David Kevin Giler (July 23, 19431943 births in New York City, on Ancestry.com. – December 19, 2020) was an American film and television producer and screenwriter who had been active in the film industry since the early 1960s.

Career Television Giler's father Bernie (1908–1967) was a writer. Giler began his career collaborating with his father for television programs such as The Gallant Men ("Signals for an End Run") (1962), Kraft Suspense Theatre ("Leviathan Five") (1964), Burke's Law ("Who Killed the Man on the White Horse?") (1965), and The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. ("The Low Blue C Affair") (1967).

Giler's father died in 1967 and he began to be credited on his own on such shows as The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ("The Matterhorn Affair") (1967), and The Bold Ones: The Lawyers ("The Crowd Pleaser") (1969).

Features Giler had begun writing feature films. In 1968 he was reportedly writing a script called Our Bag.

His first produced credit was the critically reviled Myra Breckinridge, an adaptation of Gore Vidal's controversial novel. The resulting movie was a disaster but Giler's script – heavily rewritten by director Michael Sarne – was much praised. "Borgnine due in mystery". Los Angeles Times He wrote a remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice and adapted The King Must Die but both were shelved. He did some uncredited rewriting on Skin Game (1971).

He was credited on The Parallax View (1974). In 1975 Giler turned to directing, his only film in that capacity, The Black Bird.

Giler wrote Fun with Dick and Jane (1977) and an adaptation of Fear of Flying that was never filmed.

Walter Hill Giler formed the production company Brandywine Productions with Walter Hill and Gordon Carroll and in 1979, the trio co-produced and rewrote the script for the legendary sci-fi horror thriller, Alien. He and Hill became embroiled in a much-publicized behind-the-scenes fight with Alien original writer, Dan O'Bannon, over who was to receive screenplay credit. Giler and Hill claimed they completely rewrote the script and therefore wanted to relegate O'Bannon to a 'story by' credit only. O'Bannon claimed they did little more than change the names of the characters and dialogue. Ultimately, O'Bannon was the only one to receive credit for the screenplay in the final film, alongside a 'story by' co-credit with Ronald Shusett.

Giler and Hill later wrote Southern Comfort, and wrote the storyline, alongside James Cameron, that became the basis for Cameron's 1986 sequel, Aliens.

Giler on his own wrote the comedy The Money Pit (1986). He did an uncredited rewrite on Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) and produced Rustlers' Rhapsody (1985). He wrote a remake of The Decline of the American Empire which was not filmed.

Hill and Giler executive produced Tales from the Crypt and Tales from the Cryptkeeper for cable channel HBO. They returned to the Alien franchise, producing (and co-writing with Larry Ferguson) Alien 3 (1992). They were credited as producers on Alien Resurrection (1997) but had minimal involvement with it; the same applies for the other sequels.

Giler and Hill wrote and produced Undisputed.

Personal life Giler was married to actress Nancy Kwan from 1970 until their divorce in 1972.

On December 19, 2020, he died of cancer at his home in Bangkok.

Filmography

Films +TitleYearWriterProducerDirectorNotesMyra Breckinridge1970Mike SarneAlso uncredited producerThe Parallax View1974Alan J. PakulaThe Black Bird1975HimselfDirectorial DebutFun with Dick and Jane1977Ted KotcheffAlien1979Ridley ScottAlso uncredited script revisionsSouthern Comfort1981Walter HillRustlers' Rhapsody1985Hugh WilsonThe Money Pit1986Richard BenjaminAliens1986James CameronLet It Ride1989Joe PytkaAlien 31992David FincherDemon Knight1995Ernest DickersonBased on Tales from the Crypt television seriesBordello of Blood1996Gilbert AdlerBased on Tales from the Crypt television seriesAlien Resurrection1997Jean-Pierre JeunetUndisputed2002Walter HillRitual2002Avi NesherBased on Tales from the Crypt television seriesAlien vs. Predator2004Paul W. S. AndersonAliens vs. Predator: Requiem2007The Brothers StrausePrometheus2012Ridley ScottAlien: Covenant2017Ridley Scott +Uncredited written worksTitleYearNotesSkin Game1971Directed by Paul BogartFirst Blood1982Directed by Ted KotcheffBeverly Hills Cop II1987Directed by Tony Scott

Television +TitleYearWriterProducerNotesThe Gallant Men1962Episode: "Signals for an End Run"Kraft Suspense Theatre1964Episode: "Leviathan Five"Burke's Law1965Episode: "Who Killed the Man on the White Horse?"The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.1967Episode: "The Low Blue C Affair"The Man from U.N.C.L.E.1967Episode: "The Matterhorn Affair"The Bold Ones: The Lawyers1969Episode: "The Crowd Pleaser"Tales from the Crypt1989–199693 episodesTwo-Fisted Tales1992Television filmTales from the Cryptkeeper1993–19945 episodesRebel Highway19944 episodesW.E.I.R.D. World1995Television filmPerversions of Science199710 episodes

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