Dan Harris

By the age of 25, Dan Harris achieved a level of success few in Hollywood could lay claim to, having directed his first feature film and co-written a hugely popular blockbuster movie. After earning a film degree from Columbia University and working as a production assistant and intern for some of cinema's biggest names, the aspiring filmmaker began submitting short projects of his own to several film festivals to much success. A meeting with writer-director Bryan Singer eventually led to his first major studio job - co-scripting the big-budget superhero sequel "X2: X-Men United" (2003) with writing partner Michael Dougherty. Based on that work and his earlier short films, Harris was given the greenlight to direct the unconventional family drama "Imaginary Heroes" (2004), based on a script of his own and starring Sigourney Weaver. "Urban Legends: Bloody Mary" (2005), a spec script co-written by himself and Dougherty, was but a momentary blip on the radar prior to the writing team's ultimate assignment. Along with director Singer, Harris and his partner were tasked with reinvigorating a venerated comic book property with "Superman Returns" (2006). While not an outright failure, the enormously expensive film failed to generate enough buzz to warrant the new franchise Warner Bros. had been banking on. A temporary setback, to be sure, Harris' innate talent and professional drive kept him in the forefront of the film industry.