Hi Jules! I've been working on a screenplay (a dark comedy about high school) that I really think has production potential, but now I'm seeing a lot of movies in a similar vein (not the exact same plot but a lot of similar elements and tone- particularly that it centers around two girls) that are being released and I'm worried my movie won't ever be made. Do you have any advice about this? I feel like giving up now.
Hi Anon,
This is actually a common issue that all screenwriters face, so you are not alone! Now there is some good news and some bad news that goes along with this.
The bad news is this: There will be times when you write a script and go to sell it only to find out someone else sold their script based off the same idea. In that case, if no one wants your script, you just have to set aside that script and start your next project. It sucks, I know, but you just have to keep writing. (I also feel I must point out that there are lots of selling scripts that aren’t made. In fact, there are writers I know that have made a living off unproduced scripts.)
But don’t give up yet! There is still good news: “Similar but different” is what Hollywood runs on. Studios like to purchase scripts that are similar to films that sold, but different enough to appear “new.” Gravity is Apollo 13, but different. Looper is The Terminator, but different. The Martian is Cast Away but different…
Similar movies can even succeed when released at the same time. Antz and A Bugs Life, Turner and Hooch and K9, White House Down and Olympus Has Fallen are a few examples.
And even if you still feel your film is too similar, it is still your unique voice. Even if it has a similar plot, tone, or characters, it’s told from a perspective only you have. So keep writing, finish your story, and try to sell it. By the description you’ve given, it sounds like your film is different enough that it falls into that “similar but different” sweet spot that studios like.
And if they don’t like it, you can produce it yourself or, if you’ve got the right connections, get a friend to produce it. This happens a lot in the business. Seth Rogen’s company produced Franco’s The Disaster Artist, Rob Reiner had his friend, Norman Lear produce both This is Spinal Tap, and The Princess Bride, and Matthew Vaughn raised the money for Kick Ass himself.
There are so many options available and so many “lost causes” that become successes that you should never give up on creating something you are passionate about!
Keep writing,
Jules
