{{Short description|American filmmaker and screenwriter}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Mitch Brian | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|10|15}} | birth_place = Hutchinson, Kansas, U.S. | occupation = Screenwriter, director, professor | alma_mater = California State University, Northridge | years_active = 1980s–present | notable_works = * ''Batman: The Animated Series'' * ''Rules of Prey'' * ''Seven Days in May'' (remake) | organization = UMKC | employer = University of Missouri–Kansas City | website = }}

'''Mitch Brian''' (born October 15, 1961) is an American television writer, screenwriter and film director. He has sold, optioned or written on assignment more than 25 scripts to major studios, networks and independent production companies. Having grown up in Hutchinson, Kansas, he attended film school at California State University, Northridge.

==Career== 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''<ref name="imdb.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0108419/|title=Mitch Brian|website=IMDb}}</ref> 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'',<ref name="ReferenceA">http://www.variety.com/profiles/TVMSeries/main/38922/The+70s.html?dataSet=1 {{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 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''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fleming |first1=Michael |title=Jet in 'Labor' at Disney |url=https://variety.com/2003/film/markets-festivals/jet-in-labor-at-disney-1117886970/ |website=Variety |accessdate=December 8, 2019 |date=May 28, 2003}}</ref> 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''.

==Other ventures== He is currently a teaching professor at University of Missouri-Kansas City.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cas.umkc.edu/directory/brian-mitch/|title=Brian, Mitch {{!}} College of Arts and Sciences|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-12}}</ref>

His plays “Maul of the Dead” and “Sorority House of the Dead” are published by Dramatic publishing.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dramaticpublishing.com/p2262/Maul-of-the-Dead/product_info.html |title=Maul of the Dead |access-date=2012-12-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513023522/http://www.dramaticpublishing.com/p2262/Maul-of-the-Dead/product_info.html |archive-date=2012-05-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dramaticpublishing.com/p2733/Sorority-House-of-the-Dead/product_info.html |title=Sorority House of the Dead |access-date=2012-12-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414031846/http://www.dramaticpublishing.com/p2733/Sorority-House-of-the-Dead/product_info.html |archive-date=2012-04-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

His play based on Roger Corman's “A Bucket of Blood” premiered March 21, 2012 at The Living Room.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130127013159/http://www.kansascity.com/2012/03/30/3525820/two-performers-stand-out-in-bucket.html The Kansas City Star] </ref> "The Temperamental Artist or A Bucket of Blood" was published by Dramatic Publishing in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dramaticpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=3704|title = Dramatic Publishing - Home page}}</ref>

In 2012 his short story “Last Night at the Rialto” was included in the Akashic Books anthology “Kansas City Noir." <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-61775-128-8|title = Fiction Book Review: Kansas City Noir by Edited by Steve Paul. Akashic, $15.95 trade paper (240p) ISBN 978-1-61775-128-8| date=October 2012 }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/performing-arts/article218557575.html|title='Blood will fly': KC's updated 'Dracula' pumps up violence, shakes up gender and race|website=kansascity|access-date=2019-01-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/kansas-city/article/BWW-Review-DRACULA-A-SONG-OF-LOVE-AND-DEATH-at-Spencer-Theatre-At-UMKC-with-KCAT-20181014|title=BWW Review: DRACULA: A SONG OF LOVE AND DEATH at Spencer Theatre At UMKC (with KCAT)|last=Bolton|first=Paul|website=BroadwayWorld.com|language=en|access-date=2019-01-12}}</ref>

==Jetpack Pictures== In 2013 he formed Jetpack Pictures with Todd Norris to produce commercials, documentaries and music videos.<ref>{{cite web | title=Theater company websites step it up a notch | website=The Kansas City Star|author=Robert Trussell| date=23 September 2013 | url=https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article328079.html | access-date=30 June 2023}}</ref> They have produced and directed music videos for Tiny Horse, The Grisly Hand, The Latenight Callers and Katy Guillen and The Girls.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://vimeo.com/channels/jetpack | title=Jetpack Pictures }}</ref>

==Screenwriting== ===Television=== * ''Batman: The Animated Series'' (1992, 1994) * ''Viper'' (1994)

==References==

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Brian, Mitch}} Category:Living people Category:People from Hutchinson, Kansas Category:American male screenwriters Category:1961 births Category:Screenwriters from Kansas