David M. O'Neill is an award-winning screenwriter, director, producer, and novelist whose work spans feature films, documentaries, television, and intellectual property development.
His produced credits include the documentary Mary, Life After Jesus, the Netflix release The Stand at Paxton County, the Afghanistan-set drama The Black Tulip, the gambling thriller Player 5150, and the 20th Century Fox feature Five Aces. Following the success of The Stand at Paxton County, Warner Bros. contracted O'Neill to develop an updated sequel to the Wesley Snipes action-thriller Passenger 57, titled Passenger 58.
O'Neill's screenplay Saving MLK emerged from the ScreenwritingU Master's Program and received multiple industry honors, including Quarterfinalist recognition in the Santa Barbara International Screenwriting Awards and Semi-Finalist placement in the Los Angeles International Screenwriting Awards. His adaptation of Eric Higgs' thriller The Happy Man also earned Semi-Finalist distinction in national competition.
As the sole screenwriter of The Black Tulip, O'Neill helped bring to life a film shot entirely on location in Kabul, Afghanistan. The film was selected by the Afghanistan Film Commission as the country's official submission for the 83rd Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category and was recognized by PEN USA with the prestigious Freedom to Write Award. Despite Taliban threats, the film premiered at Kabul's historic Ariana Cinema and was later screened for NATO leadership, including General David Petraeus, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, and foreign policy leaders at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. The film was distributed by SnagFilms and received acclaim at festivals worldwide.
His honors include the PEN USA Freedom to Write Award, Spirit of Independent Filmmaking Award, William Morris Agency Writer of the Week, Beverly Hills Film Festival Golden Palm Grand Prize, Salento International Film Festival Best Feature Film, Boston International Film Festival Best Feature Film, and numerous additional festival selections and screenplay recognitions. In 2023, O'Neill's work earned Quarterfinalist recognition from the Diverse Writers Lab and multiple placements for both Saving MLK and The Happy Man.
A graduate of the University of Oregon, the Arizona School of Business, American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, and the ScreenwritingU Master's Certificate Program, O'Neill combines creative storytelling with entrepreneurial development. Before entering filmmaking, he played quarterback at the University of Oregon and began his entertainment career as Harrison Ford's photo double on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, working alongside director Steven Spielberg.
Today, O'Neill focuses on partnering with rights holders to develop, acquire, and produce new intellectual property across film, television, and publishing platforms.