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adaptation, best-selling book franchise, comic book, HARRY POTTER, LORD OF THE RINGS - May 11, 2022

UNDERLYING PROPERTY

There are some genres and paradigms that have a realistic chance of getting set up on a spec script, and others that often need an underlying property. That is: adapted from a novel, comic book, remake, etc. Perfect example: Back when I hustled scripts for a living, several execs told me they were looking for a young adult fantasy adventure project; basically, Harry Potter. Lo and behold, I found one, and immediately called them. All of the conversations played along the same lines: “Great, send it over!” But then: “Wait, it’s based on a book, right?” When I said no,...

How To Option IP For Your Screenplay

Optioning underlying intellectual property can be a great way to add market appeal to your screenplay, but it can feel intimidating to newer screenwriters. It doesn’t have to be. Granted, if your target is a recent New York Times bestseller, it might not be easy. But short of that, plenty of books, comic books, articles, and so on can be optioned relatively painlessly. The initial hurdle is legal. Unless you’re an attorney, it can be daunting to read a great article or a great book and then try and figure out how to get the rights. Hiring an entertainment attorney...

Creating Your Own Intellectual Property As A Screenwriter On A Budget

Creating your own intellectual property (IP) as a screenwriter is one of the most valuable things any writer can do. Hollywood is obsessed with IP beyond the point of reason. The majority of theatrical films released on a mass scale are now based on IP. For screenwriters, this can be frustrating. Shouldn’t the job just be writing a great original screenplay? That will always be valuable, but creating your own IP is just as valuable, and does not have to be debilitating or highly expensive to do. You can create your own IP on a budget. Creating a comic book...

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