Mitch Brian

In Los Angeles he worked as a story analyst until being hired to write a pair of low-budget films. He later sold the spec script Cold Sweat to Universal/Imagine and then worked as a co-creator on Warner Bros. Animation’s Batman. In addition to co-writing the series bible he wrote the episodes “On Leather Wings,” “POV” and “Bane.” After writing an episode for CBS’s Viper[1] he adapted John Sanford’s crime-thriller Rules of Prey for Dino De Laurentiis.

Brian teamed up with Kevin Willmott and wrote Shields Green & The Gospel of John Brown, which was sold to Chris Columbus' 1492 Pictures.The two went on to write the Native-American drama Civilized Tribes for 20th Century Fox. They then wrote two screenplays for producer Oliver Stone: Little Brown Brother, about the Philippine–American War, and a biography of Custer based on Michael Blake’s novel Marching to Valhalla. They also wrote two miniseries for NBC, House of Getty and the 70's,[2] which was produced in 2000.

Brian adapted Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd for New Line and producer Geena Davis and then sold the screenplay 21 about World War I fighter ace Frank Luke to 20th Century Fox. He wrote an episode for HBO's unproduced series about Jefferson & Adams called Patriots and adapted Detour: A Hollywood Story for ABC and executive producer James Ellroy about the Lana Turner-Johnny Stompanto scandal. He then adapted Bob King’s fictional military memoir Spooky 8 for FX.

He and Robert Schwentke co-wrote an adaptation of David Morrell’s horror novel The Totem for Mission Entertainment and revised Phoenix’s Last Voyage of the Demeter, about the ill-fated ship that transported Dracula to England in Bram Stoker’s novel. They also worked on Touchstone’s action-thriller Labor Day[3] and adapted Noah Gordon’s novel The Physician.

Most recently, Brian wrote a remake of the political thriller Seven Days in May. As a director, his films include the award winning shorts Hang Ups, James Ellroy’s Stay Clean and Rhubarb Pie.

He is currently an associate teaching professor at University of Missouri-Kansas City.[4]

His plays “Maul of the Dead” and “Sorority House of the Dead” are published by Dramatic publishing.[5][6]

His play based on Roger Corman's “A Bucket of Blood” premiered March 21, 2012 at The Living Room.[7] "The Temperamental Artist or A Bucket of Blood" was published by Dramatic Publishing in 2013.[8]

In 2012 his short story “Last Night at the Rialto” was included in the Akashic Books anthology “Kansas City Noir." [9]

His play "Dracula: A Song of Love and Death" had its world premiere in Kansas City on October 12, 2018. It was a co-production by Kansas City Actors Theatre and the UMKC Theatre Department's MFA program.[10][11]

In 2013 he formed Jetpack Pictures with Todd Norris to produce commercials, documentaries and music videos.[12] They have produced and directed music videos for Tiny Horse, The Grisly Hand, The Latenight Callers and Katy Guillen and The Girls.[13]