(registration deadline: Friday, May 6)
Meet on the Fox Studios backlot for an in-depth analysis and discussion of the screenplay MONEY MONSTER.
Logline: A financial TV host and his producer are put in an explosive situation when an irate investor takes over their studio.
The screenplay, which appeared on the 2014 Black List, was written by ALAN DiFIORE & JIM KOUF. This is DiFiore’s first feature writing credit. He co-created the Canadian TV series The Bridge and is a writer/producer on the hit NBC series Grimm. Kouf is the co-creator of Grimm and wrote for The Ghost Whisperer and Angel, and is also known for his many feature screenplays including National Treasure, Rush Hour, and Stakeout. JAMIE LINDEN (We Are Marshall, Dear John) was brought in for rewrites on Money Monster (making this the second script in a row we’ll be studying from a writer who previously adapted a Nicholas Sparks novel).
Money Monster is the fourth pairing of Oscar winners George Clooney (The Descendants) and Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich), and the fourth feature film directed by two-time Academy Award winning actress Jodie Foster. The $30 million film also stars Jack O’Connell (Unbroken) and Dominic West (The Wire).
Producers and Production Companies: Daniel Dubieck (Up in the Air) launched Allegiance Theater in 2012 to produce Money Monster. Stuart Ford provided the financing through his company, IM Global (Insidious, Sleeping with Other People). Clooney also produced with Grant Heslov through their Smokehouse Pictures banner (Argo).
Release Date: May 13 (Sony/Tri-Star).
Rated R. 95 minutes. 123 pages. Drama, Thriller.
DIANE DRAKE will provide in-depth analysis and lead our discussion. Prior to writing the hit movies Only You (starring Robert Downey Jr. and Marissa Tomei) and What Women Want (starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt), Diane served as Vice President of Creative Affairs for Sydney Pollack (Out of Africa, Tootsie), honing her story skills while analyzing hundreds of screenplays to find and develop material for the Oscar-winning producer-director. She has taught through the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and currently offers online courses and workshops at www.dianedrake.com. Her first book, Get Your Story Straight, is scheduled for release in 2016. Follow her on Twitter (@dianedrake) to find out more.
UPDATE: Diane’s book, Get Your Story Straight, is now available at Amazon.com.
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