Dean Devlin (born August 27, 1962) is an American screenwriter, producer, director, and actor of film and television. He is best known for his collaborations with director Roland Emmerich, and for his work on the Librarian and Leverage television franchises. He is a co-founder of the production companies Centropolis Entertainment and Electric Entertainment. He was a series regular of the short lived TV series Hard Copy.
hollywoodreporter.comEarly life
Devlin was born in New York City, the son of actress Pilar Seurat and Don Devlin, a writer, actor, and producer.1 His father was Jewish and his mother was Filipino.2 He attended the University of Southern California.
Career
Film
Devlin appeared as an actor on numerous television shows throughout the 1980s. He also appeared in films including My Bodyguard, The Wild Life, Real Genius and Martians Go Home. Due to his youthful appearance, Devlin often played teenage characters despite being in his 20s.
Devlin gradually began writing scripts. His first produced screenplay was for Universal Soldier. He reached prominence as a writer/producer working alongside director Roland Emmerich, with whom he teamed after appearing in Emmerich's film Moon 44. Together they cowrote and produced Stargate, the first movie to have a web site.3 The team then produced Independence Day and Godzilla. They split following the 2000 Mel Gibson film The Patriot, but re-teamed to film Independence Day: Resurgence in 2016.4 Devlin has also produced Cellular, Who Killed the Electric Car?, and Flyboys.5
Devlin's directorial debut was the action sci-fi film Geostorm for Warner Bros.6 The film was set for a March 2016 release,7 later rescheduled for October 2017. It starred Gerard Butler as the lead8 with Jim Sturgess, Abbie Cornish, Ed Harris and Andy García.9 The film made $221 million on a $120 million budget.10 In March 2018, Deadline Hollywood calculated the film lost Warner Bros. $71.6 million when factoring in all other expenses and revenues.11
Devlin's second film as director was the 2018 thriller Bad Samaritan, starring Robert Sheehan and David Tennant.12
Television
Devlin produced The Triangle miniseries, Leverage (of which he has directed twelve episodes), The Librarian franchise, and The Outpost. He also co-created The Visitor series.13
In 2019 Devlin began working with the Philippine media conglomerate ABS-CBN to produce a new series called Almost Paradise (originally titled Off Tropic.)14 The series premiered in the United States on May 30, 2020, on WGN America, and premiered on Kapamilya Channel in 2021.15 It was filmed entirely in the Philippines and the majority of the cast members are Filipino, aside from the lead—played by Christian Kane, whom Devlin also worked with on the television shows Leverage and The Librarians.16
Delvin produced The Ark TV series for Syfy, which aired starting in February 2023.17
Video games
Devlin was an advisor to the video game company ZeniMax Media from 1999 to 2004.18 Additionally Devlin was involved in video game projects The 10th Planet19 and Godzilla Online.20
Personal life
Devlin is married to actress Lisa Brenner.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Universal Soldier | No | No | Yes | Co-writer with Richard Rothstein & Christopher Leitch |
| 1994 | Stargate | No | Yes | Yes | Co-writer with Roland Emmerich |
| 1996 | Independence Day | No | Yes | Yes | Co-writer with Roland Emmerich |
| 1998 | Godzilla | No | Yes | Yes | Co-writer with Roland Emmerich; co-wrote story with Emmerich, Terry Rossio & Ted Elliott |
| 2000 | The Patriot | No | Yes | No | |
| 2002 | Eight Legged Freaks | No | Yes | No | |
| 2004 | Cellular | No | Yes | No | |
| 2006 | Who Killed the Electric Car? | No | Executive | No | Documentary |
| Flyboys | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2011 | Shakespeare High | No | Executive | No | Documentary |
| 2013 | Transit | No | Executive | No | |
| 2015 | The Wannabe | No | Executive | No | |
| 2016 | Independence Day: Resurgence | No | Yes | Yes | Co-writer with Roland Emmerich, Nicolas Wright, James A. Woods & James Vanderbilt |
| 2017 | Geostorm | Yes | Yes | Yes | Directorial debutCo-writer with Paul Guyot |
| 2018 | Bad Samaritan | Yes | Yes | No |
Television
The numbers in directing and writing credits refer to the number of episodes.
| Year | Title | Functioned as | Network | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creator | Director | Writer | Executiveproducer | ||||
| 1997–98 | The Visitor | Yes | No | Yes (3) | Yes | Fox | |
| 1998–2000 | Godzilla: The Series | No | No | No | Yes | Fox Kids | |
| 2004 | The Librarian: Quest for the Spear | No | No | No | Yes | TNT | Television film |
| 2005 | The Triangle | No | No | Story | Yes | Sci-Fi Channel | Miniseries |
| 2006 | Talk to Me | No | No | No | Yes | TNT | Unaired pilot |
| 2006 | The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines | No | No | No | Yes | Television film | |
| 2008 | Blank Slate | No | No | No | Yes | Television film | |
| 2008 | The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice | No | No | No | Yes | Television film | |
| 2008–12 | Leverage | No | Yes (16) | No | Yes | ||
| 2011 | Brain Trust | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | TBS | Unaired pilot |
| 2014–18 | The Librarians | No | Yes (6) | Yes (1) | Yes | TNT | |
| 2018–21 | The Outpost | No | No | No | Yes | The CW | |
| 2020–present | Almost Paradise | No | Yes (1) | Yes (2) | Yes | WGN America season 1, Amazon Freevee season 2 | |
| 2021–present | Leverage: Redemption | No | Yes (4) | Yes (1) | Yes | Amazon Freevee | |
| 2023 | The Ark | Yes | Yes (1) | Yes (1) | Yes | Syfy | 21 |
| 2025 | The Librarians: The Next Chapter | No | No | No | Yes | TNT | Showrunner22 |
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Wild Life | Liquor Store Clerk |
| City Limits | Ernie | |
| 1985 | Real Genius | Milton |
| 1987 | Hard Copy | David Del Valle |
| 1989 | Martians Go Home | Joe Fledermaus |
| 1990 | Moon 44 | Tyler |
| 1991 | Total Exposure | Adult Bookstore Manager |
Awards and nominations
| Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Nominated work | Category | Result | ||
| 1996 | Independence Day | Best Writer | Nominated | ||
| 1998 | — | George Pal Memorial Award | Won | ||
| Golden Raspberry Awards | |||||
| 1996 | Independence Day | Worst Written Film Grossing Over $100 Million | Nominated | ||
| 1998 | Godzilla | Worst Picture | Nominated | ||
| Worst Screenplay | Nominated | ||||
| 2016 | Independence Day: Resurgence | Nominated | |||
| Hugo Awards | |||||
| 1994 | Stargate | Best Dramatic Presentation | Nominated | ||
| 1996 | Independence Day | Nominated | |||
| Online Film & Television Association | |||||
| 1996 | Independence Day | Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Picture | Nominated | ||
| Sci-Fi Universe Magazine | |||||
| 1996 | Independence Day | Best Writing for a Genre Motion Picture | Won | ||
| Stinkers Bad Movie Awards | |||||
| 1998 | Godzilla | Worst Screenplay for a Film Grossing More than $100 Million Using Hollywood Math | Won | ||
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dean Devlin.- Dean Devlin at IMDb
- Snider, John C. (December 2, 2008). "Podcast #20 – Dean Devlin". SciFiDimensions.
References
"Dean Devlin Biography (1962–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved January 11, 2017. http://www.filmreference.com/film/74/Dean-Devlin.html ↩
"Fil-Am producer Dean Devlin soars with 'Flyboys'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. September 24, 2006. Retrieved March 10, 2007. http://showbizandstyle.inq7.net/entertainment/entertainment/view_article.php?article_id=22700 ↩
"Godzilla guy has a love for the game". Reed Business Information. December 11, 2000. Retrieved April 26, 2009. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-28695864_ITM ↩
"ID Forever: Emmerich is producing with Dean Devlin and Harald Kloser". Collider.com. June 24, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2011. https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3334813/single-scientific-reason-see-independence-day-2/ ↩
"FLYBOYS Squadron Gets Massive New Update-Free Update, Great Reviews, and a Real Fighter Pilot Flight!". Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. November 29, 2006. Retrieved February 21, 2017. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20061129005626/en/FLYBOYS-Squadron-Massive-Update ↩
McNary, Dave (April 11, 2014). "Gerard Butler to Star in Sci-Fi Thriller 'Geostorm'". variety.com. Retrieved May 8, 2014. https://variety.com/2014/film/news/gerard-butler-to-star-in-sci-fi-thriller-geostorm-1201156176/ ↩
"Warner Bros Slots 'Geostorm' For 2016". Deadline Hollywood. May 2, 2014. Archived from the original on May 7, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140507052355/http://www.deadline.com/2014/05/warner-bros-slots-geostorm-for-2016/ ↩
McNary, Dave (April 11, 2014). "Gerard Butler to Star in Sci-Fi Thriller 'Geostorm'". variety.com. Retrieved May 8, 2014. https://variety.com/2014/film/news/gerard-butler-to-star-in-sci-fi-thriller-geostorm-1201156176/ ↩
"Jim Sturgess, Abbie Cornish in Talks to Join Gerard Butler in 'Geostorm'". hollywoodreporter.com. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/jim-sturgess-abbie-cornish-talks-725810 ↩
Box Office Mojo: Geostorm https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=geostorm.htm ↩
D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 29, 2018). "What Were The Biggest Bombs At The 2017 B.O.? Deadline's Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 29, 2018. https://deadline.com/2018/03/king-arthur-geostorm-monster-trucks-the-promise-the-great-wall-box-office-losses-1202354934/ ↩
Patten, Dominic (September 16, 2013). "Dean Devlin Sets Next Directorial Effort As Electric Entertainment Picks Up 2 Projects". Deadline. Retrieved November 17, 2016. https://deadline.com/2013/09/dean-devlin-sets-next-directorial-effort-as-electric-entertainment-picks-up-two-projects-588397/ ↩
"FOX SETTLES LAWSUIT OVER 'THE VISITOR'". Los Angeles Daily News. Digital First Media. September 19, 1997. Archived from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2017 – via TheFreeDictionary.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20180501093124/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/FOX+SETTLES+LAWSUIT+OVER+%60THE+VISITOR%27.-a083879189 ↩
Camus, Miguel R. (September 26, 2019). "ABS-CBN begins Hollywood gamble with crime series". business.inquirer.net. Retrieved September 26, 2019. https://business.inquirer.net/279772/abs-cbn-begins-hollywood-gamble-with-crime-series ↩
"'Together as One in 2021': Here are ABS-CBN's upcoming shows, offerings". ABS-CBN News. December 21, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020. https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/12/21/20/together-as-one-in-2021-here-are-abs-cbns-upcoming-shows-offerings ↩
Jacobs, Meredity (January 19, 2020). "Christian Kane Is Trying to Avoid Stress in 'Almost Paradise'". TVInsider.com. Retrieved June 8, 2020. https://www.tvinsider.com/849890/christian-kane-almost-paradise-wgn-america-preview/ ↩
"Dean Devlin explains why 'The Ark' isn't 'woke' sci-fi: 'There's an attempt to politicize everything now'". www.yahoo.com. February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/dean-devlin-the-ark-woke-sci-fi-independence-day-194347120.html ↩
"ZeniMax Media | profile – business advisory board". September 23, 2001. Archived from the original on February 11, 2001. Retrieved January 23, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20010211201113/http://www.zenimax.com/profile9.html ↩
McNicholas, Conor (October 1995). "The Bizarre Tenth Planet". PC Zone. p. 18. Retrieved May 27, 2022. https://archive.org/details/PCZone031Oct1995/page/n17/mode/2up ↩
"Godzilla Online". godzillaonline.com. Archived from the original on January 17, 1999. Retrieved May 27, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/19990117010407/http://www.godzillaonline.com:80/ ↩
"Dean Devlin explains why 'The Ark' isn't 'woke' sci-fi: 'There's an attempt to politicize everything now'". www.yahoo.com. February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/dean-devlin-the-ark-woke-sci-fi-independence-day-194347120.html ↩
Petski, Denise (March 20, 2024). "The Librarians: The Next Chapter: Callum McGowan, Three More Round Out Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 14, 2025. Retrieved April 14, 2025. https://deadline.com/2024/03/the-librarians-the-next-chapter-callum-mcgowan-cast-cw-spinoff-1235863789/ ↩