Interview: Stephany Folsom (2013 Black List) — Part 4
I’m a big Stanley Kubrick fan and Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is my favorite satire of all time. So when I saw this script make the 2013 Black List — “1969: A Space Odyssey or: How Kubrick Learned to Stop Worrying and Land on the Moon” — I knew then and there I had to interview its writer. That turns out to be Stephany Folsom, and we had an informative and fun one hour plus conversation.
Today in Part 4, Stephany describes what it was like to discover her script had made the 2013 Black List and reveals which powerhouse Hollywood producers are now attached to “1969: A Space Odyssey”:
Scott: You mentioned you did a ton of research. I’m curious about the process of the writing. How long did you spend in research, and how long did you figure you spent writing the first draft and all the rewrites?
Stephany: I would have to say the research took the bulk of the work. From there, I did an outline. I’m a big proponent of outlining. I ridiculously outline everything before I go to pages. By the time I had the research and the outline finished, it only took a few months to actually write the full script. Doing rewrites and everything, I would say the entire process probably took about five months.
Scott: You’re repped by Kaplan/Perrone and Verve?
Stephany: Yes.
Scott: How did that happen, and how did the script get out in the Hollywood marketplace?
Stephany: My manager signed me off a TV pilot I’d been developing with some producers. He asked me if I had any other scripts, and I told him I had this crazy script about Stanley Kubrick faking the moon landing. My manager loved the script and sent it out the town. It ended up on the Hit List and the Black List. Since then, [Alex] Kurtzman and [Roberto] Orci have come on to produce, which I’m very excited about.
Scott: Kurtzman and Orci, that’s a perfect fit, isn’t it?
Stephany: They are also love conspiracies, so that’s been fun. They also love Kubrick’s work as much as I do, so it’s been great match.
Scott: As you mentioned, last December the script makes the Black List. What was that experience like?
Stephany: That was amazing. I’ve been reading Black List scripts for years and following the Black List, and I don’t think I ever once thought, “I’m going to be one of those writers that gets a script on the Black List.”
You struggle for so long in obscurity and it’s just you and your computer, and the loneliness and self‑doubt you face every day. To have any type of validation for a writer is just like, “Thank you. This is amazing.”
Scott: The script garnered a lot of attention. I’ve seen articles on it in Slate, Mother Jones, and the LA Times. What’s all that been like?
Stephany: I love that people are so intrigued by the script. There seems to be a community forming around it, which is really awesome. It’s put me in touch with all kinds of people all over the world, and we’re all sharing our love of Stanley Kubrick’s work. It’s fantastic.
Scott: What’s the status on the project right now?
Stephany: Hopefully we’ll get the movie made soon.
Scott: You’ve got other things that are in the fire for you?
Stephany: Yeah, I do. I have a bunch of TV stuff I’m working on. I’m working on a new spec. I’ve also been doing the rounds of meetings, and studio pitches. So it’s been busy and wonderful. I’m never going to complain about having too much work. Never.
Scott: That’s really good to hear and you certainly deserve this. It would be just a hoot to see that film made. I hope it happens.
Stephany: Me too. We’re working really hard to make it happen. As you know, you never know what can happen. So far, it seems like it’s on a good track.
For those of you who may not believe there are actually people out there who truly believe Kubrick helped to fake the Moon landing, here is an excerpt from just one of the many ‘documentaries’ on the subject you can find on the web:
Tomorrow in Part 5, Stephany shares some thoughts about the craft of screenwriting.
For Part 1 of the interview, go here.
Part 2, here.
Part 3, here.
Please stop by comments to thank Stephany for her time and ask any questions you may have.
Stephany is represented by Verve and Kaplan/Perrone.
Twitter: @StephanyFolsom.
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