How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

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  • #16
    Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

    Today's LAT:

    Nearly a dozen writers worked on the film - so many that the Writers Guild decided that no single contributor made enough of an impact, resulting in the group giving credit to one person, Patrick O'Neill, who worked up the original structure. In addition to veteran Scott Frank ("Minority Report," "Out of Sight") - who worked on the script, then came back to polish the work of other scribes who had come on to polish his work - the uncredited writers include, in no particular order: "Shutter Island's" Laeta Kalogridis, "Ocean's Eleven's" Ted Griffin, " " What Happens in Vegas' " Dana Fox, and "X-Men: The Last Stand's" Simon Kinberg.
    http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...,6412191.story
    ==========

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    • #17
      Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

      I hope this film does well since I personally like flicks that mix up the genres.

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      • #18
        Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

        The word "development" in the movie industry reminds of real estate:

        There you have a nice, exciting landscape with brooks and ponds and woods.

        Then a developer comes and develops it.

        What he leaves behind is a suburbian nightmare of ugly, little houses, swimming pools, and parking lots that bores you to death.
        "Ecco il grande Zampano!"

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        • #19
          Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

          A first time screenwriter writing for Tom Cruise -- not impossible (n.p.i) Remember the "who you know" variable.
          sigpic

          "I'm gonna run ya ragged!"

          "YEE HAWWW!!!"

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          • #20
            Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

            Once more, indignant people stab at the reputation of someone who's put in the work and endured the turmoil.
            How come no-one here dissed Will Smith's kid for getting on simply because he's Will Smith's kid? Perhaps the relastionship was too overt, whereas this writer's affiliations had to be pointed out by the more astute among us, via a linked article.

            Honestly, some of you need to grow up.
            Good luck to us all with our writing endeavours.
            Cufk, Tish, Sips.

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            • #21
              "How?" Was The Question

              Originally posted by Grandmaster View Post
              Once more, indignant people stab at the reputation of someone who's put in the work and endured the turmoil.
              How come no-one here dissed Will Smith's kid for getting on simply because he's Will Smith's kid? Perhaps the relastionship was too overt, whereas this writer's affiliations had to be pointed out by the more astute among us, via a linked article.
              When talented writers cannot get representation and repeatedly get told that they can only submit material thru an agent, one wonders "how" someone manages to get the attention of an A-list celebrity with their spec screenplay.

              This wasn't an instance where a spec writer sent Tom Cruise a cold query and found instant acceptance. A producer helped him with the writing, many writers helped him with the writing, and the director helped him with the writing; and, maybe, the original screenplay was better, before it went thru years of development. The producer also happens to be an old friend, which probably explains why a "first time" screenwriter wasn't sent a rejection letter, wasn't asked to submit thru an agent, and had this screenplay brought to the attention of several celebrity stars. Connections do help in this career.

              Was Will Smith's kid, (Jaden Smith), in this film? I've seen him in a couple of films and haven't been impressed by his acting. If he hasn't gone to high school, yet, he may have a very good agent helping him land all of these acting gigs.
              JEKYLL & CANADA (free .mp4 download @ Vimeo.com)

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              • #22
                Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

                Here's how:

                Write a script someone likes enough to buy. Have a concept strong enough to attract a studio, a director, and some big stars. Get fired for one of a billion different reasons that could have nothing or everything to do with your writing. Try to parlay your first job into other jobs as your script goes through a laundry list of rewriters on its way toward production. Wake up one morning to read that your project - against all odds - is actually getting made, starring - holy **** - one of the biggest stars in the history of motion pictures. Freak justifiably out. Prepare a supporting statement for WGA credit determination, comparing your script to the final shooting script. Be awarded sole credit by a panel of professional writers and trained arbiters, who have read every draft and every supporting statement written by every other writer. Get **** on by people on the internet who understand so little about this business that they think producers "helped you with the writing."

                No one bought this guy's script because he was someone's roommate. No stars signed on because of who he knew. At the very least, he came up with a concept that inspired dozens of people to spend months of their time and millions of their dollars producing it.

                No big mystery here. If you can do that, you can end up writing a Tom Cruise movie too.

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                • #23
                  Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

                  I just want to know how the hell The Robotard 8000 wrote a Tom Cruise movie.
                  QUESTICLES -- It's about balls on a mission.

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                  • #24
                    Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

                    You can't plan such things.

                    Write the movie that you want to write and then think who'd be good in it.

                    I'm sure the writer of "Knight and Day" pursued a lot of avenues and one of them worked out.

                    Someone who found his own way. And even though they butchered his script, he's in a good position right now. Because everybody will know what ended up on screen was the outcome of the usual development treadmill.
                    "Ecco il grande Zampano!"

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                    • #25
                      Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

                      His credits go to back to 1978 when as a child he appeared in a short.

                      He is listed as the executive producer on a TV movie and a TV series (for which he is also credited as a writer) and he got a thank-you mention in the credits of "Being John Malkovich-.

                      So it is obvious he's been around in the industry for some time and no doubt has a very extensive network.
                      Ron Aberdeen
                      http://www.ronaberdeen.com/
                      http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3609083/

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                      • #26
                        Re: How?

                        Originally posted by Ronaldinho View Post
                        Clearly, being good friends with him is not sufficient for getting a script made.

                        Of course it is. Nancy Oliver got Lars And The Real Girl into production because she went to college with Alan Ball.

                        Her other produced credits are Six Feet Under (Alan Ball) and True Blood (Alan Ball). So, yes, going to school with someone and befriending them is how you get into the business.

                        Does that mean that her work has no merit? Of course not.

                        But does it mean that people who can't write a great script sometimes do get in? Obviously.

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                        • #27
                          Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

                          Lars and the Real Girl was made because many people loved the script and dedicated themselves to getting it made. It received the third most votes on the 2005 Black List. You're falsely equating opportunity with undeserved opportunity. But hey, whatever gets you through the day.

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                          • #28
                            Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

                            Oh yeah, and nominated for an academy award. Maybe not the best example of how "people who can't write a great script" sometimes get in.

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                            • #29
                              Re: How?

                              Originally posted by kintnerboy View Post
                              Of course it is. Nancy Oliver got Lars And The Real Girl into production because she went to college with Alan Ball.
                              Alan Ball can't get an Alan Ball movie into production just because he's Alan Ball.

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                              • #30
                                Re: How did a "first time" screenwriter end up writing a Tom Cruise movie?

                                What about this case:

                                Hallie Meyers, the 22 year old daughter of Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer is rewriting scripts her father is directing.

                                I noticed it on imdbpro the other day.

                                This one riled me up a bit.

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