David Giler is an American filmmaker who has been active in the motion picture industry since the early 1960s.
Career
Television
Giler's father Bernie was a writer. Giler began his career collaborating with his father for television programs such as The Gallant Men , Kraft Suspense Theatre, Burke's Law , and The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. . 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. , and .
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. a remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice. and adapted The King Must Die. Neither was made. He did some uncredited rewriting on Skin Game. He was credited on The Parallax View. In 1975 Giler turned to directing, his only film to date in that capacity, The Black Bird. Giler wrote Fun with Dick and Jane, and an adaptation of Fear of Flying that was never filmed.
Giler formed the production companyBrandywine Productions with Walter Hill and Gordon Carroll and in 1979 the trio co-produced and rewrote the script for the legendary horror thrillerAlien. He and Hill became embroiled in a much-publicized behind-the-scenes fight with Alien's original writer, Dan O'Bannon, over who was to receive screenplay credit. Giler and Hill claim 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, which became the basis for Cameron's 1986 sequel, Aliens. Giler on his own wrote the comedyThe Money Pit. He did an uncredited rewrite on Beverly Hills Cop II and produced Rustlers' Rhapsody. 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 cablechannelHBO. They returned to the Alien franchise, producing Alien 3. They were credited as producers on Alien Resurrection but had minimal involvement with it; the same applies for the other sequels. Giler and Hill wrote and produced Undisputed.
