Richard Stanley

Richard Stanley is a South African director and screenwriter of cultish horror films, but he is best known within the industry for messy production scenarios. He began his career writing, directing, and starring in two shorter films in the early-to-mid '80s before making his breakthrough in 1990, when he wrote and directed the sci-fi horror feature "Hardware." The film starred very recognizable actors Dylan McDermott and Stacey Travis and in something of a coup, the film also featured rock legends Iggy Pop and Lemmy in supporting roles. The movie did well but was also besotted with controversy when it came out that Stanley's script had been based on a story from a comic magazine (those comic writers were eventually credited as "Hardware" contributors). His 1992 horror follow-up, "Dust Devil," became mired in post-production hell, but Stanley managed to produce the film, and it, too, gained a following. But Stanley's most public fiasco occurred a few years later, when, after screen-adapting and then being offered to direct the sci-fi horror movie "The Island of Dr. Moreau," he was promptly fired a few days into production, allegedly at the request of co-star Val Kilmer; John Frankenheimer supplanted Stanley in the director's chair. The film still ended up a flop, earning a Razzie Award for worst screenplay, though the final product bore virtually no resemblance to Stanley's original. Stanley managed to soldier on, making a couple documentaries, a short, and by the early 2010s, he was back making horror features again.