Tom DeSanto

Tom DeSanto

Tom Desanto (born in New Jersey is an American film director. DeSanto is best known for his work with long time friend Brian Singer, especially with his contribution to the first two X-Men movies.

Biography

Tom DeSanto was born Thomas DeSanto in New Jersey to parents Rita and Elliot DeSanto is an American film producer who has worked on several fandom-related movies. Tom is the middle child between two brothers and spent several years of his high school forming a story for the first X-Men film.

Work

Bad Hat Harry

Apt Pupil

During his first years in the film industry Tom met and befriended Bryan Singer, who got Tom a production position with his production studio, Bad Hat Harry working on his movie Apt Pupil followed by a partnered attempt to revive Battlestar Galactica.

X-Men & X2

Later, Singer would write co-write the movie with DeSanto and a few others before becoming the director of X-Men, using most of Tom's story. Tom is credited for the story, as an executive producer, and for a short cameo role as the police officer on Ellis Island who is squashed by Toad.

Tom also worked as an executive producer for X2: X-Men United, but did not return for the third installment due to major disagreements with certain crew members, especially Lauren Shuler Donner. Likewise, rumors of a violent outburst from Bryan Singer, targeting DeSanto surfaced during the shooting of the second X-Men film.

Other Work

Since leaving the X-Men film franchise, DeSanto has written several introductions to collected comics in both hardcover and trade paper back, including Superman: Red Son by Mark Millar and Wolverine: Origin by Paul Jenkins. Tom also worked as a producer on the fan movie Ringers: Lord of the Fan.

Future plans

Tom currently lives in Los Angeles, California, writing the storyline and producing the new Transformers movie for Dreamworks and Paramount, which is in production and set for a 2007 release. This live action version includes Steven Spielberg as an Executive Producer.

Trivia

• DeSanto talked Bryan Singer into directing the X-Men films after he rejected the offer.
• DeSanto owns over 30,000 comics.