David Giler, a writer and producer known for his work on each film in the “Alien” franchise, died at his Bangkok home on Dec. 19. He was 77 years old.
His longtime friend, “Alien” producer Walter Hill, said in a statement, “If you knew David, you knew he was special. The magic of his personality is hard to describe: funny, angry, extremely knowledgeable, extremely well read; it was my privilege to write and produce with him, and more importantly, to have his close and deep friendship for nearly 50 years.”
Giler got his first major writing credit in 1962 when he wrote the teleplay for an episode of ABC’s “The Gallant Men.” Throughout the 1960s he continued to write episodes for series including “Burke’s Law” and “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.”
Having written the screenplay for 1970’s “Myra Breckinridge,” Giler also got the chance to try his hand at production, though he remains uncredited as a producer on the project. His production skills would ultimately lead to a long run with the “Alien” franchise, beginning with Giler’s work on the first 1979 film.
He served as a writer on both “Aliens” and “Alien 3,” executive producing the first and producing the latter. In 1997 he produced “Alien: Resurrection,” and in 2017 he again held the title of producer for “Alien: Covenant.”
His other screenplay credits include writing or co-writing “The Money Pit,” “Fun With Dick and Jane,” “Southern Comfort” and “The Parallax View.” He also produced the “Tales from the Crypt” and “Tales from the Cryptkeeper” series.
In the 2000s, Giler also worked on the “Alien Vs. Predator” franchise, including two films and a host of other media content.
Giler had worked on all film-based franchise entries for “Alien,” including “Prometheus,” and had been listed as a producer for a third prequel that has yet to come to fruition.
On Dec. 10, one of the many Disney Investor Day announcements included plans for an “Alien” series in the works for FX on Hulu.
Giler is survived by his sister Kendall Giler.