Patrick Melton

Patrick Melton
Born	(1975-06-18) June 18, 1975 Champaign, Illinois
Occupation	Screenwriter Producer Novelist
Years active	2004–present

Patrick Melton (born June 18, 1975) is an American screenwriter, producer and novelist.

Background

Melton was born in Champaign, Illinois, but grew up most of his life in Evanston, Illinois. He attended Evanston Township High School, and graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies. He also attended Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he received a MFA in screenwriting. He is the writing partner of college friend Marcus Dunstan.

Film career

In 2004, Melton won Project Greenlight Season 3 along with Marcus Dunstan and John Gulager. The TV show premiered on Bravo and resulted in the horror/comedy film Feast. Based on its success, two sequels followed, Feast 2 and Feast 3. However, it was Melton's involvement with Saw, the most successful horror franchise of all-time, that brought him worldwide recognition and international box office success.^[1] He wrote Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI and Saw 3D for a worldwide take of nearly $500,000,000.^[2] Additionally, Melton wrote the home invasion thriller The Collector, which was directed by his longtime writing partner, Marcus Dunstan.^[3]

Melton & Dunstan adapted the acclaimed graphic novel Smoke and Guns by Kirsten Baldock and Fabio Moon.^[4]

In the fall of 2006, Dimension Films preemptively acquired a dark and edgy horror/thriller spec script from Melton & Dunstan titled The Neighbor for a six-figures.^[5]

Additionally, the writing team of Melton & Dunstan have performed writing duties on Lionsgate's My Bloody Valentine 3D, Piranha 3D by Alexandre Aja, a remake of Clive Barker's Hellraiser, a remake of William Castle's classic horror film The Tingler at Columbia Pictures for producer Neal Moritz, a remake of Scanners by David Cronenberg, a film adaptation of the classic sci-fi TV anthology The Outer Limits for MGM, and the upcoming action/adventure tentpole Pacific Rim by Guillermo Del Toro for Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

On February 8, 2010, Melton told the film website Latino Review that Saw 3D is most likely the last entry in the Saw franchise.^[11][12]

The sequel to Melton & Dunstan's horror film The Collector, named The Collection, again directed by Dunstan, went before cameras in Atlanta, GA during the spring of 2011. It is slated to be released theatrically in 2012.^[13]

In November 2011, it was announced that Melton's debut horror/thriller novel, Black Light, would be adapted into a film with The Social Network's producer Michael De Luca.^[14]

In December 2011, Melton sold a sci-fi pitch titled Rise to Warner Bros. along with his writing partner Marcus Dunstan. David Karlak is attached to direct and Roy Lee, producer of The Ring, is attached to produce.^[15]

Melton & Dunstan performed writing work on the religious-themed horror/thriller film titled The Occult to be directed by Christian E. Christiansen and starring Rufus Sewell and Anne Heche, which is filming in 2012 with a theatrical release slated for 2013.^[16]

In July 2012, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the Pacific Rim writers, Melton & Dunstan, were hired to adapt the God of War film.^[17]

In September 2012, Deadline.com reported that Melton & Dunstan were hired to rewrite the fantasy project Waterproof for Legendary Pictures.^[18]

In June 2013, Melton sold a sci-fi pitch titled Outliers to 20th Century Fox along with his writing partner Marcus Dunstan. David Karlak is attached to direct and Peter Chernin, producer of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, is attached to produce.^[19]

Screenplays

Marcus Dunstan & Patrick Melton

• 2006 Feast
• 2007 Saw IV
• 2008 Feast 2
• 2008 Saw V
• 2009 Feast 3
• 2009 The Collector
• 2009 Saw VI
• 2010 Saw 3D
• 2012 Piranha 3DD
• 2012 The Collection
• 2013 The Occult
• 2013 Black Light
• 2014 The Outer Limits
• 2014 Rise
• TBA God of War^[20]
• TBA Waterproof^[21]
• TBA Outliers^[22]

Television

With success in film, Melton & Dunstan set their sights on television and sold several ideas to major television networks like FOX, CBS, and ABC. In October 2006, the duo sold their first television idea to FOX titled The Vineyard. It was a raunchy half-hour horror/comedy with Family Guy show runner Chris Sheridan attached as Executive Producer.^[23]

In 2008, Melton & Dunstan sold an hourlong drama to CBS titled The Good Neighbor.

Melton & Dunstan collaborated with Clive Barker in 2009 and sold an hourlong drama titled Clive Barker's Hotel to ABC. McG was attached to produce.^[24]

Novels

On October 5, 2011, Melton's debut novel, Black Light, co-written with Marcus Dunstan and Stephen Romano, was released by Mulholland Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company, and in the UK by Mulholland Books, an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton.^[25] It is currently being adapted into a film for producer Michael De Luca.^[26]

• 2011 Black Light

References

External links

• Patrick Melton at the Internet Movie Database
• Patrick Melton on Twitter
• Official blog