Dan O'Bannon in a 2003 interview for the Special Edition "Alien" DVD

Famed screenwriter Dan O’Bannon passed away this week at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica Ca. after a 30 year battle with Crohn’s disease.

His most famous work includes the writing for Alien and Total Recall, as well as writing and directing the cult favorite The Return of the Living Dead. O’Bannon began his career as a sci-fi icon by working together with director John Carpenter on writing for their student-film-turned-low-budget-feature Dark Star.  And like Carpenter, he is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s film program.

O’Bannon was 63, and is survived by his wife and son.

Source: Variety