LOGLINE; Taking place during World War 2, and in the middle of harsh winter, the story follows a team of inexperienced soldiers, led by their veteran leader with troubled past, who are sent on a secret mission somewhere in Europe. They need to blow up a critical Nazi bridge and/or fuel depot, which is said will help to end World War 2. But it soon turns out something far worse than German soldiers is after them; Abaddon, an evil spirit conjured up by the Nazi's secret occult experiments that went wrong. Abaddon has been sent by the Devil, who doesn’t want the war to end, to stop the team, and due to its ability to possess the dead bodies, the soldiers find themselves in a nightmarish situation, since there are so many bodies all over which it can use.

BACKGROUND

In May 2001, New Line Cinema bought the original spec script by John Claflin and Daniel Zelman. Apparently, the original title was ABADDON, but it was changed before New Line picked it up.

In 2003, Jonathan Liebesman was attached to direct the film, right after the success he had with DARKNESS FALLS (2003).

In September 2003, Victor Salva was hired to rewrite the script, and direct the film. This was right after he wrote and directed the first two JEEPERS CREEPERS films (the only good ones in my opinion).

In November 2005, actor Matt LeBlanc signed on to the film as one of the producers, but I read conflicting reports about how he was also going to star in it, or not. Salva was still attached to direct the film at that time.

In September 2006, James Wong was hired to rewrite the script and direct the film. This was right after he wrote and directed FINAL DESTINATION 3 (2006), and produced a remake of BLACK CHRISTMAS (2006). The project was still in development up until at least 2008.

SCRIPTS AVAILABLE/SCRIPTS I’M LOOKING FOR

Two drafts do exist, and both are credited to Claflin, Zelman, Salva and Wong; Scanned revised draft, 107 pages long, dated October 20, 2006. And digital revised draft, 99 pages long, dated October 2, 2008, but both are private scripts. I’m looking for those, and any other drafts.

NOTE 1 - I originally posted a Request for this over two years ago, here and on Script Hive, but I never got any response, including from other collectors I talked to. Since it is Halloween season, and I’m going through some older unproduced horror scripts, I wanted to give it another shot at trying to find this one, because it always did interest me a lot. Even despite its unfortunate connection with Victor Salva. If you know, you know.

I’m also looking for it to see if it will be better or worse than a very similar film, OVERLORD (2018). That’s the one I do really like, but I always felt focused much more on action than on horror, which is too bad because the original script by Billy Ray from 2013 was more of a horror film, and I’d prefer if more parts from that one were kept in the final film. If you are also a fan of Overlord, or decide to check it out based on all this, I do highly recommend going to the Script Hive and downloading Ray’s original script, and early rewrite by Mark L. Smith (it’s the one draft which is missing a cover), and check those out.

NOTE 2 - Here you can read the review of what seems like the original spec script by Claflin and Zelman for The Watch, which Liebesman was going to direct, before being replaced with Salva, and before Salva did his rewrite. It is described as being a very gory script, and two specific scenes which were described are gory scene involving “the demon, his current human body that’s been blown in two, and a dead deer”, and a scene where the team are “trapped inside dilapidated farmhouse and face-to-face with demon in the body of a German soldier, who retreats from gunpoint by crawling up to the walls to the ceiling and out a hole in the roof”;

https://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/3489/watch-the-script/

Also, it’s mentioned in the review how it’s possible that the original script was at New Line for years, and how it was written and re-written by other screenwriters during this time, but like the reviewer says, this info might not be true, which is why I didn’t included it in the Background for the project.

NOTE 3 - There is one other unproduced screenplay written by Claflin and another screenwriter Jamie Meyer, which I was always curious about, an action thriller titled THE LONGEST NIGHT. It was described as an “action fable set in Antarctica that tells the story of plunder and deceit”. Claflin and Meyer sold their original spec to 20^th Century Fox in January 1996 for $300,000 against $600,000. Between 1996 and 1999 it was rewritten by at least two other screenwriters, Michael S. Chernuchin, and Anthony Peckham. In 1999 producer Arnold Kopelson was attached to the project, and it’s been reported how Zelman also worked on the script (maybe around the time he and Claflin wrote The Watch…?) but it looks like it went nowhere.

If anyone reading this happens to know more, or has any drafts of it, I would like to check those out too. I know one scanned draft exists, 122 pages long, dated June 1999, credited to Claflin, Meyer, Chernuchin and Peckham. And currently, a revised polished draft by Chernuchin, dated April 15, 1998, is on eBay;

https://www.ebay.com/itm/286163344000

That’s all, but I do want to recommend one more thing, if you wish to read some other really good unproduced World War 2 action horror; Check out Roger Avary’s CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN, it’s available on Script Hive.

(Note to anyone who wishes to contact me in chat - Due to me disagreeing with reddit’s rules, I can’t use chat the right way, so if you try to send me a private message/chat and it doesn’t work, let me know here or in any future new threads I upload)

A bit of a story. Might be cathartic or hope-inducing or you might want to pull your hair out. Depends on you I guess. I don't know how I feel about it myself.  

I have A-list (household name) attachments on a project that's stalled, produced by people who make the biggest franchises in the world. I've done a tentpole rewrite for Sony, working from notes (or at least one major note) from Spielberg. I've written for/with David Mackenzie, Francis Lawrence's exec team, and Todd Lieberman once tried to do a spec of mine with Mark Wahlberg. I've fallen in and out of the guild relative to "legitimate" work. I've made the most of the excellent dental, medical and vision bennies when I had them. 

I have other "stripes" but those bullet points should be enough to provide context. (I'm on here anonymously so I don't compromise any relationships; only certain names will be dropped.) 

My manager is incredibly well-positioned and "seasoned." Twenty years at the most prominent agency, then stepped out on his own. To his credit, he took out some scripts of mine that had no hope of turning heads. That felt like loyalty and faith. Of course he gave minor notes so the reads would be smoother, but for several years he supported the kind of work I was inspired to do.  

That changed radically when I showed him a modest real-time true crime spec that could be made on a $500K budget with the hope that I could direct it myself (years ago I made no-budget films and they got stellar reviews in the trades and NY Times). He got almost violently angry after reading the script, literally clenching his teeth, and told me to forget the script existed. I believe he even said to burn it. 

My assumption at the time was that there was no money or clout in it for him, and no advancement for me as the kind of writer he was trying to position me as. I took it on the chin and kept trying to write for the only people he's interested in sending things to: Todd Black, Todd Lieberman, all the Todds (he got out a calculator and demonstrated how many hours Todd Black had spent reading specs of mine without finding something that would "work in the current marketplace"). I once asked him to take something to Tim Blake Nelson, who's got an established prodco, and he acted like Tim didn't exist. Probably because his name isn't Todd. 

Not everything should be aimed at the A-list. There's a thriving B, C, D-list industry out there and it needs more material than the A-list does. I think it's a paycheck thing and not a pride thing on my manager's part, but either way, my pride and my bank account would be fine with a Tim Blake Nelson project.  

Since I'm not obligated to structure this post like a screenplay, I can reveal that the script he told me to burn just wrapped production. I didn't direct (the producer optioned it then bumped me for well-argued gender reasons, which I readily acquiesced to). There will be very little, if any, money from this project down the line and any boost in reputation will depend on a variety of factors -- but will be minimal, certainly. 

AND YET it got made. By a scrappy indie producer. For $600K. And the script with A-list attachments and the biggest producers in the world DID NOT get made. And likely WILL NOT. 

Moreover, the producer used one of the most active casting directors in the indie space to plow the script through big agencies and management companies. It was read and liked by reps for Zoey Deutch, Sophie Thatcher, Tye Sheridan, Lucas Hedges, and more. The feedback from talent was usually "great writing, amazing role, too dark." (Let that be a lesson of its own.) 

But ultimately plenty of reps read the little "burn it" script and found enough merit to push it on their clients. My manager might have realized it was good enough for that outcome but still gatekept it with all his might because he saw me luring 800-lb gorillas to other projects and that was the version of me he preferred. (The little script in question started as a "huh, what if" on a call with Will Smith's execs and then I dared myself to do it, not realizing how minimalistic it would turn out to be -- but knowing that Will Smith's execs were certainly not hooked by the small canvas.)  

My manager and I haven't spoken in a while, but technically we're still an item. And as you can probably deduce, I'm not into retaliation or vindictiveness, so I haven't smugly brought it to his attention that production wrapped on a script he was allergic to. The reality is, even if I don't feel 100% aligned with my current longtime manager, I do need the A-list ambition and connections he has. And I can't just snap my fingers and get another prominent, respected rep off the paltry movie that just wrapped. 

So what are the takeaways here? A humble script was read by a swarm of reps and talent and got produced quickly and painlessly (no rewrite, just a few trims) without the involvement of my manager. I was told to forget the script existed but it carved out a niche for itself. So maybe you have a script your manager doesn't like, and maybe it will find its own path. Or maybe there's another lesson you prefer to take from this story -- you're welcome to it.  

The more established members of this sub might identify the problem at the root of all this as: I'm tanking or convoluting "the brand" by trying to straddle the indie space and the A-list. That's definitely something I need to consider moving forward. But I don't think the issue is as open and shut as that. There are writers, creators and hyphenates who do it regularly.  

There's a strong sense of community on this sub, and I find it nourishing when people share vulnerable stories filled with uncertainty. I thought I'd take a turn. Beyond that, we all benefit from reflecting on how the industry *really* works, what its limitations and biases are, and how to find our place in it long-term. 

Stay safe out there.  

im trying to figure out if this is just me or if this happens to everyone who writes

ill get really into an idea, start outlining it, write a bunch, sometimes actually get pretty far into it

then randomly ill watch something or think of another concept and suddenly that new idea feels WAY better than the script im already working on 😭

and thats where i get screwed because instead of just writing the idea down ill start thinking about characters, scenes, opening, whatever and before i know it im basically working on another script

then eventually that one gets hard too and another idea shows up lol

the annoying part is i dont even think most of the old ideas were bad

i feel like the new one just always looks better because its still perfect in my head and i havent reached all the annoying parts yet

ive been wondering if i literally need a rule where i can write down as many new ideas as i want but im not allowed to actually START another script until i either finish or purposely kill the current one

does anyone here actually do that?

or do you guys work on multiple scripts at once and somehow not end up with 10 half written ones

also genuinely curious how many unfinished scripts you have rn lol

I'm writing a comedy feature and have a dinner table scene that is 7 pages long. It's probably too much- knowing that the norm page length for a scene is between 1 and 3 pages. I pulled up the Bridesmaids screenplay and see the airplane scene is 12 pages long. But when I was reading it, I questioned whether it's really ONE scene or multiple scenes set in one location. For anyone that knows which scene/scene I'm talking about what do you think? I tried pulling up the Meet the Parents dinner table scene as a better comparison to what I wrote but can't find it online. Just the transcripts.

I shared this script several years ago on this subreddit and received enough encouraging compliments to send it out to people I knew in the industry. Somehow it ended up in Tom Skerritt's hands and he agreed to play the part of William for a short film. Unfortunately I don't have a link to the actual film with Tom in it (It's a loooong story why).

Short Script - 15 pages

I'm thinking about starting a little scratch night in Bristol and wanted to put some feelers out...
The idea is to create a casual, low pressure space for writers working across theatre, film, TV and radio to hear their work read aloud, try out new ideas and connect with other creatives in the area. Doesn't need to be anything too formal or polished... just a friendly, supportive space to share work in progress, experiment and see what happens!

If you're a writer based in Bristol or the wider South West and have something you'd like to hear read aloud, or would just be interested in getting involved, do drop me a message. 🙂
It's still very much in the early stages, but would love to see if there's an appetite for something like this!

Hey, I am currently trying to get this idea off the ground, and I'm not very experienced in writing, so I figured it would be best to hand it off to someone who knows what they are doing. I like my concept a lot, but I'm just struggling to turn it into a usable screenplay. I can't pay anything but you will get writing credit obviously.

I have the main points blocked out and a lot of ideas I want to include, but I need someone to help me fit it all together in a way that is engaging and emotional.

If anyone is interested in taking a crack at it, let me know!

No AI responses please.

Title: Sounds of Earth

6 pages, very early draft, sci-fi.

Plot Summary: Humanity sends a record into space containing visuals and audio to explain their civilization. It is intercepted by an alien species who creates their own version of it in hopes of connecting with another intelligent species. Upon arrival, they realize humanity has been extinct for 80,000 years.

Info Dump:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/192txoEVuw_HCQMdJanq22fIi_qSyDJGRAJ2MH1cbFQk/edit?usp=drive_link

Sad attempt at screenplay:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oPpnWtJHUSDZSiZgOFx-nhI-7M-GhDbqgoqcH9C_UmQ/edit?usp=drive_link

I organized an AMA/Q&A with filmmakers Kelly O'Sullivan & Alex Thompson. They have made acclaimed indie films like Saint Frances, Ghostlight, and Rounding.

It's live here now in r/movies for anyone interested in asking a question:

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1xhpalt/hello_reddit_were_kelly_osullivan_alex_thompson/

They will be back at around 5 PM ET today to answer questions. I recommend asking in advance. Please ask there, not here. All questions are much appreciated!

Their new film, Mouse, premiered to wide critical acclaim at Berlin earlier this year and is out in theaters next week from IFC (currently at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and 87/100 on Metacritic).

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfvh4VZsFuY

Synopsis: When a teen's life is suddenly upended at the start of summer, she forms unexpected bonds while navigating the fraught, fragile and often funny stages of grief.

Thank you :)

Their verification/proof photo: https://i.imgur.com/znXyZrB.png

Just curious

Edit: I made an error, it's nov 8th.

It's going to be at the Twilight Cafe in North York. It's right across from North York Centre between the hours of 7 to 8 pm. Admission is free, but you are required to either purchase a drink or food from the establishment.

What we're going to do is have a general soundboarding for our work, ask questions about the ins and outs of screenwriting, have discussions about navigating how crazy this profession is, and maybe down the road we'll give notes on our work.

Also, if you'd like to join lemme know below!

Hi all! I have to write a one page pitch for a pilot episode to a tv serial drama and I'm kind of struggling with what to include and how I should format it, does anyone know of any resources or examples I can use to help? (I'm either going way too into detail or getting completely lost and ending up vague)

Any advice is appreciated! :-)

Hello! I am curious about the timing of the Sesame Workshop fellowship. (I posted this question in the TV Writing sub too.)

Is it too early to assume I didn't move forward if I didn't receive an email about a second script yet? The T&C mentions the first phase ended last week (Oct 23) and the second phase starts Monday (Nov 2). Do you typically get that second request before or during the second phase? I also read around different subs that you don't get any sort of rejection notification, so there's that too.

This is my first time submitting to them, so I appreciate the help! :)

I've seen multiple ways that people do this but basically just wanted some insight.

I have a character who mostly speaks in Italian but sometimes will say one thing in Italian and then revert back to English.

At first I had done it like this:

VINCENZO

My boy!

(in Italian)

Were you out fighting?

(in English)

But that feels really clunky and like just not correct.

So then I was like, okay I'll just put a note saying all dialogue in italics is Italian. but then you get this:

VINCENZO

My boy!

Were you out fighting?

which feels like it could be mistaken for the character just emphasising that line rather than it being in a different language.

And then there are scenes where he's talking in Italian and no one else is which i feel like the dialogue in italics works there but it's more when it's multi people.

thank you!

Hi, I’m a big fan of voice dictation because I can’t write nearly as fast as my brain works lol.
I also have ADHD, so if I don’t get things out quickly, I am liable to forget or get distracted. Additionally, I have an outside full-time job as a flight attendant and I don’t have many opportunities to get in front of a computer and type during the day.

I’ve just started a new script and so far I’ve been using iPhone’s native voice dictation, but it’s completely awful and inaccurate. I was thinking of paying for an app like WhisperSync or something similar to get more accurate text.

I’m just wondering how easy it will be afterwards to put that into Final Draft and get it formatted?

Any recommendations on a workflow for this?

If I will do badly compared to others, does that mean that I can’t have a predisposition to become a great writer? Or even just an above average one

Are there other writers who are great and say, were once the, or one of the worst of their class let’s say?

I'm having trouble identifying the very surface-level physical motivation for my main character/protagonist. I have all the inner motivation and characteristics, and a lot of the action is discovered in their other, deeper motivations. I have the entire iceberg, but the very tip of it (annoyed). Like how they say "girl needs apple" in the first act and by the third act "girl gets apple." I just need to identify what that "apple" is; idk why it's so hard for me right now. I have most of everything completed, but this one thing is the physicality of it. Any tips or advice on how to discover it? Thank you!

Edit: Apologize, this is my first post in this subreddit and blanked on giving any context. A newlywed couple moves to America in 1971 and settles into a seemingly ideal suburb, where the wife becomes entangled in the social dynamics of a prominent neighboring couple. She struggles with manipulation and abuse within these relationships, and although I’ve fleshed out her deeper arc around people-pleasing, surviving abuse, and escaping the scapegoat role, I’m struggling to identify her concrete, physical objective at the start of Act One. At the Act One–Act Two turning point, she realizes the people she’s been trying to build friendships with never actually viewed her as a friend. I’m trying to figure out what tangible thing she could be actively pursuing from the beginning, before that realization—not just what she emotionally wants or needs.

The genre is drama/psychological thriller Across two neighboring couples, power and ego shape interactions, creating a growing tension beneath the surface. Every conversation and every gesture carries weight and the smallest slip could break the fragile balance. The female main character endures the weight of it all, by suffering from abuse and manipulation while quietly observing the dynamics around her. Behind polite smiles, calculated actions, and unspoken threats, the couples are bound to a silent game of control. 

The script is OF THE WARDEN WHO WOULD NOT WEEP, a sci-fantasy feature.

Current logline:

A young heir who feels every emotion around him but can only smile navigates love, duty, and political collapse in a bioluminescent desert world, unaware that a force is coming to take it all. DUNE x COCO.

I know what's wrong with it (at least some of whats wrong with it). "Navigates" is aimless, and the force lands at the 2/3rds mark, so it isn't the engine. The engine is the title: a man who takes on everyone else's pain and can only smile, in a story that hands him everything there is to weep about. Im not sure how to get an internal conflict like that into one sentence without it sounding like a mood instead of a movie. It's the first of a trilogy, and all three scripts are written. AFF read part one alone, open ending and all, and it placed anyway.

So do I pitch it as a standalone and keep the trilogy in my pocket, or does "the whole trilogy exists" help an unknown writer more than it hurts? Also, how do you logline a film whose conflict is internal and whose catastrophe comes late? Examples of loglines that pulled this off would help more than theory.

Thanks for your time!

EDIT: Thanks for the responses, understood, I'll pitch a different script

We're opening up r/screenwritingclubs to the public. It's still in rudimentary form and some stuff is WIP but for the most part it should be functional.

The main jazz: it's a listing sub more than it is an engagement or informational sub. That's what r/screenwriting is for.

If you're looking for a club or you want to start one, please check out the wiki before you do any posting. We do have a very basic approval/verification process and submission format for people posting clubs that they want to show up in the keyword seach listings. We ask that people follow that format closely.

We will begin nudging people posting here about club recruitment, regional clubs and club searches to move their posts over to that sub. We probably won't do hard restrictions on posting clubs here, but we really encourage posting your clubs and inquiries over there so that there is one place people can search for what they're looking for.

We will also be updating automod accordingly, so expect to see orientational replies.

If you have any questions, we will temporarily be leaving comments open. Otherwise, please head over to r/screenwritingclubs and check out the wiki or ask via that sub.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13j4WXYbY3zEYotMgWF-yV1cHdy8E-z91/view?usp=drivesdk

Edited with more pages written and open to all feedback.

MAXXING

FEATURE

PAGES - 8

GENRE - Horror/Mystery

LOGLINE

Charlotte returns to her hometown of Marble, Colorado to search for her estranged brother, but upon arriving, is soon forced to contend with a masked cult who have not only taken control of a remote university campus, but the very town itself. However, what initially appears to just be a self-improvement craze gone wrong, hides a darker and more sinister connection to the history of Marble and Charlotte herself.

FAQ: How to post to a weekly thread?

This thread is for questions around querying agencies, management companies or other pertinent industry stakeholders.

Please post your query drafts or questions in the form of a top comment.

-- Do not include loglines. Loglines should be workshopped on the Monday thread. --

-- Do not include personal information or identity of the rep you intend to query. This is not a database. --

Some basics:

• agency contacts can be found on imdb pro, or often by googling writer + "agent" "representation" or "manager"
• when deciding which reps to query, research writers similar to your style and genre.
• do not send entire scripts to reps.
• do not mass-spam reps or send queries to multiple reps at the same company simultaneously.
• do not request followups within 2 weeks.
• do not pay companies to query or pitch.

Today's featured scripts (no account needed to read/download):

• Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) https://www.scripthive.com/featured/wes-craven-s-new-nightmare
• Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995) https://www.scripthive.com/featured/tales-from-the-crypt-presents-demon-knight
• Scream (1996) https://www.scripthive.com/featured/scream
• Ravenous (1999) https://www.scripthive.com/featured/ravenous

More from the Script Hive database (account required to read/download, but it's free):

• Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/13daa5a2-8759-402a-9474-fb1d5b50436d
• Se7en (1995) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/ffef5452-7458-4159-924b-e4fe9c243db8
• The Craft (1996) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/6114e953-22cb-4848-8a2c-b945e75c8938
• The Frighteners (1996) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/03714c58-fc09-4f0d-b4d9-5c6db72421bc
• From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/f2f3e78c-3510-4a16-a6c6-a813ae3691fd
• Event Horizon (1997) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/e862b80a-0788-4cd6-9731-104f5cb16944
• The Sixth Sense (1999) https://www.scripthive.com/database/script/68c191d4-d53e-403a-bb73-5f5552538ce2

Posting Schedule:

• Thursday, October 1: Universal & RKO, 1930s
• Monday, October 5: Universal & RKO, 1940s
• Wednesday, October 7: 1950s
• Friday, October 9: 1960s
• Monday, October 12: 1970s
• Wednesday, October 14: Video Nasties (1970s - 1980s)
• Friday, October 16: Body Horror
• Monday, October 19: 1980s (Part 1)
• Wednesday, October 21: 1980s (Part 2)
• Friday, October 23: 1990s (Part 1)
• Monday, October 26: 1990s (Part 2)
• Wednesday, October 28: 2000s
• Friday, October 30: 2010s
• Saturday, October 31: 2020s

Hello all. Previously I uploaded my screenplay Maddie’s World. After some helpful notes and edits, I am back with the third draft and would love to get some eyes on it!

Logline: An airheaded sitcom sidekick begins to suspect something is terribly wrong beneath the laugh track of her seemingly perfect high school life.

I would appreciate any feedback, but I would love to your thoughts on:

Did the journal-retrieval schemes build, or start feeling repetitive?

Is the mystery enticing?

Is Bree an active enough protagonist? Do her decisions make sense?

I appreciate any and all thoughts!

Thanks in advance!

Maddie’s World

How do you filmmakers and screenwriters get ideas for films?

I've only had a handful of ideas that I've turned into screenplays, 1 feature-length and 11 shorts. They used to appear in images in my head and I wrote them as I went on, up to a point where I had a clear vision of what the film would be, which is around the early to middle part of the script.

Now, it is like my brain is blocked, not a single idea pops into my head, even when I concentrate.

What is the best advice you've learned or been taught by experience for having ideas and for being creative?