MovieChat Forums > Deadfall (2012) Discussion > *beep* Thieves. This was/is MY script, ...

beep Thieves. This was/is MY script, I wrote this film!

posted 12 years ago by filmonthebrainz
14 replies | jump to latest

A friend told me about this film a few days ago because it reminded her of a script I let her read awhile back. So I watched it and I was like, "Wow this film is kind of like a script(I wrote)and sent to a company called Madhouse Ent." So,I dug through my things and found my script I wrote 4 years ago and sent to Madhouse a bit later for feedback. I was a 18 year old screenwriting major at a film school In Chicago at the time. I was reading along and watching, there were some changes but this is my *beep* script!! The characters names changed but the opening scene was the exact same. I'm so pissed right now, Im shaking and I don't know what I can do about this. This is my script I actually wrote for Jennifer Lopez(in mind) to play a sheriff in rural Michigan who was half Native-American. They made the daughter white though. I can't believe what I am seeing I was a dumb kid who was looking for a break and sent my script in and now I see it made into a movie years later. My stomach and head hurt,I can't believe this. I'm being 100% serious about this.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] george_aslf 12 years ago

Even if you don't succeed in court (though I hope that you do) you should still be proud that your script was so good that it was made into a movie with some big names in it.

[–] roholtz 12 years ago

It's called copyright. You should have done it.

But why would you write a screenplay with a particular actress in mind. That's just silly

[–] DaliParton 12 years ago

It's called copyright. You should have done it.

Under the Berne Convention which the US adopted somewheres in the 1970s copyright is automatic, no filing needed. The only difference between filing and not filing is the ability to sue for more than actual damages. Assuming the OP's story is true, then he would be due whatever the named screenwriter got paid.

FWIW, this kind of thing happens all the time in Hollywood. I know a guy who was already a professional script writer who had to go to court because the studio ripped him for the entire first season of "Earth Final Conflict" - after a couple of years of litigation, he won and was awarded a couple of million dollars. But the studios fought him every step of the way.

[–] roholtz 12 years ago

I know it happens all the time in Hollywood. There's so many stories like this one. Writers always gets the shaft. But you have to be able to prove you wrote the screenplay. Personally i always mail them to myself as an extra little precaution.

[–] hoyo-mont 12 years ago

The story is like others. Up to you to use your talents to be a guy who writes a better one or a guy who writes complaining about a small b-movie on a message board.

[–] Asentiff2004 12 years ago

Same guy who *beep* makes racist ass comments on half every board.. NO THANKS OP id rather not read or see a single script you ever wrote get made.....

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Yucahaor 12 years ago

Did you at least register the script with WGA? Also if they didn't personally ask to see your script, then they can pretty much do anything they want with it, if you gave it to them.

[–] 12 years ago

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*beep* Thieves. This was/is MY script, I wrote this film!

beep Thieves. This was/is MY script, I wrote this film!