still in development at the time.
Farmer also wrote the screenplay for The Messengers, but not much of it found its way into the finished film which went through several re-writes after the original production company had sold the rights to Ghost House / Mandate Pictures
Mandate Pictures
Mandate Pictures was originally an independent film entertainment studio, founded in 2003. Today, Mandate Pictures is a full-service production and financing company, acquired by Lionsgate in 2007. Mandate continues to operate as an independent brand delivering commercial and independent films...
by means of a turnaround deal. 2 years later though, Messengers 2: The Scarecrow, a straight-to-DVD production and technically a prequel to the first film, actually used Farmer's original script and adapted it with only minor changes in the third act.
Together with director Patrick Lussier
Patrick Lussier
Patrick Lussier is a Canadian horror and thriller genre writer, editor and director.- Career :Lussier has worked as a film editor on most of Wes Craven's latter films, including Wes Craven's New Nightmare, Vampire in Brooklyn, Scream and Red Eye and has directed films including Dracula 2000, The...
, Farmer wrote the screenplay for 4 films so far, with the 3D remake of the 1981 Canadian slasher film My Bloody Valentine
My Bloody Valentine (film)
My Bloody Valentine is a 1981 Canadian slasher film released in the wake of the popularity of the slasher genre that had overtaken the 1970s...
being their first collaboration. Most recently, they made the supernatural revenge thriller Drive Angry
Drive Angry
Drive Angry is a 2011 American action film starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Patrick Lussier. It was released on February 25, 2011.- Plot :...
starring Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
, Amber Heard
Amber Heard
Amber Laura Heard is an American actress and model. She played the lead and title character in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. Heard's first starring role came in 2007 on the CW television show Hidden Palms...
and William Fichtner
William Fichtner
William Edward Fichtner is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Sheriff Tom Underlay on Invasion, as Alexander Mahone on Prison Break, as William Sharp in Armageddon, and as Ken Rosenberg in the video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.- Early life...
.
In between both films they wrote the script for a third installment of the Halloween
Halloween (franchise)
Halloween is an American horror franchise that consists of ten slasher films, novels, and comic books. The franchise focuses on the fictional character of Michael Myers who was committed to a sanitarium as a child for the murder of his older sister, Judith Myers...
reboot, which has not been turned into a movie yet due to a lack of funding. Right now Farmer and Lussier are working on a reboot of Hellraiser
Hellraiser
Hellraiser is a 1987 British and American horror film based upon the novella The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. Hellraiser explores themes of sadomasochism and morality under duress and fear. The film spawned a series of sequels...
which will explore the world Clive Barker
Clive Barker
Clive Barker is an English author, film director and visual artist best known for his work in both fantasy and horror fiction. Barker came to prominence in the mid-1980s with a series of short stories which established him as a leading young horror writer...
created in the original film based on his novella The Hellbound Heart
The Hellbound Heart
The Hellbound Heart is a horror novella by Clive Barker, first published in November 1986 by Dark Harvest in the third volume of their Night Visions anthology series, and notable for becoming the basis for the 1987 movie Hellraiser and its franchise...
.
Apart from writing, Farmer also played smaller parts in all of his films except for the two The Messengers installments.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Writing Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Jason X Jason X Jason X is a 2002 science fiction horror slasher film directed by James Isaac. It is the tenth in the Friday the 13th film series and stars Kane Hodder as the undead mass murderer Jason Voorhees, the film made $16,951,798 worldwide with a budget of $14 million... |
Dallas | Writer |
| 2007 | The Messengers | Story | |
| 2009 | My Bloody Valentine | Frank the Trucker | Writer |
| 2009 | Messengers 2: The Scarecrow | Writer | |
| 2011 | Drive Angry Drive Angry Drive Angry is a 2011 American action film starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Patrick Lussier. It was released on February 25, 2011.- Plot :... 3D |
Frank | Writer |
| 2011 | Halloween III (announced) | Writer | |
| 2012 | Hellraiser (in pre-production) | Writer |