Biography
Born to a family of Irish cinema-owners who opened their first theater in 1942, David Gleeson grew up steeped in all things celluloid. Following a colorful and varied path, including a 5-year stint in oil exploration deep inside the Arctic Circle, Gleeson made his feature film debut as a writer/director with 2003's 'Cowboys & Angels'.
A youth comedy/drama set in his native Limerick (Ireland), 'Cowboys & Angels' was released in cinemas by Buena Vista International (Disney). The film won eight international film awards including Best Screenplay at Newport Beach (U.S.) and two Gold Medal Awards at Giffoni (Italy). The New York Times commented, [the film] 'offers a fresh mix of open-minded intelligence and a heartfelt point of view,' while The Chicago Tribune commented, 'Stack "Cowboys" against most of the fare American studios offer young adults and it's meatier by far'.
Gleeson's next film which he also wrote and directed, the crime drama 'The Front Line', was released in cinemas in 2006 also through Buena Vista Intl. Variety (magazine) called it; 'A satisfying blend of crime drama and geopolitical think piece about a Congolese refugee in Dublin, [The Front Line] sustains high levels of suspense while delivering an emotional wallop.' The Sunday Independent (Ireland) wrote; 'Gleeson has delivered a terrific film that reminds us what big screens were made for and it deserves to be a smash.'
In 2008, Gleeson sold his time travel sci-fi spec screenplay 'The End of History' to Sony Pictures. He followed this up over the next decade with several more spec sales and commissions to studios including Walt Disney Pictures, Fox Searchlight, Focus Features, 20th Century Fox, Mattel Studios and Paramount Pictures.
In July 2017, Gleeson wrote and directed 'Don't Go' starring Stephen Dorff and Melissa George. 'Don't Go' was released in the US through IFC Films on 28 October 2018.
In May 2019, Fox Searchlight Pictures released 'Tolkien', a Chernin Entertainment production based on Gleeson's original screenplay about the legendary author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien.
Having just completed the semi-autobiographical 'Once Upon a Time in a Cinema' which he also wrote and directed (due for release in 2026), Gleeson continues to work in wildly different genres and is currently in preproduction on a musical comedy called 'Violence, Foul Language and Scenes of a Sexual Nature'.
Known for
Career timeline
Frequently appears with
Full filmography
