Author: Margaret C. Waggoner

Simon West Scripts

There are very few directors that could pull off the intense production of the new 80’s “shoot ‘em up” revival film The Expendables 2 (2012). Thankfully to Sylvester Stallone and the rest of the all-star cast, they have Simon West. West is well known for his directorial work in such films as Con Air (1997) and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001).

Needless to say, the man is capable of creating action-packed sequences that will make the audience squeamish for some real action in their own lives. Partnered with a screenwriter from a previously acclaimed film, The Expendables 2 (2012) is bound to be successful.

Films

  1. (2012) The Expendables 2
  2. (2012) Stolen
  3. (2011) The Mechanic Script 
  4. (2008) Purple Mountain
  5. (2006) When a Stranger Calls Script 
  6. (2001) Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
  7. (2001) Shelley’s Garden
  8. (1999) The General’s Daughter [Transcript]
  9. (1997) Con Air [Transcript]

Richard Wenk Scripts

Richard Wenk is the writer responsible for one of the most eagerly anticipated big blockbuster film of the season, The Expendables 2 (2012). Given the all-star cast and incredibly high stakes involved, it would be natural to assume that Wenk must be someone highly experienced in the art of screenwriting.

However, that is not the case. Prior to this film, Wenk only had four screenplays under his belt- none of them to the big blockbuster status of his most current achievement. How does a person with so little experience end up getting one of the most promising gigs of the season?

The key to his success is a mystery- but given his prior history, Wenk has developed himself in all areas of film making. He has been a producer and a director. He has done soundtracks and cameos. In short, he knows how the industry works and knows what words to say and what needs to be shown in order to build his career.

His achievement deserves a standing ovation because it shows not only his creative skills, but his ability to strategize and plan his moves to achieve bigger and better things.

Films

  1. (2012) The Expendables 2
  2. (2011) The Mechanic Script
  3. (2006) 16 Blocks Script
  4. (1999) Just the Ticket
  5. (1986) Vamp

Ashley Greene Scripts

Ashley Greene got her big break when she was given the role of Alice in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight film adaptation. With her elfish good looks and dry personality, she gained international stardom in one of the most widely popular books of the season.

However, her career has not shot off yet to the point that she is making only big budget Hollywood films. The place where she still finds her most well accepted home is the same place where she got her start- in the independent film industry.

With films such as King of California (2007), an independent film starring Michael Douglas and Otis (2008), she obviously makes good picks as to which independent films she stars in. These films have gained much acclaim from indie movie fans and critics alike.

Despite the fact that Greene gained movie stardom with the Twilight series, she may depend on these independent films to prevent her from going under the radar into movie obscurity. It is too easy for a star to fall victim to stereotyping based on a popular role. By continuing to take roles in good, yet unappreciated, indie films- she may have a chance to defy her “Twilight” stereotyping and go down in history as a diverse actress.

Upcoming actresses and actors would do well to diversify their experience by taking roles in independent movies, webisodes and other forms of media that have good stories versus good money.

Films

  1. (2012) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
  2. (2012) The Apparition
  3. (2012) LOL
  4. (2011) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1
  5. (2011) Butter
  6. (2011) A Warrior’s Heart
  7. (2010) The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
  8. (2010) Radio Free Albemuth
  9. (2010) Skateland
  10. (2009) New Moon Script
  11. (2009) Summer’s Blood
  12. (2009) Shrink [Transcript]
  13. (2008) Twilight Script
  14. (2008) Otis
  15. (2007) King of California

Tom Felton Scripts

As far as acting is concerned, Tom Felton is a rags-to-riches story .This is not to say that he was necessarily a poor child, but he got the break of a lifetime after starring in only two films. As a 12 year old boy, Felton auditioned for a movie that was sure to be a major success. He auditioned for three parts, two of which he didn’t get. The role he did get ended up being a righteous success for his career and something that would make him a household name for generations to come. The movie was Harry Potter and he was cast as none other than Draco Malfoy.

When a child is given an opportunity to reach the peaks of fame in such a short time, it is difficult to determine where their life will be able to go afterwards. Will they continue the route to success or will they fall short and end up making B films for the rest of their lives?

What it really all comes down to are the first few films that the person makes once they are out of the safety net. With the last Harry Potter film finished and his career suddenly on the line, Felton has tested the waters with a science fiction film called Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and horror The Apparition (2012). The horror genre might be a dangerous road for Felton to go on (for how many stars made horror films at the dying end of their careers?) but in some cases, it might just be what he needs to grab onto a new audience.

Films

  1. (2012) The Apparition
  2. (2012) From the Rough
  3. (2011) Rise of the Planet of the Apes
  4. (2011) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
  5. (2010) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Script
  6. (2010) Night Wolf
  7. (2009) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Script
  8. (2008) The Disappeared
  9. (2007) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix [Transcript]
  10. (2005) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Script
  11. (2004) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Script
  12. (2002) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets [Transcript]
  13. (2001) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone [Transcript]
  14. (1999) Anna and the King
  15. (1997) The Borrowers

Peter Hedges Scripts

Playwriter and Screenwriter, Peter Hedges, does not have a long list of famous films that he has written. However, in the short list of films he has written in his lifetime, many of them are memorable pieces of work. From his first screenplay adaptation What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993) to his most recent film, The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012), he stands out as a dynamic writer that is able to bring incredible meaning and humor to his pieces.

There is no doubt that Hedges is a dramatic writer, as he does not have one film that strays from the genre. The fact is that he is good at what he does, which is writing films full of meaning and connections to real life. In the future, he might change his flow and try to tap a genre which he never touched before, but for now he is doing what he does best- creating drama.

Films

  1. (2012) The Odd Life of Timothy Green
  2. (2007) Dan in Real Life Script ($)
  3. (2003) Pieces of April Script ($)
  4. (2002) About a Boy [Transcript]
  5. (1999) A Map of the World
  6. (1993) What’s Eating Gilbert Grape [Transcript]

The Nolan Brothers Scripts

For some reason, the film industry loves family teams who direct and/or write screenplays. The Coen Brothers have created innumerable successful for their brother directing team, while the Nolan Brothers have done the same in the screenwriting industry.
True, these brothers have a much smaller career that has not brought their name notoriety. However, every film that they have written for has turned out to be a major successful. Their work is intricate, detailed and concise: all the things that make up a fanciful story that pleases audience.
In the newest addition to the Dark Knight series, the Nolan Brothers had to deal with the painstaking requirement of editing hundreds of pages of script into a script fit for the screen. In addition, they had to incorporate and base the finalized script on the classic Charles Dickens story, A Tale of Two Cities. 
Upon release of The Dark Knight Rises (2012), the future of their career could skyrocket them into a household name. Only time will tell what their future has in hold for them.

Hipster Film Scripts

Every generation of Americans have a distinct style and voice that is uniquely their own. In the 1960’s, the hippie movement spawned its own fashion, literature, speech and films. The same can be said for the 1950’s as well as every other generation. It’s usually not easy to recognize the distinctive voice of a generation until it is already outdated, and that can be said about the most recent generation of young people.

While there have been many popular genres of style, (emo, scene, raver, etc.) one style that has infiltrated the film world in record numbers is the “hipster” style. Curly mustaches, old fashioned farmer clothes and a desire to retreat from industrialization has been the theme of these kids. While they embrace technology, in particular Mac products, they also feel the need to retreat out of the mainstream consumer culture into an old fashioned way of life.

The following films are considered “hipster” films in general. Perhaps not all members of the hipster movement embrace these films equally; however, the themes and style of film making in these movies are distinguishable from past generations of film. Many of the films focus on finding true meaning outside of a consumer culture. The actors are
distinguishable by their lack of emotion or by their strange but endearing personal quirks.

In the future, there will be generations of young people who will probably start a cult following of these hipster movies and desire to create movies similar to them. The formula to making a hipster film is locked within these following films, waiting to be taken apart and examined. If a person can create a formula for making a hipster-styled film, they will be prepared for the future days when making a hipster movie is a new form of kitsch.

Films

  1. (2004) Garden State Script
  2.  (2001) Wet Hot American Summer
  3. (2001) The Royal Tenenbaums Script
  4. (2005) Hard Candy Script
  5. (2006) Wristcutters: A Love Story
  6. (2006) Little Miss Sunshine Script
  7. (2007) Charlie Bartlett Script
  8. (2007) Juno Script
  9. (2007) Lars and the Real Girl Script
  10. (2007) Into the Wild Script
  11. (2007) Across the Universe [Transcript]
  12. (2008) Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist [Transcript]
  13. (2010) Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Script

 

Leigh Whannell Scripts

Leigh Whannell has been a storyteller since he was a very young boy living in Australia. According to IMDB.com (2012), Whannell’s “primary love was getting a reaction from an audience” which he attempted to do in many different venues. As a teenager he raked in much success as the host of an Australian teen news show which became popular nationwide. He was able to meet many famous people and interview some of the greats of the film industry.

However, his one passionate desire was to make a film. He attempted to break into the Hollywood film industry through acting but he had very little luck. Eventually, he got fed up and decided to raise the money to make a film by himself. Teaming up with his old friend James Wan, Whannell raised up money to create his first low budget horror film Saw (2004). The movie was obviously extremely popular and since then, he has been able to publish many more films from the Saw series as well as other films.

Whannell is an example of a person who decided what they wanted and went after it. When he couldn’t find any paths to lead him to the American film industry, he forged one himself. His own ideas and hard work paved his way to success. With his latest film Insidious (2010), Whannell has distinguished himself as a true creative genius and a pioneer in the horror industry.  There definitely won’t be an end to his career any time soon.

Filmography

  1. (2010) Insidious Script
  2. (2007) Dead Silence Script
  3. (2006) Saw III Script [Limited! One Available for Purchase!]
  4. (2005) Saw II [Transcript]
  5. (2004) Saw Script

Kristen Stewart Scripts

It’s about sure to say that Kristen Stewart has definitely become one of the most sought after actresses in the industry. However, she was not always this desired by production companies and fans alike. At the beginning of Stewart’s career, she had many bit parts (does anyone remember her in the Flintstone’s Viva Rock Vegas?) As a kid she had moderate success with such films as Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005) and Catch That Kid (2004). As a young woman, she adopted more mature roles in horror films that allowed her to break the image that she created for herself as a child. A turning point in her career was when she took a role in the popular indie film, Into the Wild (2007).

This may have been the starting point which helped her career launch into greater horizons, including the Twilight series that has catapulted her into fame and fortune. A good rule of thumb in the film industry is to always be on the lookout for good roles in different genres. It is important to diversify into many roles in order to hone personal acting skills. Writers, on the other hand, should try to write roles for characters that are interesting and insightful, in order to attract fine actors.

 

Filmography

  1. (2013) Cali
  2. (2012) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
  3. (2012) Snow White and the Huntsman
  4. (2012) On the Road
  5. (2011) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1
  6. (2010) The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
  7. (2010) The Runaways Script
  8. (2010) Welcome to the Rileys
  9. (2009) The Twilight Saga: New Moon [Transcript]
  10. (2009) Adventureland Script
  11. (2008) Twilight Script
  12. (2008) Jumper
    (2008) What Just Happened [Transcript]
  13. (2008) The Yellow Handkerchief
  14. (2007) Into the Wild Script
  15. (2007) The Cake Eaters [Transcript]
  16. (2007) The Messengers
  17. (2007) In the Land of Women [Transcript]
  18. (2005) Zathura: A Space Adventure [Transcript]
  19. (2005) Fierce People
  20. (2004) Undertow [Transcript]
  21. (2004) Catch That Kid [Transcript]
  22. (2004) Speak
  23. (2003) Cold Creek Manor
  24. (2002) Panic Room Script
  25. (2001) The Safety of Objects
  26. (2000) The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas

 

Scripts Inspired by Frank Miller’s Graphic Novels

Up until the turn of the 21st century, Frank Miller was a man of distinction only at comic book stores and annual comic conventions. However, with the popularization of comic books as a source for major motion pictures, Miller easily became a household name.

For those who do not recognize Miller’s name, he is the person responsible for such blockbuster hits as 300 (2006), Sin City (2005) and The Spirit (2008). All of these major motion pictures are household names, with special distinction to 300. The storylines, brought to life with the latest in digital cinematography techniques, were spellbinding and a magical twist from the movies of yesteryear.

Miller is living the dream in a way that could never have happened in previous generations of graphic novel writers. He has become someone to take seriously- not just a kiddie version of a real writer, but a powerful, influencing force upon the cinematic world and the populations that engage in his films.

Watch his films, read his screenplays and top it off with a reading of his now-famous graphic novels. The distinctive voice of a great writer will influence you in some way, guaranteed, whether you choose to or not.

Filmography

  1. (2008) The Spirit
  2. (2006) 300 [Transcript]
  3. (2005) Sin City [Transcript]
  4. (2005) Elektra [Transcript]