This article is about the screenwriter. For the golfer, see David Peoples (golfer).
David Peoples
Birth nameDavid Webb Peoples
Birth dateFebruary 9, 1940
Birth placeMiddletown, Connecticut, U.S.
OccupationScreenwriter
SpouseJanet Beebe Peoples[1]

David Webb Peoples (born February 9, 1940) is an American screenwriter who co-wrote Blade Runner (1982), and later wrote Unforgiven (1992) and 12 Monkeys (1995). He has been nominated for Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA awards. Peoples won the best screenplay awards from the L.A. Film Critics (1991) and National Society of Film Critics (1992) for Unforgiven.

Early life

Peoples was born in Middletown, Connecticut, the son of Ruth Clara (née Levinger) and Joe Webb Peoples, a geologist.[2][3][4] He studied English at the University of California, Berkeley.[citation needed]

Career

Peoples worked as a film editor in the 1970s while writing screenplays,[5] but his writing career took off after being hired as co-writer on Blade Runner by director Ridley Scott to rework the script written by screenwriter and Blade Runner executive producer Hampton Fancher.[6] Following the success of Blade Runner, Peoples worked on Ladyhawke (1985) and Leviathan (1989).[5]

During the 1980s, Peoples wrote a script based on DC Comics' Sgt. Rock series. Arnold Schwarzenegger was picked to play the title role; the project was revived three decades later in 2010 involving Joel Silver and Easy Company, although with the expectation to set the narrative in a place other than the battlefields of World War II to distinguish the project from the earlier script.[7]

Other Peoples screenplays were purchased during the 1980s, many after studio development prior to production: Unforgiven, Soldier, and The Blood of Heroes.[citation needed] The Blood of Heroes was directed by Peoples, and starred Rutger Hauer.[8]

Peoples received his greatest recognition for Unforgiven (1992). He had originally written the script in 1976, then entitled The William Munny Killings.[5] Peoples' screwball comedy Hero was filmed and released in 1992, the same year as Unforgiven.

Later in 1992, Peoples worked with his wife, Janet, on 12 Monkeys (1995), a science fiction fable about time travel inspired by Chris Marker's experimental short film La Jetée.

In 1998, Soldier was filmed by British director Paul W. S. Anderson, although it was re-written by Anderson.[9]

Personal life

Peoples and his wife, Janet, have two daughters.[10]

Filmography

YearTitleWriterEditorDirectorNotesRef.
1969How We Stopped the WarHimselfShort films[11]
1971Tricia's WeddingMilton Miron
1973Steel ArenaMark L. Lester
Bizarre DevicesPaul Aratow and Barry J. Spinello
1974Lucifer's Women[a]Paul Aratow
1976The Joy of Letting GoJohn Gregory
1977Who Are the DeBolts?John KortyDocumentary films
1981The Day After TrinityJon H. Else
1982Blade RunnerRidley Scott
1985LadyhawkeRichard DonnerScript revisions
1987PredatorJohn McTiernan
1989LeviathanGeorge P. Cosmatos
The Blood of Heroes[b]Himself
1990Fatal SkyFrank ShieldsCredited as "Anthony Able"
1992UnforgivenClint Eastwood
HeroStephen Frears
199512 MonkeysTerry Gilliam
1998SoldierPaul W. S. Anderson

Unproduced screenplays

TitleDirectorDescriptionRef.
My Dog's on FireTony ScottA comedy about a punk rock band[2][12]
Sgt. RockVariousAn adaptation of the DC Comics character[13][7]
Pair-A-DiceLawrence KasdanA "weird desert island relationship picture"[14]
To the White SeaCoen brothersAn adaptation of the novel by James Dickey[15][16][12]
Stompanato[c]VariousA biopic on the life of gangster Johnny Stompanato[17][18][19]
VengeanceAn adaptation of the novel by George Jonas[12]
The PrisonerChristopher NolanAn adaptation of the 1960s espionage series[20]
The GrabbersA "new version" of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre[21]
Mandrake the MagicianEtan CohenAn adaptation of the comic strip character[22][23]
Lone Wolf and CubJustin LinAn adaptation of the Japanese manga series[24]

Awards

Peoples' highest accolades are for Unforgiven. It received Oscar, Golden Globe and British Academy nominations, and won L.A. Film Critics (1991) and National Society of Film Critics (1992) awards for best screenplay. He was presented with the Distinguished Screenwriter Award at the 2010 Austin Film Festival.[25]

Notes

  1. ^ Also known as Doctor Dracula
  2. ^ Also known as The Salute of the Jugger
  3. ^ Also known as Johnny Stompanato

References

  1. ^ Courant Staff (March 23, 2000). "Obituary: Joe Webb Peoples". Hartford Courant. Archived 2017-08-15 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  2. ^ Weinraub, Bernard (October 6, 1992). "A Screenwriter Whose Life's Script Stars Privacy". The New York Times. Archived 28 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  3. ^ NYT Staff (April 4, 2000). "Obituary: Joe Webb Peoples, 92, Student of Dinosaurs". The New York Times. Archived 13 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  4. ^ NYT Staff (September 10, 1937). "Wedding announcement: Ruth Levinger Married; Maplewood Girl Wed at Club to Prof. Joe W. Peoples". The New York Times. Archived 10 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  5. ^ Snider, Eric D. (August 29, 2015). "12 Dusty Facts About 'Unforgiven'". Mental Floss. Archived December 4, 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  6. ^ Sammon, Paul (2017). Future Noir Revised & Updated Edition: The Making of Blade Runner. Dey Street Books. ISBN 0062699466.
  7. ^ Boucher, Geoff (February 1, 2010). "'Sgt. Rock' Reloads as Movie Project—But Not as a WWII Story". Hero Complex. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Times. Archived October 27, 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  8. ^ Canby, Vincent (23 February 1990). "Review/Film; Clashing Gladiators in the Bloody Sport of a Future Dark Age". The New York Times. Archived 12 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  9. ^ Brew, Simon (2020-03-24). "Soldier: Kurt Russell, a major injury, and an ornamental cabbage". Film Stories. Archived 2021-01-01 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  10. ^ Dutka 1992.
  11. ^ Hollywood.com Staff (February 4, 2015). "David Peoples—Biography and Filmography". Hollywood.com. Archived December 25, 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
  12. ^ Webb, Oliver J. (January 20, 2024). "An Interview with David Webb Peoples". Closely Observed Frames. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  13. ^ Peoples, David Webb (August 1987). ""Sgt Rock" by David Webb Peoples". DailyScript.com. Archived February 4, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
  14. ^ Dutka 1992, p. 1.
  15. ^ Hindes, Andrew (March 25, 1997). "For new battalion of studio pix, war is swell". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  16. ^ Brake, Scott (August 16, 2000). "Script Review of To the White Sea". IGN. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  17. ^ Carver, Benedict (May 21, 1999). "'Johnny' takes Independent route". Variety. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  18. ^ "Elston Gunn's WEEKLY RECAP". Ain't It Cool News. November 3, 2001. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  19. ^ Stein, Ruthe (November 6, 2007). "Bay Area writers back away from keyboards in strike solidarity". SFGate. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  20. ^ Fleming, Michael (August 10, 2006). "U reloads 'Prisoner'". Variety. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  21. ^ Hewitt, Chris (September 17, 2008). "Exclusive: Statham Set For The Grabbers?". Empire. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  22. ^ Kit, Borys (March 13, 2012). "Warner Bros. Plots 'Mandrake the Magician' Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  23. ^ Kit, Borys (June 7, 2016). "Sacha Baron Cohen Will Wield The Wand Of "Mandrake The Magician" With Etan Cohen Set To Direct (EXCLUSIVE)". The Tracking Board. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  24. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 27, 2012). "Kamala Flms Acquires 'Lone Wolf And Cub' With 'Fast Five's Justin Lin Attached". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  25. ^ "2010 Winners". Austin Film Festival. 2010-11-01. Archived 2021-01-17 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-02-02.

Sources