Warner's Wizarding Worlds Wanted...

You had to know this was going to happen...

The Bunny's Head Suit Kevin Tsujihara announced that the studio was expanding it's relationship with best selling author, J.K. Rowling yesterday.  It seems both are satisfied with the way the books have been handled in he screen.  And why wouldn't they both be happy?  The "Harry Potter" franchise has generated billions of dollars for the studio/author.

The series is one of the best adaptation of a novel even translated.  Other than Dumbledore being replaced because of the sad passing of the great Richard Harris the casting stayed consistent through all the films.

Fans around the world have wanted more of that world and although we know that the young wizards story has ended, the world Rowling created is so rich with possibilities.  The Warner Suits have wanted to find a way to exploit this more.  Now it looks like they've found a way.

Here's the official press release:

  

Warner Bros. Entertainment today announced an expanded creative partnership with world-renowned, best-selling author J.K. Rowling. At the center of the partnership is a new film series from Rowling’s world of witches and wizards, inspired by Harry Potter’s Hogwarts textbook “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” and the adventures of the book’s fictitious author, Newt Scamander. The announcement was made by Kevin Tsujihara, Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros. Entertainment. 

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” will be an original story and will mark Rowling’s screenwriting debut. It is planned as the first picture in a new film series. Set in the wizarding world, the story will feature magical creatures and characters, some of which will be familiar to devoted Harry Potter fans.

“Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for seventeen years, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world,” said Rowling. “The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt’s story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry’s gets underway.”

“We are incredibly honored that Jo has chosen to partner with Warner Bros. on this exciting new exploration of the world of wizardry which has been tremendously successful across all of our businesses,” said Tsujihara. “She is an extraordinary writer, who ignited a reading revolution around the world, which then became an unprecedented film phenomenon. We know that audiences will be as excited as we are to see what her brilliant and boundless imagination conjures up for us.”

In addition to the film series, “Fantastic Beasts” will also be developed across the Studio’s video game, consumer products and digital initiatives businesses, including enhanced links with Pottermore.com, Rowling’s digital online experience built around the Harry Potter stories.
The Studio’s expanded partnership with Rowling also covers the continued expansion of its Harry Potter activities, including the wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme parks in conjunction with partner Universal Parks and Resorts (currently in Orlando, FL; opening in Hollywood, CA and Osaka, Japan), digital initiatives (including Pottermore), video games, consumer products and visitor attractions.

In addition, Warner Bros. will serve as the worldwide TV distributor (excluding the U.K.) of J.K. Rowling’s upcoming television adaptation for the BBC of “The Casual Vacancy,” her best-selling first novel aimed at adult audiences. This miniseries begins production in 2014.
The relationship will be managed in London by Neil Blair of The Blair Partnership, Rowling’s literary agency, and Josh Berger, President & Managing Director, Warner Bros. UK, Ireland and Spain, who will serve as Warner Bros.’ chief business contact for all J.K. Rowling initiatives going forward.

             Rowling’s expanded quote regarding “Fantastic Beasts” is below:

“It all started when Warner Bros. came to me with the suggestion of turning ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ into a film. I thought it was a fun idea, but the idea of seeing Newt Scamander, the supposed author of ‘Fantastic Beasts,’ realized by another writer was difficult. Having lived for so long in my fictional universe, I feel very protective of it and I already knew a lot about Newt. As hard-core Harry Potter fans will know, I liked him so much that I even married his grandson, Rolf, to one of my favourite characters from the Harry Potter series, Luna Lovegood.
As I considered Warners’ proposal, an idea took shape that I couldn’t dislodge. That is how I ended up pitching my own idea for a film to Warner Bros. 

Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for seventeen years, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world. The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt’s story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry’s gets underway.

I particularly want to thank Kevin Tsujihara of Warner Bros. for his support in this project, which would not have happened without him. I always said that I would only revisit the wizarding world if I had an idea that I was really excited about and this is it.”

It'll be interesting seeing what the actual story for this turns out to be because it begins after Newt Scamander completes his book.  So will his adventures be told in flashback or will it involve what came after?  Just like the Star Wars Universe, this magical world is boundless and ready for exploring.

Soon, we'll all be exploring it again...

The Write Stuff...

And the Threepio goes to... 

 If you need anymore proof that the Mouse picked the right person, look no further...

For Star Wars, I mean.  Michael Arndt is a very talented writer.  He knows story.  He knows structure.  He knows how to take an arc and follow through with a payoff.  I don't know who will be the director that is chosen to film this chapter of the Star Wars saga, but I am confindant in the writer.

I have faith that the script he turns in will be well thought out, well written, and compelling.  The man knows how to tell a story, even if it's a toy story.  I trust Kathleen Kennedy guiding the project through, and it speaks volumes that she chose Arndt to work on the treatment and then the first script of this new trilogy.

If you want to see how smart a fellow he is, take a look at this video from 2007 where Michael Arndt gave a speech about his script for "Little Miss Sunshine" at a local San Francisco book store.  I believe that after watching his conversation about the screenwriting process, you'll feel safer about him being in front of a keyboard typing out the future of that galaxy far, far away.

No Midi-chlorians here, please...

Jedi Mind Tricks...

These are the writers you are looking for...

Whoa, more and more awesomeness keeps leaking from this Bantha track...

Ok, if you don't know Star Wars then that really won't help or make sense.  Let's just say that with each passing moment, everything we hear that the Mouse/Lucasfilm are doing for the third trilogy is very smart.  They appear to be treating this like the property they know fans value so greatly.

If you haven't heard the news, Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Raiders of the Lost Ark) and Simon Kinberg (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: End of Days) have been hired to write the screenplays for Episode VIII and Episode IX.  It's not known if they will collaborate on each as partners or will one will tackle eight and the other nine.  Both will produce the film along with Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy.

So from notes by Lucas, Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3) created a forty/fifty page treatment, and will write the first film: Episode VII, Kasdan and Kinberg will write the rest and they will produce all three?  Thank the Maker!  Now all we need is a director.  Sadly, Brad Bird won't be the director (maybe he'll be the Irvin Kershner of this batch and direct the second if we're lucky), so who will it be?  I have my own ideas, but that'll be for a later post.

The opening crawl can't come soon enough...

Willing Hostage...

Wheldon's World, we just occupy space on it...








So the details are finally starting to come out...

Marvel has issued a statement regarding the services of Joss Whedon:

Joss Whedon has signed an exclusive deal with Marvel Studios for film and television through the end of June 2015. As part of that deal, Whedon will write and direct Marvel’s The Avengers 2 as well as help develop a new live-action series for Marvel Television at ABC. He will also contribute creatively to the next phase of Marvel’s cinematic universe.

This is uncharacteristic of Marvel. They've shown little loyalty to the directors/writers of their projects. Jon Faveau is the only director to come back more than once and no writer other than Whedon, I believe has worked on multiple films for them. This shows an enormous amount of respect for Joss and his vision for the MCU P2 as it goes forward.

The statement also lets you know that "Avengers 2" will be out before June 2015 since that is when the deal expires. It also talks about how he'll help out on the rest of the upcoming slate of Marvel films. So we could see him contribute to rewrites/polishes on several of the upcoming scripts. Which is great news for fans of the films. I can imagine that he'll be involved in "Captain America: Winter Soldier" because of his past association with it, but "Guardians of the Galaxy" could be something of interest as well since his "Serenity" work.

But the future of Marvel Studios just became a whole lot more positive...

Hat Tip to /Film.

Artwork designed for/by Forbidden Planet.

Anti-Social...

Will his idea be followed in the sequel, Paradise...





Damon Lindelof is a very prolific writer...

He is a screenwriter with many plates spinning in the air. From the controversial ending of "Lost" to the discussions that have surrounded the story of "Prometheus," he's taken the brunt of the criticism and graciously limited his credit in the story.

There's a great interview he did with the Wall Street Journal's Speakeasy Blog that addresses much of what he's done, and how he deals with social media - both the upside and downside.

Blue Sky Disney has spend a fair amount of digital ink talking about Ridley Scott's latest film, but there's nothing that says the debate has to be over/ended. At the very least, this could be an exclamation point on the subject.

Until the Blu-Ray is released, of course...

Hat Tip to /Film.

Guardian's New Guardian...

If this isn't good, Feige will be blacklisted...





So Marvel's newest film gets a new writer...

The original draft of Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" was by Nicole Perlman, who has written a few stories about space, but being as GOTG has a lot of humor in it, the Marvel Suits intent for a draft by someone with those talents.

Enter Chris McCoy, a talented screenwriter with a known ability to instill his prose with wit and quirky humor. He's been on Hollywood's Black List three times over the past five years, and that's saying something. Although none of his projects have made it to the screen, his work is highly in demand, and it appears that his take on the superhero group will be the first credit to make it to the silver screen.

Kevin Feige knows his source material and he and the inner circle at Marvel tend to have a great knack for finding the right people to translate it to film. Hiring someone like McCoy shows that they're willing to look in alternate areas for talent to tell their tales.

Now they just have to find the right director...

Shadowy Beginnings...

Who knows what what eeeeeeviiiilllll...




Eighty-Two years ago today, an iconic figure in radio/pulp fiction was born...

On the Detective Story Hour at the beginning of the Thirties, on this night a despondent, tired and pessimistic America tuned into their radios for a break from the harshness that the stock market crash had spent over the nation.

On tonights program, a new and exciting character would right the wrongs and deliver justice to a society that looked for hope. The mysterious Shadow would go on to create a sensation for young and old alike. He was a pre-superhero, before Superman and Batman, that did things the common man couldn't, but wanted to. And he offered a chance for the listener to escape the Great Depression, if only for a few hours.

Happy Birthday, Lamont Cranston...

In Memoriam: Ray Bradbury...

And he kept on writing for decades...





A giant of science fiction has passed from legend, into legend...

Ray Bradury, who gave the world a great collection of tales of what could be, what would never come or hadn't yet, and who played an important part in the world of Disney set down his pen forever.

A man of voluminous works, including "The Martian Chronicles," "Fahrenheit 451," "Something Wicked This Way Comes," and "The Halloween Tree". I happen of really love the film adaptation of Something Wicked This Way Comes from the Mouse. I think it's the best vision of his work until someday a studio suit gets the sense to make his script of Fahrenheit 451. As well as his many novels and short stories, Bradbury contributed to the creation of EPCOT Center. His optimism, hope and spark were marks of what made Walt Disney the man he was. Ray Bradbury told beautiful stories for over seventy years.

He is gone, but his works will live on for eternity...

The Long Fall...

Fall loves me...







Sorry for the lack of updates, guys...

The real world has came crushing around me and prevented me from entering the Blue Sky universe, unfortunately. Posts will be coming, but intermittently until later this month/next month.

Apologies for the silence...

Black Get's "Man's" Job...

Black is the new red and gold, baby...









Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Marvel Studios is closing in on a deal with Shane Black...

YES!!! Well, maybe yes. As of now, it's confirming a deal for directing the film, but my hope is that he actually winds up writing and directing it the same way that Joss Whedon is doing with "Avengers." That would get me tremendously excited about the project as Black is pitch perfect for the writing of Tony Stark/Iron Man. It'd be a match made in heaven reteaming him with Downey again. I'd almost want to see this than the Avengers film.

I can imagine the action scenes with his dialog. I would see this as a restart of the series as I think his participation would bring the franchise up to the next level. I can only dream that when it hits the trades it says: "to be written and directed by." One question is did he go into the meetings with the Marvel Suits with his own take on the character or do they already have an idea as to who/what they want and wish him to configure the story according to their desires.

It's not a done deal, but this is like a blessing sent down from the geek gods...

Black Opportunities...

Now this is the kind of rumor that makes a fanboy feel like he's died and gone to Comic-Con...

The Hollywood Reporter is saying that among the short list of directors to take the place of Jon Favreau is Shane Black. Not only to direct the film, but possibly write it as well. The writer-director is said to be meeting with Marvel and is on the short list of people that are being considered for the job. PLEASE, please, please let this happen, Black is one of a few people that would be perfect for this deal. His ability to write smart, funny scripts filled with action would make him an ideal choice to helm the third adventure of Shellhead. It would also reunite Black with Robert Downey Jr., with whom he worked on the wonderfully fun, "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang." That film was one of the early works that got Downey back on track after his rehab and let the actor shine in his performance. If Marvel Suits like Kevin Feige are smart, they will lock this deal asap because it's simply too good to be actually be true.

Almost as if it were a tale straight out of a comic book...

Pooh's Corner Passing...

On this day Fifty-five years ago, the creator of a very expensive teddy bear passed away...

A.A. Milne left this world for the next in Hartfield, Sussex, England.

All around the Hundred Acre Woods hearts were broken because that's not what Tiggers do best.

Oh bother...

Many More Monsters...

Walt Disney Pictures has bought the spec script "Monster Witness Protection Program" by Ahmet Zappa and Michael Wilson, for a future Will Smith Jr. starring vehicle...

Wha? I know, sounds strange and it is. But the Mouse wants the script for Jaden Smith, whom is not yet attached to star. Zappa wrote a novel called "The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless" that Disney was planning on turning into a film. That project currently resides in a very rarely seen land in Disneyland called Development Hell-land.

Hopefully, this project won't wind up with the other Monsters...

Blue Sky Writing: Janet Scott Batchler...

The word starts here...


I've always been a reader, I love the word...

Every film starts with a great or bad screenplay. When I was going to college at USC, my friend and I would read the latest scripts since we were both interns in our spare time at production companies. When he passed me along the latest, hot script and told me that it was all the buzz, I stayed up late to read it. It helped that he said it was like "Raiders, Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia" all rolled into one. It was that day that I got introduced to Lee Batchler & Janet Scott Batchler. I remember being in Oceanography class reading "Batman Forever" while the teacher droned on about something to do with... water. I remember hearing about the Nemo script that they had written which Spielberg was supposedly interested in. I've read so many screenplays since then. But my mind always goes back to that script I read on a night I should have been studying for a midterm. And my mind always goes back to how Hollywood didn't make it. That's why when I wrote my "Unfinished Business: The 5 Best Scripts Hollywood Never Made," I included "Smoke and Mirrors." It was that good.

So, I must say that it has been my pleasure since then to have had the chance to talk to one half of the writing duo, Janet Scott Batchler and interview her about a few things. I thought you might find it interesting to hear from the screenwriter, who also now teaches screenplay writing at my Alma Mater's film school, and writes her own blog. It's always nice and informative to know what people that you respect and admire think about. What makes people who they are is the experiences they have along the way. The little moments that make up a life are always interesting, and I like finding that out about people.

So with that, here's my interview with Janet Scott Batchler...

__________________________________________________________________


First off, I'd like to say thanks for letting me talk to you. I've been a fan of your work since I first read "Smoke and Mirrors" while going to college at USC. My best friend gave me copy talking about the "buzz" that this script had and then he pitched it to me. Part "Raiders of the Lost Ark" meets "Lawrence of Arabia with the romance of "Casablanca." I was sold and read it in one night. That's the script that put you on the map, but how did you get to writing screenplays in the first place? Was it what you always wanted to do?


I fell into writing screenplays almost inadvertently. Lee had started off studying to be a playwright, working in musical theatre, but he didn't want to move to New York. I suggested that if he wanted to write other kinds of drama, we were certainly in the right city for that, and rather naively I suggested that we could write together. Astonishingly, it worked out.


What was your first script?


We started off with a practice script, adapting an Agatha Christie novel just to get used to screenplay format and to writing together. We then wrote a few spec TV scripts.


In regards to "Smoke & Mirrors," how did you come up with the idea?


We decided we wanted to write what was in the '90s known as a "weekend read" -- that is, a script that was so compelling that everyone in town would read it over the same weekend in advance of a script auction. We went in search of ideas we thought would make good weekend reads, and ran several of them by our writers group. Lee had read a bit about Robert-Houdin, and we put his story on the list. It was by far the one that got the greatest response from our group, so we started to write.


I know you write as a team with your husband, how do you do that? Do you each take turns writing a specific number of pages? Or is it more organic than that? Do you write an outline, a scriptment or just start with an idea and see where it leads you.


We work together at the story stage, doing a lot of brainstorming and tossing ideas around. Once it comes to the actual writing, even at the outline stage, we've found we don't work that well in the same room. We have separate offices, so we take off to write separately, rewriting each other over and over. Sometimes, once we have a full outline, we'll post the outline on the wall and sign up for the sequences we most want to do the first draft of, but each of us ends up writing every scene many times over before we're done.


Is there any script that you regretted not doing or turning down the chance to write?


I don't spend a lot of time on regrets.


People's taste tends to give you an idea of where they're coming from or their perspective take on films. What was your favorite film?


I have a few films I can watch over and over again. CASABLANCA. GROUNDHOG DAY. INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE. THE PRINCESS BRIDE.


I know that you wrote a script named "Nemo" that generated a great deal of coverage back in the 90's. With all the talk about Disney doing a new film based on "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," first as a prequel and now as a remake, how was your take on the famous captain different?


The most recent prequel to 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, the Disney version that you're talking about, was written by Bill Marsilii, who is a good friend of ours. Because we have written what could be competing projects, we have never read his script and never really talked to him about it, so I can't comment on how our takes might have been different. Our CAPTAIN NEMO was epic in scope and a bit dark in tone, tracing the journey of a young British boy living in India through his fantastic invention of the Nautilus and his disillusionment with the society that raised him, culminating with his turning his back on the world to become Captain Nemo when his Indian wife is killed. It's necessarily a tragedy, one we watch partially through the eyes of Nemo's best friend, a man trying tame his friend's need for revenge.


Having written one of the scripts for the Batman series, what do you think of "The Dark Knight?"


I liked THE DARK KNIGHT, especially Heath Ledger's Joker, whom I found absolutely compelling and a vivid portrayal of the idea that evil is a choice, and doesn't need a cause.


Is there any other superhero that you'd like to take a crack at?


We'd be happy to write for any superhero with a good story.


How different do you think it would be to deal with Christopher Nolan and the current executives versus Joel Schumacher and those who asked you to write the third film in that franchise?


I don't know Chris Nolan, so can't begin to answer the question. We had a lovely time working with Joel Schumacher, Tim Burton and the WB execs.


How has writing changed since you came on to the scene? What do you think of scripts that are sold today? It appears that everyone is looking for "brands," names that everyone knows. Not many studios seem to want to take the opportunity to do something original like "Smoke." The studios seem to want a sure thing, which isn't possible, but they apparently think is with all these remakes or adaptations of video games, old tv shows, ect.


I don't think writing has changed all that much, though the marketplace has certainly changed. Movies cost so much to make that people tend to want to go with the pre-sold idea, hoping it will at least give them a chance to recoup their costs. I actually don't have a problem with branded entertainment, if it's respectful to what made the property resonate with its audience in the first place, and if there's a story worth telling. But I do wish studios could run a little less on fear and take some chances on original material. As the marketplace shakes out and people figure out how movies will be distributed in the future, I expect this will start to happen again. Everything is cyclical.


Speaking of tv shows, have you ever thought of writing for television? I've noticed over the past decade or so, a great deal more film makers and stars working in television. Projects like "The Sopranos," "Mad Men" and the upcoming "Boardwalk Empire" almost have a film-like quality while being able to tell stories in a longer format that some directors, writers and actors have taken an interest in. I mean, I never thought I'd hear that Dustin Hoffman would be doing a series.


We actually started out in television for a brief time, and we've pitched a few pilots here and there over the years. We always have some pilot ideas on the back burner, and we'll pull them out and update them any time it seems they're a match with what networks and cable channels might be looking for.


Is it true that you wrote an unofficial Harry Potter guide book? Are you a fan of that series?


Yes, I am a huge fan of the HARRY POTTER books. I wrote a book called WHAT WILL HARRY DO? between the release of book 6 (HALF-BLOOD PRINCE) and book 7 (DEATHLY HALLOWS), looking at the set-ups/foreshadowing of the first six books and predicting how book 7 might turn out. (I'm particularly proud of predicting that Harry would appear to be dead, and that his friends would all think he was dead, just before the final confrontation with Voldemort.) I also appeared on an A&E special called "The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter" that was released before the fifth movie (ORDER OF THE PHOENIX) came out; it also appears on the PHOENIX DVD extras. I have a book proposal for another book about HP, but haven't gone forward with it yet.


I know as well as a writer, you happen to also love reading. What is your favorite novel or series of books?


Obviously the HARRY POTTER books, which I have read probably half a dozen times through or more (obviously I've read the early books much more than that!). I am deeply in love with THE LORD OF THE RINGS, which I've probably read 20 or 30 times. I'm a big fan of Robert A. Heinlein's work, and have read everything he's written. Right now I'm reading THE HUNGER GAMES with my family, and breathlessly awaiting the release of MOCKINGJAY in a few weeks.


Now, I have to ask this out of my own curiosity. What projects are you working on now, if you can give us anything that's not too top secret?


We have been breaking a lot of stories recently, but haven't committed to anything I can talk about right now.


And finally, what advise would you give to those writers that are trying to break into the business? What points of advise would you give to them?


The best piece of advice I ever heard for anyone wanting to work in the biz came from Steve Martin, who told a friend asking for pointers, "Be so good they can't ignore you."


Thank you so much for your time and I really appreciate the opportunity you've given me to do this interview.

Thank you!

International Treasure From Persia...

Was there really any doubt that this was going to happen...

Really? One of the last things Dick Cook did before he got tossed out on his tookus, was announce plans for a third "National Treasure" film. Now comes news of who will be writing the sequel. Jerry Bruckheimer has hired screenwriters Carlos Bernard and Doug Miro to script the latest adventures of Nick Cage's historian adventurer. If you don't know, these guys are the ones that wrote the adaptation of "Prince of Persia: Sands of Time" for The Bruck and The Mouse. They seem to be the new go-to guys in Burbank. We'll get a chance to see their work later this year with Prince and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," which they also wound up adapting for Disney. Are they worth of the sequel? Will it be an equal?

Time will tell...

This Generations' Star Wars...

So that's the feeling of Stuart Beattie...

He's the guy that wrote the "Halo" script that supposedly Spielberg fell in love with. Now, from all I'm hearing this is the same script that Peter Jackson was going to make. Which was the same one I read. And it was... good, but not mind-shattering or brilliant. At least in my opinion. And like I said, I can't spend an entire movie never seeing my main character as he walks around in a motorcycle helmet. I have to feel empathy, I have to relate to them and I have to know they're human. That's what a face is for, that's what eyes communicate, that's what a mouth is there to convey. Along with a million other facial ticks that we associate with humans.

And don't get me wrong, there are many other things that need to be better in this script for a Suit to justify shelling out somewhere between $150-$200 million dollars. I have a feeling there's a great story here, but maybe it needs a rewrite. Justin Marks, anyone? Just kidding. His "Supermax" script wasn't the best or worst I've ever seen, but somewhere in the better middle. If I was to have someone do a polish or rewrite on this, it'd be Mark Protosevich, one of my all time favorite screenwriters. He keeps having great scripts rewritten and turned into good scripts... perhaps it's time he took a good script and turned it into a great one? Now, if only the Suits would agree.

If you'd like to read what Beattie said about his love for all things Halo, then go HERE and check out what he had to say to Sci Fi Wire while he was on a press junket for "G.I. Joe: The Rise of ADD" recently.

Time will tell...

Rewriting The Max...

David Goyer told MTV in an interview that Warner Bros. is still moving ahead with the super-hero prison break out film...

Original "Supermax" writer Justin Marks, whom most recently worked on McG's Pre-20K film, is being rewritten (his work on the Nemo script is also being rewritten by Randall Wallace). Those of you that follow this blog remember our review of the script last year. I enjoyed it, but it didn't blow my socks off. I can only hope that Justin performed spectacularly on his Nemo rewrite.

Perhaps Warner has another angle on the script, then again, perhaps they don't and that's why the rewrite...

How To Be Andrew Stanton...

Creative Screenwriting Magazine's blog has a really nice interview with film maker/screewriter/Pixar Guru Andrew Stanton. Check it out, it's a really engaging discussion...

Hat Tip to The Disney Blog via Pixar Planet.

The Black List...

No, it's not what you're thinking...

This is not the list of people in Hollywood that were banned from working in the industry during the 50's because of the Red Scare.

This is the list of suggestions from over 250 film executives(read: Suits), who each gave the names of their ten favorite scripts that had been read, bought or not, but hadn't been made/shown in 2008.

For those of you that found BSD's "The 5 Best Scripts Hollywood Never Made" post appealing, this is for you:

Number One: The Beaver by Kyle Killen

Walter Black, a depressed toy manufacturer, loses his family and his business. But then Walter tries on a hand puppet—a chatty British rodent called "The Beaver"—and his personality is transformed. It’s all good at first, but things turn ugly when the puppet won’t let go. It’s Like: Liar Liar fused with the horror movie Magic. Status: Steve Carell is attached to play Walter.

Number Two: The Oranges by Jay Reiss and Ian Helfer

Two New Jersey families are thrown into comic turmoil when the prodigal daughter returns for Christmas and falls in love with her parents’ best friend. It’s Like: The Graduate engaged to Meet the Parents. Status: Anthony Bregman (Thumbsucker) and MRC will produce. Julian Farino (Entourage) is negotiating to direct.

Number Three: Butter by Jason Micallef

Destiny, a black foster child, faces off against Iowa’s reigning dairy diva, the beautiful but venal Laura Pickler, in an epic butter-carving competition for the ages. It’s Like: Election swirled with Best in Show. Status: Jennifer Garner is in talks to play Laura, while DreamWorks is in early negotiations for the project.

Number Four: Big Hole by Michael Gilio

Lee, an old, grumpy ex-cowboy, loses $30,000 to a fraudulent sweepstakes company and sets out to punish those responsible. Lee’s son, the local sheriff, is charged with stopping him. It’s Like: Falling Down splattered with No Country for Old Men. Status: Project is set up with Aversano Films (Failure to Launch).

Number Five: The Low Dweller by Brad Ingelsby

Charlie "Slim" Hendrick, a don’t-eff-with-me ex-con, returns home to find that his sweetie has moved on and his bitter brother has gambling debts. When a disfigured, dog-loving thug beats his sibling to death, Slim seeks vengeance. It’s Like: Unforgiven, only less geriatric. And much less forgiving. Status: Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way and Tony and Ridley Scott will co-produce.

Number Six: F***buddies by Liz Meriwether

Emma and Adam have the best relationship ever! They’re twentysomething pals who, you know, do it. A lot. But then Adam goes and falls in love with Emma and ruins everything. Can their perfect non-union survive? It’s Like: When Harry Met Sally… for the Juno generation. Status: Ivan Reitman’s company is developing it.

Number Seven: Winter’s Discontent by Paul Fruchbom

After the death of his wife of more than 50 years, irrepressible horndog Herb Winter sets out, at age 75, to find sexual fulfillment with another woman. Or, if possible, several. It’s Like: Superbad set in a retirement community. Status: The film is set up at Sony. No director or star is attached.

Number Eight: Broken City by Brian Tucker

The New York mayor asks private eye Billy Taggart to find out if the mayor’s wife is cheating on him. She is, with the campaign director of the mayor’s political rival, no less, who soon turns up dead. Did Billy’s investigation lead to murder? It’s Like: A modern L.A. Confidential peppered with Glengarry Glen Ross patois. Status: Being developed by the producing team behind Juno.


Number Nine: I’m With Cancer by Will Reiser

Adam, a 25-year-old single Jewish dude, is diagnosed with spinal cancer. Hilarity ensues. Seriously. It’s Like: The 40 Year-Old Virgin with chemo. Status: Seth Rogen will produce and has signed on to play Adam’s best bud.

Number Ten: Our Brand Is Crisis by Peter Straughan

A team of American political operatives moves to Bolivia to take on a flailing presidential campaign. Loosely based on the 2006 documentary of the same name. It’s Like: Primary Colors picked The Motorcycle Diaries as a running mate. Status: George Clooney’s company will produce it.


And one that was on the list(there were many more than ten, just so you know) Iron Jack happened to be an interesting read and could go on my own personal Black List were I to have one this year...

TTFN

Unfinished Business: The 5 Best Scripts Hollywood Never Made...

Question: "How many Development Executives does it take to screw in a light bulb?"

Answer: "Does it have to be a light bulb?"

- An old Film Industry joke about Development Executives.


Not all of the movies we see that suck started out that way. A film can take literally decades to gestate before going before cameras with the right team... or wrong team leading it. Hollywood is filled with giant egos, all wanting to take credit for something to validate a reason for having the title above their office door...

I've had quite a few people e-mail me over that past year or so whenever I talk about scripts or films. Many have asked me about other scripts I've read that I love. I thought I'd make a short list of several of the scripts I've read and put together what I believe are the best five scripts that Hollywood hasn't filmed. Granted, this is based on my own personal taste and if you don't like my taste you may not like these scripts. I originally thought I'd do a top ten list, but felt that it might be too many in one post. I'll instead focus on these five. If there's enough interest I'll add to the list with another five.

So without further ado...


Captain Blood - Screenplay by Jonathan Hensleigh

PITCH: Think "Gladiator" set in the age of pirating. A swashbuckling epic that took the great 1935 film by director Michael Curtiz starring Errol Flynn into a much more gritty realization. Unlike "Pirates," there are no cursed, ghost pirates or giant, mythic sea creatures... only cursed men and high seas action. A doctor named Peter Blood is sold into slavery and put to work in Port Royal. Spanish pirates attack the unprepared Port Royal, Blood and other prisoners escape while the pirates attack is happening and take their galleon with them. The Pirates are quickly captured by the British. They set a path for a prisoner island filled with many more like themselves and then begin a pirating career on the open ocean that leads Blood back toward justice and redemption against the man responsible for his fate.

STATUS: Dead and buried. This was in development before Disney or anyone else thought about turning "Pirates of the Caribbean" into a film. The movie was to star a very career hot, at the time, Alec Baldwin. It went through various revisions and Frank Darabond did the later versions. Not a bad person to do a rewrite of your work, if you ask me. With the box office bomb "Cutthroat Island" in the mid 90's, pirate movies became "persona non grata" and the film languished for a while before Suits had it walk the plank...


Nevaland - Screenplay by Kevin Lewis & Troy Scott

PITCH: Think of "Peter Pan" meets "Romeo & Juliet"(the Leonardo Decaprio film version) with the action from "The Fast and the Furious" thrown in. This modern day retelling of the classic story by J. M. Barrie is set in contemporary New York during Christmas time. It's an enchanting love story about a young girl named Wendy from the New York burrows that meets a young, edgy party bad-boy named Peter who is on the run from some gang members working for a night club owner with one hand, one hook and a vendetta against him. He takes Wendy into his world which involves nightclubs, wild chases and a romantic night filled with romance and adventure on the island of Manhattan. Get it? As Long Island is a motiff for Neverland? A truly great read. A clever reinvention that's fast, fresh and perfect for todays market.

STATUS: Development Hell. I particularly loved the cast that was attached or rumored to be with this script. Samuel L. Jackson was connected with the Hook/Nightclub Owner character and if you've read the script he would've been dead-on. There was talk of Hayden Christensen as the Peter character, Rosario Dawson as the daughter of a rival nightclub owner named Lily, and Rachel Lee Cook for a punker pal of Pete's nicknamed Tink. Oh well...


Sherlock Holmes and the Vengeance of Dracula - Screenplay by Michael B. Valle

PITCH: Think literally Sherlock Holmes meets Dracula. Everything that "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" got wrong, this script got right. It takes two classic characters from the turn of the century, that occupied a similar place and has them meet. Taking place in 1891, it involves a great deal of characters from both books and has Holmes investigating a series of murders as Dracula has made it back to London. Holmes, a man of absolute logic has to come to grip with the fact that the criminal he's hunting doesn't correspond to his "elementary" view of the facts. Many of the characters that populate the novels of each book are here... including that "Napoleon of Crime, Professor Moriarty" as well. I love, love, love this script. There is not a day goes by when I go to a theater that I don't wish I was setting down to watch this on the silver screen.

STATUS: Dead. But like Dracula, I pray it rises from the dead. I just don't hope some fool does a unneeded rewrite like happened on "I Am Legend" that winds up taking a great script and turning it into a good one. Chris Columbus was at one time attached to direct this. It languished for the last four or five years before dropping off the buzz meter. Sigh...


Smoke and Mirrors - Screenplay by Lee Batchler & Janet Scott Batchler

PITCH: Think "Raiders of the Lost Ark" meets "Lawrence of Arabia" meets "Casablanca." Nice huh? It's a deeply rich, action/romance that involves a famous French magician Jean Robert Houdin(a real person, btw) who is enlisted by his government to go the French colony of Algeria to expose a local shaman that is terrifying people with his magic. He takes his young, lovely wife with him and encounters a handsome French Legionnaire that has a fancy for his wife. If you'd like to read more about the film/script check out this article I wrote last year called: Development Hell: Disney Style.

STATUS: Dead. Worse that dead, really. Dead and gone... It was a script designed to star Sean Connery. If you've read it, you'll understand that only a few people could do this roll. With Connery retired it's harder to find someone with his charisma that could fill this roll. It was on the verge of being made in the mid to late 90's and then fell back into oblivion and hasn't been seen or heard from since...


Thor - Screenplay by Mark Protosevich

PITCH: Think "Conan" meets "The 13th Warrior" set in the world of "Lord of the Rings." Wow... pretty cool, huh? The adaption of the Marvel Comics character throws away the version where he's a mild, normal man who's a disabled doctor that becomes the Mighty Thor after finding a stick and follows closer to Walt Simonson's take on the hot-headed Norse god(comic book geeks will know what I'm talking about here). In this story which takes place in an unnamed world populated by Norsemen, Thor and his brethren do battle with the Ice Giants. His brother Loki discovers a long lost secret and plots the downfall of his brother, clearing the way for his plot to seize Asgard. Primal, Macho action here. Young boys will be eating this up...

STATUS: Languishing. Marvel Comics still hasn't decided to greenlite the film. Matthew Vaughn is attached to direct it and is waiting to hear from the Marvel Suits. It is truly an epic film and will take an epic budget. I pray that they don't decide to go for a rewrite like they did with a fabulous "Fantastic Four" script by Michael France and Chris Columbus in favor of the sitcom style mediocrity that the final film turned out to be. Will it get made as is? Or will the tinkering of development executives destroy what would be a huge blockbuster for Marvel? Only the gods know...