David Giler

David Giler is an American filmmaker who has been active in the motion picture industry since the early 1960s.

He started his career as a writer, providing scripts for television programs such as Kraft Suspense Theatre and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. He then moved to screenplays in the 1970s, helping to write films such as The Parallax View and the original version of Fun With Dick and Jane.

He produced his first film in 1970, the critically reviled Myra Breckinridge, an adaptation of Gore Vidal's controversial novel (he also co-wrote the film with director Michael Sarne). In 1975 he turn to directing, his only film to date in that capacity, The Black Bird.

He formed the production company Brandywine Productions with Walter Hill and Gordon Carroll and in 1979 the trio co-produced the legendary horror thriller Alien. 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.

In the 1980s, Giler and Hill wrote screenplays for The Money Pit, Southern Comfort, and an uncredited rewrite for Beverly Hills Cop II. They also wrote the storyline, alongside James Cameron, which became the basis for Cameron's 1986 sequel, Aliens.

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