Mark Swift and Damian Shannon are American screenwriters and film producers.^[1][2] They are known for their collaborative script-writing projects,^[3][4] in particular Freddy vs. Jason^[5] and later the 2009 reboot Friday the 13th.^[6][7]

Early life and education

Shannon attended Bishop McNamara High School and New York University.^[8] He then enrolled at the University of Southern California, where he met fellow student and later writing partner Mark Swift. Swift went on to graduate from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore; he also attended the Benjamin School.^[9]

Career

Swift and Shannon wrote an adaptation of the comic book Danger Girl for New Line Cinema in 2000.^[10] They were two of four writers on the 2004 animated film Shark Tale.^[11][12]

Swift and Shannon wrote a script for the film Friday the 13th, which was released in 2009.^[13][14][15] They also wrote a script for a sequel before that project was canceled.^[16] They had previously written the script for the 2003 film Freddy vs. Jason,^[17][18] after several previously written scripts had been rejected by the producers at New Line Cinema.^[19]

In 2011, Swift and Shannon were executive producers of the film Seconds Apart.^[20] In 2012 they wrote and directed a horror film for Disruption Entertainment.^[21]

They wrote the script for Baywatch (2017), an adaptation of the TV series.^[22][23][8]

In 2014, Swift and Shannon worked on an original horror project for New Line Cinema,^[24] and co-produced O'Lucky Day, a comedy for Paramount Pictures starring Peter Dinklage. In 2015, the pair worked together on a script for a live-action Aladdin prequel titled Genies.^[25][26][27]

Some of their unreleased projects include Vikings for Disney, an adaptation of the Image comic Hawaiian Dick,^[28] Inland Saints for Paramount,^[29] and an adaptation of Howard Chaykin’s graphic novel Power & Glory.^[24]

Filmography