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New Kevin has films in his 'Blood'

By Ann Oldenburg, USA TODAY
(updated version)

His license plate says N2ISHN.

Kevin Williams always follows his intuition, he says. "It's my religion."

Williams: Architect of his own destiny.

It's also what led him from being an architect who designed Kevin Costner's South Dakota gambling resort to becoming a filmmaker. His debut feature, Blood Type, is a cutting-edge stylistic dramatic comedy.

"People have to keep reminding me this is a major thing I've done," he says. But he says he's been moving toward this all his life.

Born in New York City, he was raised in Kentucky, studied architecture and then moved west. Costner didn't help his career, except to remind him that he was drawn to movies and to writing scripts.

In less than four weeks, he wrote his first one, Mud Flap Women!. "When I get into it, there's this aura around me. Don't come near me," Williams says. "It comes to me or through me — not necessarily from me."

He told his architecture boss he was moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and he took on a producing partner. But being an outsider, he could never quite get the project funded. He decided to turn to another story he'd been mulling, sat down and wrote Blood Type, a smart social satire, in record time.

A friend of his faxed it to George Lucas, who called the friend with some comments. "It totally boosted me," says Williams. He wrote two more drafts and then made dozens of phone calls to find an investor. "I called my dentist back in Kentucky. I called my uncle in Florida," Williams says. Finally he met the right person who understood his potential and the money came through. Shooting began with a cast including Tom Hanks' brother, Jim, whom Williams met when Hanks auditioned for a role in Mud Flap Women!

Hanks insists on talking about Kevin rather than his famous brother. "I don't want this article to be about me or Tom. I want it to be about Kevin. He has an incredible amount of energy, and it is all positive, even during the shooting, which was under the gun, micro-budget. He just rides that energy of his and says, 'I'm not going to wish I did it. I'm going to do it.' "

Note: Don't confuse Williams with Director Kevin Williamson, who did the Scream movies.

But Williams does remember how one day his intuition led him to "drive in a weird direction, to a movie set. I get out. I run over. I land myself right next to the director, and it turns out to be Kevin Williamson. I was totally blown away."

Now in post production, Blood Type is targeted for completion for distribution in 2017 and the future in film looks bright for Williams. His send-up comedy feature, a parody of many bigscreen hits, Mud-Flap Women! is ready for development and smart financiers. "It's an insanely funny screenplay which led me to be introduced to Jay Leno and other comedy greats!" Williams says. Kevin sincerely hopes everyone can pursue their own dreams and laugh all along the way.

WATCH BLOOD TYPE ONLINE NOW!