John Leekley
Encyclopedia
John Leekley is an American
writer, director and producer. He is one of the most prolific writer/producers in television. He received a Primetime Emmy Award for his work as Executive Producer/Writer on the HBO Original Series “Spawn”.
John was Creator/Writer/Executive Producer of the series “Kindred… The Embraced” for Fox Network, which is a cult favorite on the web. John started his television career as Co-Producer, Writer, and Creator of the landmark eight-hour CBS mini-series “The Blue and The Gray” (CBS), starring Gregory Peck as Abraham Lincoln, based on the novel of the same name, that he authored. He has also served as Writer/Producer for several highly regarded movies including “In the Company of Darkness” starring Helen Hunt (CBS), “She Fought Alone” (NBC) which was the first movie to confront the issue of date rape, “Buried Secrets” (NBC), the four-hour mini-series “Night Sins” (CBS), and "Mafia Doctor" (CBS). John was the Creator of the dark supernatural series “Wolf Lake” for CBS... centering on teenagers in a small town in the Northwest who are changelings. He also wrote the screenplay “Pleading Guilty”, based on the #1 bestseller by Scott Turow.
In the summer of 2000, Lions Gate released “Prince of Central Park”, the first theatrical feature film written and directed by John, starring Academy Award Nominees Harvey Keitel, Kathleen Turner, Danny Aiello, and Cathy Moriarty. John has recently completed the futuristic feature film script "City of Night". The story revolves around the survivors of a world wide plague, who gather together in the Bowery of New York City, forming a new minority in America at the bottom of society, with their own mysterious night culture, the gangsters who rule it, and the cops who try to take it back.
He is currently writing and Executive Producing the movie, “Out of the Ice”, the true story of Justin Hicks, a ten year old boy who fell through the ice and drowned, lying dead under water for 39 minutes. Rescued by a fireman, he was in a coma for 10 days and diagnosed as brain dead. Justin's mother, Colleen, simply refused to allow him to die. Her will brought him back, and the life of everyone involved was transformed. Justin woke up on Christmas Eve.
John is also the best selling author of fiction and non-fiction books. He is an historical author, having co-written "Moments: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs" and edited "Reflections on the Civil War", the last book by Bruce Catton. He has just completed the manuscript for his next novel, “The House of the Rising Sun”, an epic story about the Jazz era from 1900 to the 1920s, set in New Orleans, the river boats, and amidst the mobsters of Chicago. Recently, John wrote the screenplay "The White Rose"... a true story of college students in Nazi Germany who formed the only national resistance movement against Hitler and the Gestapo.
He is represented by the Agency for the Performing Arts (APA).
Leekley has also written episodes of Miami Vice
, Nightmare Cafe, and Private Eye.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer, director and producer. He is one of the most prolific writer/producers in television. He received a Primetime Emmy Award for his work as Executive Producer/Writer on the HBO Original Series “Spawn”.
John was Creator/Writer/Executive Producer of the series “Kindred… The Embraced” for Fox Network, which is a cult favorite on the web. John started his television career as Co-Producer, Writer, and Creator of the landmark eight-hour CBS mini-series “The Blue and The Gray” (CBS), starring Gregory Peck as Abraham Lincoln, based on the novel of the same name, that he authored. He has also served as Writer/Producer for several highly regarded movies including “In the Company of Darkness” starring Helen Hunt (CBS), “She Fought Alone” (NBC) which was the first movie to confront the issue of date rape, “Buried Secrets” (NBC), the four-hour mini-series “Night Sins” (CBS), and "Mafia Doctor" (CBS). John was the Creator of the dark supernatural series “Wolf Lake” for CBS... centering on teenagers in a small town in the Northwest who are changelings. He also wrote the screenplay “Pleading Guilty”, based on the #1 bestseller by Scott Turow.
In the summer of 2000, Lions Gate released “Prince of Central Park”, the first theatrical feature film written and directed by John, starring Academy Award Nominees Harvey Keitel, Kathleen Turner, Danny Aiello, and Cathy Moriarty. John has recently completed the futuristic feature film script "City of Night". The story revolves around the survivors of a world wide plague, who gather together in the Bowery of New York City, forming a new minority in America at the bottom of society, with their own mysterious night culture, the gangsters who rule it, and the cops who try to take it back.
He is currently writing and Executive Producing the movie, “Out of the Ice”, the true story of Justin Hicks, a ten year old boy who fell through the ice and drowned, lying dead under water for 39 minutes. Rescued by a fireman, he was in a coma for 10 days and diagnosed as brain dead. Justin's mother, Colleen, simply refused to allow him to die. Her will brought him back, and the life of everyone involved was transformed. Justin woke up on Christmas Eve.
John is also the best selling author of fiction and non-fiction books. He is an historical author, having co-written "Moments: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs" and edited "Reflections on the Civil War", the last book by Bruce Catton. He has just completed the manuscript for his next novel, “The House of the Rising Sun”, an epic story about the Jazz era from 1900 to the 1920s, set in New Orleans, the river boats, and amidst the mobsters of Chicago. Recently, John wrote the screenplay "The White Rose"... a true story of college students in Nazi Germany who formed the only national resistance movement against Hitler and the Gestapo.
He is represented by the Agency for the Performing Arts (APA).
As producer
- The Blue and the GrayThe Blue and the GrayThe Blue and the Gray is a television miniseries that first aired on CBS in three installments on November 14, November 16, and November 17, 1982. Set during the American Civil War, the series starred John Hammond, Stacy Keach, Lloyd Bridges, and Gregory Peck as President Abraham Lincoln...
(1982), associate producer - Private Eye (1987), co-producer
- Nightmare CafeNightmare CafeNightmare Cafe is a short-lived American telefantasy program which aired on NBC for an abridged first season from January to April 1992. While the overall tone of the program was that of a mystical fantasy, it frequently incorporated elements of dark humor, horror, and even outright comedy. A total...
(1992), supervising producer - In the Company of Darkness (1993), supervising producer
- Knight Rider 2010 (1994), executive producer
- She Fought Alone (1995), producer
- The Omen, 1995, executive producer
- Kindred: The EmbracedKindred: The EmbracedKindred: The Embraced is an American television series produced by John Leekley Productions and Spelling Television. Loosely based on the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade, the series premiered on Fox on April 2, 1996, and ran for eight episodes before it was canceled on May 9, 1996. The...
(1996), executive producer - Buried Secrets (1996), executive producer
- Buried Secrets (1996), executive producer
- Night Sins (1997), co-executive producer
- Spawn (1999), co-executive producer
- Wolf LakeWolf LakeWolf Lake is an American television series that originally aired on CBS. Wolf Lake follows a pack of werewolves living in a Seattle suburb. The first 5 episodes aired on CBS, but due to low ratings CBS cancelled it. A total of nine aired episodes and a non-aired pilot were made before the show...
(2001), executive producer - Mafia Doctor (2003)
As writer
- The Blue and the Gray (1982)
- In the Company of Darkness (1993)
- Knight Rider 2010Knight Rider 2010Knight Rider 2010 is a 1994 made-for-TV movie for Universal Television's Action Pack very loosely based on the television series Knight Rider.- Differences between Knight Rider and Knight Rider 2010 :...
(1994) - She Fought Alone (1995)
- The Omen (1995)
- Buried Secrets (1996)
- Kindred: The Embraced (1996)
- Night Sins (1997)
- Prince of Central Park (2000)
- Wolf Lake (2001)
- Spawn (1999)
- Mafia Doctor (2003)
Leekley has also written episodes of Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
, Nightmare Cafe, and Private Eye.
Published works
- Moments: the Pulitzer Prize photographs (coauthored with Sheryle Leekley, 1978)
- Reflections on the Civil War (edited for Bruce CattonBruce CattonCharles Bruce Catton was an American historian and journalist, best known for his books on the American Civil War. Known as a narrative historian, Catton specialized in popular histories that emphasized colorful characters and historical vignettes, in addition to the basic facts, dates, and analyses...
, 1981) - The Blue and the Gray : a novel (with Bruce Catton and Ian McLellan Hunter, 1982)
External links
- http://www.johnleekley.com/