Butler's Script Sale of the Week...
September 24th, 2001
There wasn't too much activity in the screenplay market this week, as would be expected following the tragic events of September 11. One imagines the studios are spending their time scrambling to identify any projects in development that might be offensive to our scarred nation. I'm sure they'll be a few on which they'll pull the plug.
There were some notables in this weeks acquisitions. The Will Ferrell project, ELF sounds like it could be quite fun and might just be the vehicle Ferrell needs to make the leap to film stardom. It will be interesting to chart the progress of BEYOND CONTAINMENT the adaptation of the novel by the same name, which is being financed by the book's author. That's one way to get your material filmed. THE KING INCORPORATED sounds intriguing, as well.
My pick this week is BAD NEWS, an adaptation of the novel by Donald Westlake, which will be directed by Milos Forman (MAN ON THE MOON, 2000).
BAD NEWS is a comic crime caper, one of a long line of such books by Westlake, who is considered a master of the genre. What makes this project so interesting, however, is the involvement of Forman. The Czech born director is known for picking his projects carefully - taking years off between films to find the right material. His films, while always displaying a deft comic sensibility, have always had an underlying seriousness to them. This would be Forman's first foray into what many might consider a "popcorn" flick.
After closer consideration, however, this choice does seem to make sense. Forman has always been careful not to repeat himself. By taking on a crime flick, Forman is being true to his artistic muse by exploring uncharted (for him) territory.
Chosen to adapt the novel is playwright Doug Wright, best known for penning the play which the 2000 film QUILLS was based on. A seemingly unlikely choice for a crime caper, but it may prove as evidence that Forman isn't planning your run of the mill caper flick. If anyone has the ability to transcend a genre, it's Forman.
Just as Steven Soderbergh brought an arthouse sensibility to OUT OF SIGHT (1998) and created the best adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel yet (sorry, Quentin), we can expect Forman to equally elevate Westlake's material to the status of cinematic art - or at the very least create a damn good popcorn flick in the process.
-- Edward Butler
There were some notables in this weeks acquisitions. The Will Ferrell project, ELF sounds like it could be quite fun and might just be the vehicle Ferrell needs to make the leap to film stardom. It will be interesting to chart the progress of BEYOND CONTAINMENT the adaptation of the novel by the same name, which is being financed by the book's author. That's one way to get your material filmed. THE KING INCORPORATED sounds intriguing, as well.
My pick this week is BAD NEWS, an adaptation of the novel by Donald Westlake, which will be directed by Milos Forman (MAN ON THE MOON, 2000).
BAD NEWS is a comic crime caper, one of a long line of such books by Westlake, who is considered a master of the genre. What makes this project so interesting, however, is the involvement of Forman. The Czech born director is known for picking his projects carefully - taking years off between films to find the right material. His films, while always displaying a deft comic sensibility, have always had an underlying seriousness to them. This would be Forman's first foray into what many might consider a "popcorn" flick.
After closer consideration, however, this choice does seem to make sense. Forman has always been careful not to repeat himself. By taking on a crime flick, Forman is being true to his artistic muse by exploring uncharted (for him) territory.
Chosen to adapt the novel is playwright Doug Wright, best known for penning the play which the 2000 film QUILLS was based on. A seemingly unlikely choice for a crime caper, but it may prove as evidence that Forman isn't planning your run of the mill caper flick. If anyone has the ability to transcend a genre, it's Forman.
Just as Steven Soderbergh brought an arthouse sensibility to OUT OF SIGHT (1998) and created the best adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel yet (sorry, Quentin), we can expect Forman to equally elevate Westlake's material to the status of cinematic art - or at the very least create a damn good popcorn flick in the process.
-- Edward Butler
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