David Gleeson

Following a career in the North Sea oil industry, David Gleeson wrote and directed one other short film, 'Hunted', prior to writing and directing his feature debut, 'Cowboys & Angels'. A youth comedy/drama set in his native Limerick (Ireland), 'Cowboys & Angels' was released in cinemas by Buena Vista Int. The film won eight international film awards including Best Screenplay at Newport Beach (U.S.) and two Gold Medal Awards at Giffoni (Italy). The New York Times commented, [the film] 'offers a fresh mix of open-minded intelligence and a heartfelt point of view,' while The Chicago Tribune commented, 'Stack "Cowboys" against most of the fare American studios offer young adults and it's meatier by far'. Gleeson's next film which he also wrote and directed, the crime drama 'The Front Line', was released in cinemas in 2006 also through Buena Vista. Variety (magazine) called it; 'A satisfying blend of crime drama and geopolitical think piece about a Congolese refugee in Dublin, [The Front Line] sustains high levels of suspense while delivering an emotional wallop.' The Sunday Independent (Ireland) commented; 'Gleeson has delivered a terrific film that reminds us what big screens were made for, and it deserves to be a smash.' In 2008, Gleeson sold his time travel sci-fi spec screenplay 'The End of History' to Sony Pictures and Original Film. He followed this up with several more spec sales and commissions to studios including Focus Features, 20th Century Fox, Mattel Films and Paramount Pictures. In July 2017, Gleeson began principle photography on his third film as writer and director, 'Don't Go', starring Stephen Dorff and Melissa George. 'Don't Go' was released in the US through IFC Films on 28 October 2018. In May 2019, Fox Searchlight Pictures released 'Tolkien', a Chernin Entertainment production based on Gleeson's original screenplay about the legendary author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien. Gleeson is currently writing 'The Grimm Legacy', the first in a potential franchise, for Walt Disney Films based on the books by Polly Shulman.