The popular screenwriter Dan O'Bannon, whose work included Alien, Blue Thunder and The Return Of The Living Dead, has died in Los Angeles following an illness.
O'Bannon's career received an auspicious start when he met John Carpenter at film school and worked with him on the student project, Dark Star, in which he also played the character of Sergeant Pinback. The film went on to become a cult hit. He went on to work as an animator on the original Star Wars, but his great love was writing. He wrote in many genres but it was science fiction and horror that proved to be his great strengths. Alien was written when he was penniless and sleeping on friends' couches; on its release, it made him an icon.
Sticking with the genres he loved, O'Bannon went on to co-write Philip K Dick adaptations Total Recall and Screamers as well as writing the low-budget hit Bleeders. He also had a go at directing with The Return Of The Living Dead, a comedy take on George Romero's work which is credited with the being the first film in which zombies express a specific hunger for brains. It was also the first film to introduce fast zombies, long before 28 Days Later and the Dawn Of The Dead remake
Besides screenwriting, directing and acting, O'Bannon also wrote a book, O’Bannon’s Rules Of Writing: The Definite Guide To Screenplay Structure, though it has yet to find a publisher. He was always outspoken and full of advice for up and coming writers. He also worked on the comic Heavy Metal, writing his own section when it was adapted for the big screen. Ridley Scott noted that it was a big influence on him when he was developing Blade Runner.
Although he was known for speaking his mind, O'Bannon made a great many friends in the industry and became a highly influential figure who will be greatly missed. He is survived by his wife Diane Louise Lindley and his son Adam.
