Daniel Kay
Writing
Biography
Daniel Kay took an interest in movies at a young age, inspired by independent films like Clerks (1994) and The Brothers McMullen (1995). After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in English, Kay began making his first film, writing and directing the offbeat comedy-drama Way Off Broadway (2001). The film played at over 30 film festivals and was ultimately optioned by IFC. Kay still had to work his way up in the film industry. Early in his career he was hired by Disney to write a script for an animated direct-to-DVD project Tinkerbell 2, but that work was ultimately not used after a shift in management. He continued working production jobs that allowed him time outside of work to develop his screenplays. His next script to go into production was the horror film Timber Falls (2007), which follows a couple on a harrowing journey when they encounter violent locals during their travels. Kay built a reputation as a reliable writer of horror films, and later was approached to adapt the chilling short story Pay the Ghost by Tim Lebbon. The resulting film starred Nicolas Cage and was released in 2015.
Known For
Mike Regan is a successful, self-made man who has it all: a gorgeous wife, a beautiful teenage daughter and a sleek, state-of-the-art “smart home”. But he soon finds himself in a deadly, high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse when his I.T. consultant, Ed, starts using his skills to stalk Mike’s daughter and endanger his family, his business, and his life. In a world where there is no privacy, and personal secrets can go viral by the click of a mouse, Mike needs to rely on his old connections to defeat a new kind of nemesis.
I.T.
One year after his young son disappeared during a Halloween carnival, Mike Cole is haunted by eerie images and terrifying messages he can’t explain. Together with his estranged wife, he will stop at nothing to unravel the mystery and find their son—and, in doing so, he unearths a legend that refuses to remain buried in the past.
Pay the Ghost
A weekend of camping in the mountains becomes an excursion into hell for a young couple, who become pawns in a grotesque plot hatched by deranged locals.
Timber Falls
After their mother suffers a fatal overdose, two sisters fear being separated by the foster system and decide to hide her body. But when their lie risks being exposed, they must decide how far they’re willing to go to keep their secret.
What We Hide
Way Off Broadway is the story of five friends who, frustrated by the abrupt juxtaposition of being successful artists on the university level to poor struggling artists in New York City, take a crash course in life as they explore the dynamic of conflict in friendship involving sex, love, failure and betrayal.