✍🏿 Writer’s Quotes to Live By
“I don’t judge my characters. As a person, I tend to have, I’ve been told, a lot of empathy for people. So even if people have done horrible things, I’m not going to judge them. I’m going to ask, ‘Why?’
— Jennifer Kent
✍🏾Lincoln Lawyer Headed to CBS
Prolific tv writer David E. Kelly (The Practice, Goliath) is returning to his legal drama roots with the Michael Connelly’s series, The Lincoln Lawyer.
The series revolves around Mickey Haller — half-brother of Connelly’s LAPD detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch — a criminal defense attorney who practices from the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car, all the while traveling between the far-flung courthouses of Los Angeles to defend clients of every kind.
CBS has given a series production commitment to The Lincoln Lawyer. The project hails from A+E Studios, which will co-produce with CBS TV Studios.
✍🏼 *Competitions Alert*
The good people at Emerging Screenwriters are hosting their annual “Genre Screenplay Competition” their goal is to help you, the emerging screenwriter develop as a storyteller, show off your talents to the industry, and provide you with a cash prize to propel you along in your screenwriting career.
Long story short, there are seven genre’s up for competition, the winner of each genre category will receive $2500 cash.
Of the seven scripts selected, one of you will go on to win the Emerging Screenwriter Award and receive an additional $7500 and be accepted onto the ISA Development Slate, where the Career Development team will work with you for a minimum of one year to get you and your script in front of top producers, literary reps and other industry executives from companies like Lakeshore Entertainment, Gidden Media, ICM, and others.
Plus, the Top 7 Scripts Guaranteed to be read by some pretty heavy hitters:
*Action / Adventure: Paul Haggis (Crash / Million Dollar Baby)
*Comedy: Gabriella Revilla Lugo (Revek Entertainment)
*Drama: To Be Announced Soon
*Historical / Bio: Scott Stoops (Good Fear FiIm + Management)
*Horror / Thriller: Daniel Seco (Schemers Entertainment)
*Mystery / Crime: Tristain Barr (Continuance Pictures)
*Sci Fi / Fantasy: Navid McIlhargey (Vandal Entertainment)
Cut off date for submission is JUNE 27th.
✍🏻 The Babadook Has Me Babashook!
Screenwriter and director Jennifer Kent's psychological horror movie The Babadook from 2014 is the scary gift that keeps on giving. A scary children’s book is at the center of the film, and now you can have your very own copy of the Mister Babadook pop-up book sitting on your shelf.
The horror film if you haven’t seen it stars Essie Davis as a single mother haunted by the violent death of her husband. The mother’s troubled son (Noah Wiseman) begins experiencing visions of a monster lurking in their house, and it’s not long before his fear becomes her fear as a sinister boogeyman is behind the haunting of them both.
The movie is terrifying but it’s ability to express tension was it’s greatest treat. It always made me wonder what would happen next as every scene came and went. The more of it I watched however, the more I realized that the monstrous Babadook figure wasn't nearly as scary as the dynamics of the mother and son's relationship.
It makes you wonder was the monster, really a monster? Or was it just family?
You can buy the BABADOOK book here, and read the script for the film below.
✍🏾Yesterday…Today…Again?
Beatlemania is here…again..or not? There’s been a mixup in the world of screenwriting as comic book creator David Blot has released his 2011 comic book titled “YESTERDAY The Graphic Novel; 2011.
The comic follows John Duval, a French New Yorker in his 20s who is accidentally propelled back in time to 1960 and records the Beatles’ songs before the band is formed, leading him to become the biggest pop star of all time.
That adaptation is extremely similar to the Danny Boyle’s Beatles-themed film “Yesterday”.
The film follows Himesh Patel as a struggling young British musician who wakes up after a mysterious global blackout and realizes he’s the only person on Earth who remembers the Beatles. After taking credit for the band’s songs, he becomes a huge star. The film will be released in the U.S. on Friday.
The screenplay was written by Richard Curtis (“Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Notting Hill”) and is eerily similar to the comic book from 8 years ago.
Do you think there’s an IP theft on this one, or just a plain coincidence?
Either way you can read the graphic novel for free here, and catch the film in theaters Friday.
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