John Harrison

Director & actor · born 1 January 1948

John Harrison began his career directing rock videos and working as 1st Asst. Director for famed horror director,George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead (1968)/Creepshow (1982)). Harrison wrote and directed multiple episodes of Romero's classic TV series,Tales from the Darkside (1983)m], before helming Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990), for Paramount Pictures, which won Harrison the Grand Prix du Festival at Avoriaz, France. Harrison co-wrote the animated feature,Dinosaur (2000), for Disney. He also wrote the adaptation of Clive Barker's fantasy novels, "Abarat", also for Disney. In the Fall of '06, Harrison reunited with mentor George Romero to produce Romero's film, Diary of the Dead (2007). His action suspense thriller, Blank Slate (2008), for producer Dean Devlin, which Harrison wrote and directed, aired as a twenty-episode micro-series on TNT in the Fall of 2008. Clive Barker's Book of Blood (2009), which he wrote and directed, was released in the Fall 2009. His 6-hour miniseries adaptation of Frank Herbert's monumental bestseller, Dune (2000), which he directed, was an Emmy Award-winning success in the U.S., then internationally, both in its broadcast premieres and subsequently in home video. Harrison's Children of Dune (2003), another 6-hour miniseries encompassing the next two novels of Frank Herbert's mythic adventure series which he wrote and co-produced, was also an Emmy winner for the Sci-Fi Channel.

Where to start: Dawn of the Dead (1978).