Elston Gunn's WEEKLY SCRIPT REPORT (Major Sales, Events, and other News!)
February 2nd, 2001
- Wolfgang Petersen and Gail Katz's Red Cliff Prods. grabbed the comedy script DICKEY SLAUGHTER, TRUANT OFFICER by Colin Goldman and Jeff Ahlholm. It's about an overzealous truancy officer who uncovers a giant conspiracy while pursuing two students.
- Producers Daniel Sladek and Chris Taaffe have purchased the feature rights to the 1975 action/comedy novel THE ROAD TO GANDOLFO by Robert Ludlum. Michael Tupy will write the script. It's about a legendary Army general who attempts to kidnap the pope for a ransom of $1 from every Catholic in the world.
- David Kukov and Matt Roshkow have sold their pitch BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL to Warner Bros./Material, based on an idea by Material head Jorge Saralegui. It's about an ex-con who goes back to high school to finally get his degree after just being released from prison. He becomes the most popular student in school until someone threatens to expose his past.
- Beacon Pictures picked up the mystery/thriller pitch REGRESSION by Leonard Hartman about a grad student who is getting treatment for a chronic anxiety disorder related to a past life in which she was possibly murdered. She and her psychiatrist travel to an island where they think her previous self lived, find a corpse and trigger a dangerous set of events. Hartman will write the script.
- Kelly Kennemer sold his mystical drama spec REWIND to 20th Century Fox for Wendy Finerman (FORREST GUMP) to produce. It's about a real estate exec whose life becomes a downward spiral, but he gets a second chance to fix what went wrong.
- Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi (SNOW DAY) are in final talks to adapt the novel ANGUS, THONGS AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING, by Louise Rennison, for Nickelodeon Movies/Paramount. It's about a 16-year old girl who keeps a journal about being a teenager while educating herself on kissing. The writers are also in negotiations to rewrite THE GUEST for Dimension Films for David Zucker to direct. That project centers on a young man who is in love with his boss's daughter, who lets the guy house-sit for him for a night. Things go wacky.
- Timothy Tori will write the comedy SWITCHEROO for Revolution Studios about a white research scientist and a black janitor who switch bodies.
- Kinowelt USA has grabbed the action pitch ENDGAME by Shawn Hoffman and Michael Patwin. It's about a super-criminal who escapes prison during a natural disaster. Film Roman will produce.
- Mark Steilen will write GIANTS for Universal Pictures for Ralph Zondag (DINOSAUR) to direct and Marc Platt to produce. It's about a family who is cast away on an island where many giants dwell.
- Abdi Nazemian and Micah Schraft will write MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRLFRIEND for Fox Searchlight and producer Kevin Messick. It's a modern take on Shakespeare's THE TWO GENTLEMAN OF VERONA, set in Italy and centers on two men working at a hotel who fall for the same woman.
The script news keeps coming, despite the threatening strikes. Pick of the week? I'll have to say THE ROAD TO GANDOLFO--sounds like it could be rather fun, but so does GIANTS. Hope they both turn out well.
-- Elston Gunn
(Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Variety)
- Producers Daniel Sladek and Chris Taaffe have purchased the feature rights to the 1975 action/comedy novel THE ROAD TO GANDOLFO by Robert Ludlum. Michael Tupy will write the script. It's about a legendary Army general who attempts to kidnap the pope for a ransom of $1 from every Catholic in the world.
- David Kukov and Matt Roshkow have sold their pitch BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL to Warner Bros./Material, based on an idea by Material head Jorge Saralegui. It's about an ex-con who goes back to high school to finally get his degree after just being released from prison. He becomes the most popular student in school until someone threatens to expose his past.
- Beacon Pictures picked up the mystery/thriller pitch REGRESSION by Leonard Hartman about a grad student who is getting treatment for a chronic anxiety disorder related to a past life in which she was possibly murdered. She and her psychiatrist travel to an island where they think her previous self lived, find a corpse and trigger a dangerous set of events. Hartman will write the script.
- Kelly Kennemer sold his mystical drama spec REWIND to 20th Century Fox for Wendy Finerman (FORREST GUMP) to produce. It's about a real estate exec whose life becomes a downward spiral, but he gets a second chance to fix what went wrong.
- Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi (SNOW DAY) are in final talks to adapt the novel ANGUS, THONGS AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING, by Louise Rennison, for Nickelodeon Movies/Paramount. It's about a 16-year old girl who keeps a journal about being a teenager while educating herself on kissing. The writers are also in negotiations to rewrite THE GUEST for Dimension Films for David Zucker to direct. That project centers on a young man who is in love with his boss's daughter, who lets the guy house-sit for him for a night. Things go wacky.
- Timothy Tori will write the comedy SWITCHEROO for Revolution Studios about a white research scientist and a black janitor who switch bodies.
- Kinowelt USA has grabbed the action pitch ENDGAME by Shawn Hoffman and Michael Patwin. It's about a super-criminal who escapes prison during a natural disaster. Film Roman will produce.
- Mark Steilen will write GIANTS for Universal Pictures for Ralph Zondag (DINOSAUR) to direct and Marc Platt to produce. It's about a family who is cast away on an island where many giants dwell.
- Abdi Nazemian and Micah Schraft will write MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRLFRIEND for Fox Searchlight and producer Kevin Messick. It's a modern take on Shakespeare's THE TWO GENTLEMAN OF VERONA, set in Italy and centers on two men working at a hotel who fall for the same woman.
The script news keeps coming, despite the threatening strikes. Pick of the week? I'll have to say THE ROAD TO GANDOLFO--sounds like it could be rather fun, but so does GIANTS. Hope they both turn out well.
-- Elston Gunn
(Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Variety)
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