F.J. DeSanto is a producer/writer with extensive experience in acquiring, developing, and maintaining a large slate of projects based on comic books, graphic novels, manga, and anime. He has also overseen deals with writers, agents, comic book companies, creators, and movie studios.
Earlier in his career, DeSanto was the Senior Vice President of Production and Development and Producer for Comic Book Movies Inc., and spent nine years as Vice President of Development for the Executive Producers of the BATMAN franchise.
Currently, he is showrunning the original anime series TRANSFORMERS: WAR FOR CYBERTRON for Netflix, Hasbro, and Rooster Teeth, which launched in 2020. This is his second animated TRANSFORMERS trilogy, the last being PRIME WARS, which he co-wrote and executive produced for Hasbro, Machinima, and Verizon.
As a writer and intellectual property creator, DeSanto has co-created FAILSAFE, an original property, which was released by Vault Comics and is currently in development as a feature film at Netflix with Michael B. Jordan producing/starring and Joe Robert Cole writing. He has also developed ALIEN BOUNTY HUNTER, an original science fiction property, with ENTOURAGE creator Stephen Levinson and Mark Wahlberg.
DeSanto's other projects in development include HEATHEN, based on the Vault comic book series in conjunction with Constantin Films and Prime Universe; THE UNTITLED PLAGUE DOCTOR PROJECT with writer Gary Dauberman and Atomic Monster; DOC SAVAGE, written and to be directed by Shane Black and starring Dwayne Johnson; and an original modern day Knights Templar property, CRIMSON, created by writer Michael Palmer and produced alongside The Donners Company.
He has also produced BEHIND THE COMICS, a show for AT&T Uverse showcasing modern comic talent working on classic characters such as Spider-Man and Batman and featuring Stan Lee, Alyssa Milano, and Jim Lee. DeSanto has also executive produced the documentaries TALKING WITH GODS and CAPTURED GHOSTS, which profiled the legendary comic book creators Grant Morrison and Warren Ellis.
As an assistant to the producers of the feature film CONSTANTINE, directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Keanu Reeves, DeSanto was responsible for a wide range of tasks, including script coverage, research, and coordination.
In addition to his work in the entertainment industry, DeSanto has also delved into branded properties, writing the comic book prequel to the motion picture AGENT 47, based on the HITMAN series of video games. He has also written an original manga based on STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION for Tokyopop and was a co-writer on the comic book series THE SPIRIT for DC Comics.
DeSanto has also worked on several prose projects, including a GREEN HORNET story published by Moonstone Publications and a story for an anthology novel based on the film IMMORTALS for Relativity.
As a westernized graphic novel version of the Japanese classic manga CYBORG 009, written by DeSanto and Bradley Cramp, was the first ever book of its kind to be simultaneously published in the US and Japan and digitally through Comixology. It was nominated for three Harvey Awards, including Best Graphic Album.
DeSanto has also consulted for Microsoft on their intellectual property incubation studio, Lift London, to help develop their original games into cross-platform franchises.
Known for his knowledge of manga and anime, DeSanto was the first person to ever speak on the topic of Japanese manga and anime at The Smithsonian Institution when moderating "Manga to Anime: Astro Boy to Spirited Away" a seminar that featured seminal creators and prominent executives from the Japanese entertainment industry.
DeSanto graduated New York University's Tisch School of the Arts Department of Undergraduate Film and TV with an honors scholar award. In 2001-2002, Mr. DeSanto returned to NYU as an adjunct professor, teaching a class entitled PROFESSIONAL COLLOQUIUM.
