David Richard Ellis (September 8, 1952 – January 7, 2013) was an American film director and stunt performer born in Santa Monica, California in 1952. His credits included dozens of films and television series including National Lampoon's Vacation, Baywatch, Lethal Weapon, and Patriot Games.[1]
David R. Ellis | |
|---|---|
Ellis at the premiere of Snakes on a Plane in 2006 | |
| Born | David Richard Ellis September 8, 1952 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 7, 2013 (aged 60) Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, second unit director, stuntman |
| Years active | 1975–2013 |
He also served as second unit director on blockbuster action films like Waterworld, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Matrix Reloaded, and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. His feature directorial credits included the action thriller Snakes on a Plane and two entries in the Final Destination series.
On January 7, 2013, Ellis was found dead in his hotel room in Johannesburg, South Africa. The cause of his death remains unknown.
Career
editFollowing a successful career as a junior pro surfer, David Richard Ellis began his career in the film industry as a supporting actor in juvenile roles making his big screen debut in 1975 in the Kurt Russell film The Strongest Man in the World. In 1978, he received a promotion to stunt coordinator on The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. After several successful years in this position, he worked from 1986 onwards as a second unit director before making his debut as a director in the Disney live-action film Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco. He is best known for directing two of the Final Destination films and the 2006 film Snakes on a Plane, which became an Internet phenomenon.[2][3]
As a stunt man he was best known for his work in the movie Scarface. Other notable works as a stunt man include Fatal Attraction, Lethal Weapon, the television series Baywatch, and Patriot Games. As a second unit director he worked on a number of well-known movies that include Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Matrix Reloaded, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, and Cop Out. At the time of his death, two works involving Ellis were still in post-production: 47 Ronin and R.I.P.D. while another, Winter's Tale, was still being filmed. R.I.P.D. was released in July 2013, 47 Ronin was released in December of that year, and Winter's Tale was released in February 2014.
He was perhaps best known as a director with seven titles under his belt. Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco, Final Destination 2, Cellular, Snakes on a Plane, Asylum, The Final Destination, and Shark Night. At the time of his death, he was in pre-production for a live-action version of the violent anime Kite.[4][5] Ralph Ziman became the film's director.
Ellis was nominated for the Taurus Award along with Glenn Boswell and R. A. Rondell in 2003 for his stunt coordination work on The Matrix Reloaded.[6] Ellis was a member and served as vice president for an elite stunt performance organization known as Stunts Unlimited located in Sherman Oaks, California.[7][8]
Personal life
editDavid R. Ellis was the father of producer Tawny, photographer Cheyenne Ellis, and UC Irvine English Instructor, Tagert Ellis. He was the son of Richard and Andrea Ellis, the grandfather to Kodiak and Ridge Ellis, as well as the brother of Annie, Lori, and Chenoa Ellis. He is survived by his wife Cindy.
When Ellis was once about to be carjacked, trapped between two other cars, he used his stunt-driving prowess to whip his car out of the tiny gap and face the carjackers, revving his engine, scaring them enough to get back into their cars and drive away.[9]
Death
editOn January 7, 2013, Ellis's body was found in the bathroom of his hotel room[10] in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was preparing to direct Kite at the time.[4][5] No cause of death has been released; police say no foul play was suspected.[11]
Filmography
editDirector
edit| Year | Film | Budget | Worldwide gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco | $32,772,492 (USA)[12] | |
| 2003 | Final Destination 2 | $26,000,000 | $90,941,129[13] |
| 2004 | Cellular | $25,000,000 | $57,678,321[14] |
| 2006 | Snakes on a Plane | $33,000,000 | $62,022,014[15] |
| 2008 | Asylum | $11,000,000 | Direct-to-video |
| 2009 | The Final Destination | $40,000,000 | $186,167,139[16] |
| 2011 | Shark Night | $28,000,000 | $41,363,927[17] |
Second unit director
editFilm
editTelevision
edit| Year | Project | Episode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Baywatch |
|
as David Ellis |
| 1990 |
|
Actor
edit| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | The Strongest Man in the World | David (Student) | |
| 1977 | Heroes | Bar Patron #1 | |
| 1978 | Wonder Woman | Ludwig | TV Series |
| Flying High | Quarterback | TV Series | |
| 1979 | Boardwalk | Bath attendant | |
| 1982 | Rocky III | Opponent #7 | |
| 1987 | Anna | Daniel's Father | |
| 1988 | Guns of Paradise | Lester Bradley | TV Series |
| 1989 | The Mighty Quinn | Jersey | |
| Blind Fury | Ski Lodge Killer #3 | ||
| 1990 | The Bounty Hunter | Townsperson | (final film role) |
Stunts
editFilm
edit| Year | Film | Director | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Baby Blue Marine | John D. Hancock | uncredited |
| Bound for Glory | Hal Ashby | as David Ellis | |
| 1977 | Smokey and the Bandit | Hal Needham | uncredited |
| 1978 | Game of Death | Bruce Lee | motorcycle stunts - as David Ellis |
| Deathsport | Allan Arkush | ||
| Hot Lead and Cold Feet | Robert Butler | as David Ellis | |
| Hopper | Hal Needham | ||
| Invasion of the Body Snatchers | Philip Kaufman | Stunt Coordinator - as David Ellis | |
| 1979 | Fast Charlie... the Moonbeam Rider | Steve Carver | motorcycle stunts - as David Ellis |
| 1980 | Carny | Robert Kaylor | Stunt Coordinator - as David Ellis |
| Smokey and the Bandit II | Hal Needham | as David Ellis | |
| 1981 | Back Roads | Martin Ritt | Stunt Coordinator |
| King of the Mountain | Noel Nosseck | ||
| Take This Job and Shove It | Gus Trikonis | as David Ellis | |
| Nice Dreams | Tommy Chong | Stunt Double for Tommy Chong - as David Ellis | |
| S.O.B. | Blake Edwards | as David Ellis | |
| Return of the Rebels | Noel Nosseck | Stunt Coordinator - as David Ellis | |
| Taps | Harold Becker | as David Ellis | |
| Sharky's Machine | Burt Reynolds | ||
| 1982 | Megaforce | Hal Needham | |
| The Beastmaster | Don Coscarelli | ||
| Fast Times at Ridgemont High | Amy Heckerling | ||
| Lookin' to Get Out | Hal Ashby | ||
| Airplane II: The Sequel | Ken Finkleman | Stunt Coordinator | |
| 1983 | Second Thoughts | Lawrence Turman | Stunt Coordinator - as David Ellis |
| Private School | Noel Black | ||
| National Lampoon's Vacation | Harold Ramis | as David Ellis | |
| Scarface | Brian De Palma | ||
| Gorky Park | Michael Apted | Stunt Coordinator - as David Ellis | |
| 1984 | Fooling Around | Richard T. Heffron | |
| 1985 | To Live and Die in L.A. | William Friedkin | |
| 1986 | Out of Bounds | Richard Tuggle | |
| A Fine Mess | Blake Edwards | as David Ellis | |
| The Wraith | Mike Marvin | ||
| 1987 | Critical Condition | Michael Apted | Stunt Coordinator - as David Ellis |
| Lethal Weapon | Richard Donner | as David Ellis | |
| Burglar | Hugh Wilson | Stunt Coordinator - as David Ellis | |
| Fatal Attraction | Adrian Lyne | ||
| Real Men | Dennis Feldman | as David Ellis | |
| 1988 | The Presidio | Peter Hyams | |
| 1989 | Gleaming the Cube | Graeme Clifford | as David Ellis |
| Dead Bang | John Frankenheimer | ||
| She's Out of Control | Stan Dragoti | ||
| Warlock | Steve Miner | Stunt Coordinator | |
| Road House | Rowdy Herrington | as David Ellis | |
| Star Trek V: The Final Frontier | William Shatner | as David Richard Ellis | |
| Tennessee Waltz | Nicolas Gessner | Fight Coordinator - as David Richard Ellis | |
| Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge | Richard Friedman | as David Ellis | |
| 1990 | Everybody Wins | Karel Reisz | Stunt Coordinator - as David Ellis |
| The Last of the Finest | John MacKanzie | ||
| Catchfire | Dennis Hopper | ||
| Impulse | Sondra Locke | Stunt Coordinator | |
| Days of Thunder | Tony Scott | as David Ellis | |
| Ghost Dad | Sidney Poitier | ||
| The Freshman | Andrew Bergman | Stunt Coordinator | |
| Misery | Rob Reiner | Stunt Coordinator - as David Ellis | |
| 1991 | Life Stinks | Mel Brooks | Stunt Coordinator - as David Richard Ellis |
| Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken | Steve Miner | Stunt Coordinator | |
| The Addams Family | Barry Sonnenfeld | Stunt Coordinator - as David Ellis | |
| 1992 | Kuffs | Bruce A. Evans | |
| Patriot Games | Philip Noyce | Stunt Coordinator | |
| Forever Young | Steve Miner | Stunt Coordinator - as David Ellis | |
| 1993 | Body of Evidence | Uli Edel | |
| Sliver | Philip Noyce | ||
| Made in America | Richard Benjamin | Stunt Coordinator | |
| The Man Without a Face | Mel Gibson | Stunt Coordinator - as David Ellis | |
| Warlock: The Armageddon | Anthony Hickox | as David Ellis | |
| 1994 | The Jungle Book | Stephen Sommers | Stunt Coordinator: USA - as David Ellis |
| 1996 | Harriet the Spy | Bronwen Hughes | as Dave Ellis |
| 2009 | Hotel for Dogs | Thor Freudenthal | as David Richard Ellis |
Television
edit| Year | Film | Episode | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | V: The Final Battle |
|
Stunt Coordinator - as David Ellis |
| V | |||
| 1989 | Baywatch |
| |
| 1990 |
|
References
edit- ^ Biography David R. Ellis imdb.Retrieved on August 9, 2023
- ^ Gilbey, Ryan (9 January 2013). "David R Ellis obituary". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
- ^ Dargis, Manohla (2006-08-19). "Snakes on a Plane". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Kit, Borys (January 7, 2013). "David R. Ellis, Director of 'Snakes on a Plane,' Dies at 60". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ a b The Deadline Team (January 7, 2013). "R.I.P David R. Ellis". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ "Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director". 2004 World Stunt Awards. Taurus World Stunt Awards. 22 December 2022.
- ^ Karlin, Susan (September 16, 1991). "Southern California Job Market : For Some, Danger Is All in a Day's Work". Los Angeles Times. California.
- ^ "A dear friend, and former member, David Ellis has passed". California: Stunts Unlimited. January 8, 2013.
- ^ Smodcast.com Archived 2013-01-31 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (January 9, 2013). "Snakes on a Plane Director David R. Ellis Found Dead". People Magazine. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
- ^ Lang, Derrik J. (January 7, 2013). "'Snakes on a Plane' director David R. Ellis dies". Associated Press - The Big Story. Archived from the original on 2013-01-11.
- ^ "BoxOfficeMojo". Archived from the original on 2019-12-14.
- ^ "BoxOfficeMojo". Archived from the original on 2022-05-20.
- ^ "BoxOfficeMojo". Archived from the original on 2023-10-06.
- ^ "BoxOfficeMojo". Archived from the original on 2021-08-19.
- ^ "BoxOfficeMojo". Archived from the original on 2021-07-14.
- ^ "BoxOfficeMojo". Archived from the original on 2023-02-04.
- ^ Gregory, Mollie (19 November 2015). Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813166230. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
David Ellis was second-unit director