Scott Myers

“Sony’s Chiefs On What’s Next For Movies”

Not often you get to read an interview with the head of production at a movie studio, but in today’s Forbes, there’s Q&A with Sony Picture Entertainment’s co-chairpersons Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton. A few excerpts: Forbes: How is Hollywood holding up in the

Business of Screenwriting: Do’s and Don’ts #1

Business of Screenwriting: Do’s and Don’ts A few folks posted comments the other day, requesting I talk more about the business of being a working screenwriter. A big part of that is, frankly, paying attention to market trends, which is why I post about pitch and spec script

Warner Bros. cracks open its movie vault

Heard this on NPR’s “Weekend Edition” on Saturday: Warner Bros. is opening up their film ‘vaults,’ eventually making all of their movies — over 6,800 of them — available to the public. You can check out the movies online here. Lots of gems including Three Comrades (1938), which is the

Pitch sale: Untitled Heath and Wolff Project

Tyler Perry’s new outfit 34th Street Films buys unnamed feature pitch from writing duo Jennifer Heath and Michele J. Wolff: Logline is being kept under wraps. Company prexy Ozzie Areu described it as “the ideal launch for our company, speaking to a mainstream audience while appealing to the sentiment

Licensing and screenwriting

The Hollywood Reporter reports that several entertainment companies continue to kick ass in a critical ‘ancillary’ revenue stream — licensing: Entertainment companies and properties again dominated the top of the list of the 100 biggest licensing companies for 2008. Disney Consumer Products retained the №1 spot and Warner Bros. Consumer Products

R.I.P.: Fox Atomic Films

Rumors have been swirling the past few weeks. Now confirmed by Nikki Finke: I’ve just confirmed that Fox Atomic this week will shutter as an independent production division. Approximately 6 staffers will be let go. Fox Atomic Digital, which also has 6 staffers, will move under the Fox Filmed

Hollywood Tales

“I was dreading yet another enervating and hopeless studio meeting, this one at Fox about developing a vehicle for a Brat Pack actor (one not that hot at the time, and since every colder). My writing partner, Mike Ferris, and a college friend of his turned director were also involved.

First review: Star Trek

From the Hollywood Reporter and it’s glowing: Putting a much-loved but over-the-hill vehicle back in shape takes more than a new battery and a lick of paint. It demands a full-bore refit, and that’s exactly what J.J. Abrams has given “Star Trek.” Paced

Pigeonholing screenwriters

To “pigeonhole” per Wikipedia: Pigeonholing is a term used to describe processes that attempt to classify disparate entities into a small number of categories (usually, mutually exclusive ones). The expression usually carries connotations of criticism, implying that the classification scheme referred to inadequately reflects the entities being sorted, or that

Pitch sale: “Lions, Tigers and Bears”

In a preemptive buy, Paramount Pics picks up comedy pitch “Lions, Tigers and Bears” from writer Joey Aucoin: Story, told from the perspective of an adult reminiscing about his childhood, revolves around a group of stuffed animals that come to life at night. Film would be live action but would

Smart adults act… well… smart!

Has winding up #2 at the box office ever felt so good? According to The Wrap: Universal’s R-rated drama “State of Play” performed above expectations, coming in at №2 with $14.1 million. “I guess it’s all about what expectations are and how people in this industry

On writing

“All our words are but crumbs that fall down from the feast of the mind.”  — Kahil Gibran

“Sofia Coppola books Marmont film”

Love the premise of Sofia Coppola’s next movie. Per Variety: Sofia Coppola is checking into a new hotel for her next project. The writer-director who shot her “Lost in Translation” at the Park Hyatt in Tokyo, practically making a character out of the antiseptic structure, will set her

Video interview: Hunter S. Thompson

Here is an appearance by writer Hunter S. Thompson on “The David Letterman Show” in 1988. Pretty poor video quality, but worth it to see the progenitor of Gonzo journalism hang out in the Helen Hayes suite of the Milford Plaza Hotel in NYC with Dave and the gang. Part

Spec script sale: “Kristy”

According to Bloody Disgusting.com, Dimension picks up thriller spec “Kristy” from writer Tony Jaswinski: “…the screenplay is set at a deserted college campus under attack by a malevolent group of intruders.” Story is likened to The Strangers. Comment Archive

Weekend Funny: Monsters Inc (Sweded)

Which you can find here. Comment Archive

“A Leaner Film Festival Raises the Bar”

The first assessment of the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival from movie critic Stephen Holden: Leaner and nicer: that in a nutshell describes the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, which begins Wednesday with the world premiere of Woody Allen’s new comedy, “Whatever Works.” But as the Tribeca festival celebrates its eighth

Interview: Tony Gilroy

With Duplicity still in some theaters and State of Play debuting this weekend, it’s fitting to feature a couple of interviews with writer-director Tony Gilroy. In addition to writing and directing Duplicity and co-writing the screenplay for State of Play, Gilroy’s credits include The Cutting Edge

Pitch sale: “What Was I Thinking?”

New Line picks up comedy pitch “What Was I Thinking?” from writers Susanna Fogel and Joni Lefkowitz: The project is based on a book of the same name which saw Barbara Davilman and Liz Dubelman compile 58 bad boyfriend stories. Obst saw the book and realized it would make a

Spec script sale: “”Danny Graves’ Man Cave”

Sony snares comedy spec “Danny Graves’ Man Cave” from writers Jacob Isser and Paul Lutz: The story line follows a suburban husband and father going through a midlife crisis who discovers a mysterious man-cave in his basement. The fantasy world provides his version of the perfect life, which ultimately

Spec script sale: “The Highest Bid”

In a pre-emptive buy, Intrepid scoops up “Intrepid” from writer Gary Spinelli: In “Bid,” an art auctioneer moonlights by capturing criminals and auctioning them off to rival crime bosses. He runs into trouble, though, when a mysterious character from his past unites criminal factions against him. Original Artists and

Friday movie reviews

17 Again (Warner Bros.) Daily Variety (Justin Chang) Hollywood Reporter (Kirk Honeycutt) Los Angeles Times (Michael Phillips) New York Times (Manohla Dargis) Crank High Voltage (Lionsgate) No reviews available at this time. State of Play (Universal) Daily Variety (Todd McCarthy) Hollywood Reporter (Kirk Honeycutt) Los Angeles Times (Betsy Sharkey) New

Happy Birthday, Nick Hornby!

Today is the birthday of one of my favorite contemporary novelists Nick Horny. His books have been the basis of several movies including High Fidelity (2000), About a Boy (2002), and Fever Pitch (2007), although Hwood turned the latter into a baseball movie when the novel is all about my

Great Scene: “Young Frankenstein”

One of the most inspired comedic moments in a truly inspired film: The “Puttin’ on the Ritz” bit. Ah, the old song-and-dance routine. A Hollywood staple. Images of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron swooping across the silver screen. And of course, that incomparable

“Dismal fate may await ‘State of Play’”

This article in the LA Times is depressing: He makes $20 million a movie, won the best actor Oscar for “Gladiator” and enjoys his pick of Hollywood’s choicest roles. But there’s one thing that Russell Crowe can’t do right now: sell movie tickets. The actor’s conspiracy