The Waiting Game Becomes the Guessing Game

At the end of January on this blog, I wrote about our experience being in 'the waiting game' with a management company in Los Angeles around a brassy, historical epic the Sages wrote on the life and times of an Irish legend.

Four Sundays later and we've had "the Call" about the submission. There were some compliments offered, followed by a discussion of the history and a laundry list of appropriate actors who might fit the bill for the role. The call ended with a request for a revision.

So "the waiting game" of a month ago becomes "the guessing game" today. We know our guys read and liked the writing, but clearly they want to hook an actor with this project, though there weren't many details provided on exactly what would bait a thesp. Our task then is to come up with perfectly-executed je ne suis quoi that puts this script over with an actor who fancies himself at least with a drop of Irish blood.

So what do we do? They sent along some writing samples to help sharpen our thinking about what makes screenplays sellable. Some of the samples are already set up at major studios and come with brand-name actors attached. Of course, the moment you conjure up that actor, you read the script completely differently. A lackluster historical screenplay suddenly shines if Leonardo is the leading man! A not-that-cut-up comedy is suddenly cutting you up when can't help think of Will Ferrell in the lead!

How do you work that model in the reverse?

Can you base a screenplay revision on trying to imagine Mel Gibson as Jesus? How about Steve Martin as the Pink Panther? It's a guessing game as to where you might want to "write to the character" and where you might want to "write to the actor". So, are we now to turn our screenplay into a love letter to this or that son-of-Erin actor? Tough, tough call...

The waiting game becomes the guessing game until we finish this rewrite and turn it in and begin again to wait.

-Joe