Mark L. Lester (born November 26, 1946) is an American filmmaker. Following his first film, Twilight of the Mayas, Lester worked on films such as Stunts, Steel Arena, and Bobby Jo and the Outlaw. His next film Roller Boogie with Linda Blair was a modest success, which he built on with reasonably received exploitation thriller Class of 1984, and Stephen King's Firestarter. His biggest hit came in 1985 with Commando, an Arnold Schwarzenegger action film that grossed over $57 million worldwide. He also founded American World Pictures, and independent production and distribution company, which largely produces television films. Other credits include Showdown in Little Tokyo starring Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee, Night of the Running Man, Extreme Justice, Misbegotten, The Ex, Double Take, and Truck Stop Women.