Screenwriting

Posted on this Monday , noting the trades hadn't reported it yet. Now they have : Summit Entertainment and Participant Media are teaming on "Invasion," snapping up a Ben Magid's sci-fi spec script. "Invasion" is described as a sci-fi action movie with an environmental theme. Logline's under wraps. This is the second project I've seen recently involving Participant Media -- the other being The Crazies -- that seems to stray from their roots - as noted here in a previous post: Participant believes that a good story well told can truly make a difference in how one sees the world. Whether it is a ... Read Full Story

SlashFilm.com is reporting - but not the trades (that I can find) - that Summit has picked up spec alien thriller "Invasion" from writer Ben Magid: Ben Magid ’s spec screenplay Invasion has sold to Summit Entertainment /Participant for low to mid six figures. The story, which is an alien invasion thriller in the same vein as Cloverfield , is being produced by Eli Roth and Eric Newman ( Children of Men, Slither ). According to Shock , “the film opens with a wicked subway accident in Los Angeles in which the survivors (the film’s protagonists) climb from the wreckage to find the, now ... Read Full Story

Mandate Pictures picks up rom-com spec "The Low Self Esteem of Lizzie Gillespie" from "The Office" writers Brent Forrester and Mindy Kaling: Story centers on a woman whose lack of self-worth has limited her choice in men to losers. Just as she is about to hit the bottom of the barrel, her life takes an unexpected turn when she is pursued by the hottest guy ever. Script was being pitched back in July per this Variety feature on Kaling as one of the "10 to Watch" series: Her first spec script, "The Low Self Esteem of Lizzy Gillespie," a romantic comedy about a female ... Read Full Story

Lionsgate with preemptive purchase of action thriller spec "Last Stand" from writer Andrew Knauer: The story, described as having shades of "Gone in 60 Seconds" and "High Noon," features a Gumpert Apollo, a race car used by drug smugglers, and it centers on a cartel leader that uses it to break out of a courthouse. As he speeds to the Mexican border, the only thing standing in his way is a border-town sheriff and his inexperienced staff. Knauer is a former assistant at Media Talent Group and before that interned at Lionsgate. In a move that is sure to fuel many a writing fantasy, ... Read Full Story

One of my favorite books on screenwriting is "Screenwriting From the Soul " by Richard Krevolin. With a format inspired by Rilke's, "Letters to a Young Poet...," the book is an engaging look at ways a writer can dig deep within their 'creative self.' I was reminded of the book last night after my appearance on ScreenTalk Radio. The hosts, Chris and Devon, asked me to talk about the realities of becoming a screenwriter. And there's no way to do that without admitting the truth: Screenwriting is a damned hard business to break into. If you've been following this blog for awhile, you know ... Read Full Story