Screenwriter’s Weekly News Wrap-up for Monday, June 23, 2025
I skim the trades, so you don’t have to.
Stay ahead of the curve with Screenwriter's Weekly News Wrap-up, your go-to source for current screenwriting news and Hollywood insights for aspiring and veteran screenwriters. This weekly roundup is designed to keep you informed and inspired with the latest industry trends and updates. I do this out of passion, so if you find it valuable, a like or share would mean the world to me. And if you haven’t already, consider subscribing for just $5 a month—your support makes a big difference.
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◊The Rock and the Dark: Aronofsky Eyes Cultish A24 Drama With a Twisted Guru Twist
Darren Aronofsky (The Whale, Requiem for a Dream) is in talks to direct Breakthrough for A24, working from a screenplay by actor-writer Zeke Goodman. The film explores the psychological unraveling of a disillusioned young man caught under the spell of a charismatic self-help guru in early 2000s Southern California. Dwayne Johnson is set to play a supporting role, continuing his recent pivot from PG crowd-pleasers to prestige indie work, including Benny Safdie’s upcoming The Smashing Machine and a Martin Scorsese project in development.
Goodman, repped by Lighthouse Management and Media, is emerging as a distinct voice in the space between Gen Z existentialism and American spiritual grift. With Aronofsky at the helm—whose signature is the obsessive descent into identity crisis—this collaboration promises psychological intensity and moral ambiguity. Writers aiming to break into character-driven drama should note Goodman’s path: start with high-concept discomfort, then ground it in personal mythology. Being weird isn’t enough—it has to be specific.
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◊Detective Reunion: McConaughey and Pizzolatto Reunite for Noir Reboot ‘Mike Hammer’
Matthew McConaughey is set to reunite with True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto for a feature film adaptation of Mike Hammer, the hard-boiled private eye born from Mickey Spillane’s iconic 1947 pulp novel I, the Jury. Pizzolatto has written the script, marking a return to noir territory for the Emmy-winning writer, whose past screenwriting credits also include The Magnificent Seven and The Guilty. Skydance is producing, having secured the rights to the Mike Hammer franchise, which was continued posthumously by author Max Allan Collins, who will executive produce.
The project brings McConaughey full circle with Pizzolatto, after their critically acclaimed partnership on True Detective Season 1 helped launch the “McConaissance.” Jane Spillane (widow of Mickey Spillane) is on board as co-producer, and other producers include David Ellison and Dana Goldberg. The casting of McConaughey as the cynical, self-styled vigilante detective suggests a grittier return for the actor, whose upcoming work includes indie dramas (The Lost Bus, The Rivals of Amziah King) and the Apple series Brothers with Woody Harrelson.
For screenwriters, this revival offers a lesson in IP evolution: Pizzolatto’s approach will likely modernize Hammer’s morally gray world without losing the noir tone. If you’re adapting legacy material, don’t be afraid to push character over nostalgia.
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◊Paging Dr. Prestige: Why Medical Drama Is Suddenly Emmy’s Sexiest Genre
The 2025 Emmy race has turned into a stethoscope showdown as a fresh crop of medical dramas—The Pitt, Brilliant Minds, Watson, Pulse, Doc, and Doctor Odyssey—bring new blood to the genre by fusing procedural stakes with timely cultural commentary. Showrunner Michael Grassi (Brilliant Minds, NBC) draws from Oliver Sacks’ neurological case studies to explore mental health, while Craig Sweeny’s Watson (Paramount+) layers medical mystery with cerebral sleuthing, owing a debt to House. Pulse, created by Zoe Robyn and exec produced by Lost’s Carlton Cuse, tackles post-MeToo trauma and climate crisis in a Miami ER. Ryan Murphy’s Doctor Odyssey (ABC), co-created with Jon Robin Baitz and Joe Baken, shifts the genre to high seas theatrics with a floating ER staffed by Phillipa Soo and Don Johnson. The Pitt, from ER veteran R. Scott Gemmill, uses its one-hour-per-episode structure to simulate a real-time ER shift, blending MASH*-like cynicism with raw authenticity.
For screenwriters, this surge marks a golden moment: networks are hungry for elevated hospital dramas that center psychology, ethics, and sociopolitical tension. The key? Anchor your pilot in specific medical subfields (like neurosurgery or disaster relief), showrunners say, and build from a clear POV—whether it’s a cynical realist (The Pitt), a hopeful genius (Brilliant Minds), or a misfit diagnostician (Watson).
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◊Order in the Courtroom Drama: Terry Louise Fisher’s Legal Legacy for TV Writers
Before prestige legal drama became a screenwriting staple, Terry Louise Fisher blazed the trail—first as an assistant district attorney, then as a three-time Emmy-winning writer and producer. Fisher co-created L.A. Law with Steven Bochco, merging her firsthand courtroom knowledge with television storytelling in a way that fundamentally shifted the genre’s tone toward character-driven complexity. Repped during her peak years through major industry deals (including a development pact with Walt Disney Productions), Fisher also helped shape Cagney & Lacey and co-created Hooperman before clashes with Bochco led to a headline-making lawsuit and her eventual exit from L.A. Law—a show she hoped to run.
For screenwriters crafting legal or procedural drama, Fisher’s early scripts remain essential reading: her work elevated archetypal cases into emotional character studies. She understood that a legal setting is just a backdrop—the real drama happens in the decisions people make when the law isn’t enough. Building compelling ensemble casts, Fisher often made use of moral ambiguity and high-stakes personal conflict rather than tidy verdicts. Follow her lead by grounding genre in lived experience, then use structure to amplify emotion—not constrain it.
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◊Partners in Crime, But Make It 2025: A Modern Rewrite for Christie’s Sleuthing Sweethearts
Playwright-turned-screenwriter Phoebe Eclair-Powell has been tapped to reimagine Agatha Christie’s lesser-known detective duo, Tommy and Tuppence, in a six-part modern-day series for BritBox. Known for her sharp dialogue and theatrical work like The Road Trip, this marks Eclair-Powell’s first major television commission—a breakout moment worth tracking for writers interested in adapting classic IP with a contemporary twist. The series is being produced by Lookout Point (Happy Valley) in association with Agatha Christie Limited, with global distribution by BBC Studios. Executive producers include Laura Lankester, Katie Draper, Louise Mutter, and James Prichard (Christie’s great-grandson).
Set in the posh London neighborhood of Hampstead, the show will blend romantic comedy with cozy murder-mystery pacing—a tonal cocktail screenwriters should note as increasingly in vogue with international streamers. The twist here? Eclair-Powell plans to explore whether the pair’s chemistry goes beyond crime-solving. If you’re writing in this space, take note: this is a blueprint for revitalizing legacy characters while keeping audience expectations intact. Reimagining IP isn’t about modernization alone—it’s about finding emotional stakes and thematic depth the original era couldn’t fully explore.
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◊First Draft, Last Rites: James Gunn Won’t Shoot Without a Script
James Gunn, co-chair of DC Studios and writer-director of Superman: Legacy, is sounding the alarm: the movie industry is “dying” because too many films go into production with unfinished screenplays. In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Gunn revealed he recently killed a greenlit project because “the screenplay’s not good”—underscoring his philosophy that no project moves forward at DC unless the script is locked and worthy. Gunn, repped by WME, has long insisted on narrative integrity from day one, a stance that separates him from studios chasing quarterly content quotas. He praised recent scripts like Supergirl, Lanterns, and Clayface as examples of high-caliber material that earned their production greenlights.
Screenwriters should take this as more than a soundbite—it’s a barometer. Gunn’s refusal to shoot until the story is there aligns with a broader push away from content glut and toward quality-first development, especially in genre spaces. Writers aiming to break into studio tentpoles or IP-driven franchises need to embrace that bar: no shortcuts, no placeholders. Gunn is a writer himself, and his gatekeeping at DC signals a shift—if you want a shot at the big leagues, your script has to already be a movie on the page.
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◊Fishing for Forgiveness: Herrington and Dean Hook a Father-Son Drama
Looking Through Water, written by Rowdy Herrington and Zach Dean, offers a rare case study in genre-hybrid screenwriting—blending multigenerational drama with subtle Americana. Herrington, best known for directing and writing the 1989 cult action film Road House, co-wrote the script with Dean (Fast X, The Tomorrow War), a rising name in character-driven studio thrillers. Their screenplay adapts author Bob Rich’s novels Catching Big Fish and Looking Through Water, using a father-son fishing tournament as a vehicle to explore reconciliation and emotional legacy. The project’s past title, Blood Knot, hints at its tonal complexity—more meditative than melodramatic. For screenwriters, this is a reminder that grounded, intergenerational stakes can still attract top-tier talent: Michael Douglas and Cameron Douglas headline, with Roberto Sneider (Tear This Heart Out) directing. The film was acquired by Good Deed Entertainment and releases later this summer.
Takeaway: Pairing big emotional arcs with humble settings—like fishing—lets writers create intimacy without sacrificing dramatic momentum. Character is plot when healing drives the narrative.
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◊From Gunfire to Hall Passes: Webtoon Hit Teenage Mercenary Heads to Anime
The globally beloved Webtoon series Teenage Mercenary by YC (story) and Rakyeon (art) is officially in development as a TV anime series, with Line Digital Frontier spearheading the adaptation. This marks a major milestone for the creators, who built the action-drama into a juggernaut with over 1.8 billion views across 10 languages. The story—about a battle-hardened child soldier turned high schooler—is ripe with emotional conflict, stylish combat, and serialized tension, all of which made it a top-ranked title on Japan’s Line Manga for two years running. Neither YC nor Rakyeon are repped in the U.S. yet, but with multiple anime deals in Webtoon’s pipeline (including Omniscient Reader with Aniplex and Crunchyroll), their scripts may soon draw the attention of global agencies.
Actionable for Screenwriters: Webtoon-originated properties are becoming prime IP for international adaptations, and animation is a gateway. If you’re writing action with emotional stakes and serialized momentum, consider building your story with a visual-first structure and concise, cliffhanger-driven episode arcs. Keep in mind: high-concept ideas that are easily translatable across cultures—like mercenary ethics in a teen setting—have an edge when aiming for the Webtoon-to-anime pipeline.
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◊Netflix Ventures Into the ‘Land of the Lost’ Once Again
Netflix is digging up the classic 1974 sci-fi adventure series Land of the Lost for a modern reboot, with the project currently in early development. Original co-creators Sid and Marty Krofft are attached as executive producers alongside Deanna Krofft Pope. The series is being produced by Legendary Television, but notably, no screenwriter has yet been hired. The reboot would mark the fourth incarnation of the cult favorite, following its original NBC run, a short-lived 1991 remake on ABC, and the 2009 Will Ferrell film version. The story, which follows a father and his kids trapped in a surreal world of dinosaurs and villainous lizard-creatures called Sleestaks, is expected to receive a fresh update in line with Netflix’s broader trend of reviving nostalgic properties like Lost in Space and One Day at a Time.
Advice for Screenwriters: If you’re interested in staffing or pitching for reboots, this is the window to keep an eye on. With no writer currently attached, the project is a prime example of how legacy IP is often optioned before a creative voice is in place. Familiarity with the original tone, ability to modernize serialized adventure, and crafting a family-friendly yet high-stakes world are likely to be key elements in getting in the room. If your sample includes genre-blending or reimaginings of classic IP, it may be time to dust it off.
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◊Wrestling with the Truth: Kayfabe Meets Character Drama in ‘Tuesday Night Titans’
Screenwriter Michael Notarile is stepping into the Netflix ring with Tuesday Night Titans, a drama set in the cutthroat world of professional wrestling. Notarile—best known for writing on WWE Monday Night RAW, The Cleaning Lady, and The Resident—brings firsthand wrestling experience and emotional authenticity to the story of a female writer who recruits her estranged childhood friend, now a down-and-out indie wrestler, to join the industry giant they once idolized. The series promises a layered look at friendship, betrayal, and the blurry lines between performance and reality. Notarile’s debut feature landed on the 2019 Black List, and he is repped by UTA, Kaplan Perrone, and Yorn Levine. His growing slate includes upcoming film work for Monarch Media and Netflix, as well as pilots for Amazon and NBC.
For screenwriters aiming to pitch original dramas, this is a textbook example of career leverage: Notarile took his insider access and reimagined it through a character-driven lens with stakes beyond the ring. His success shows the value of using industry-specific knowledge as a storytelling engine, especially when paired with high-profile producers like Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, Wicked) and Caitlin Foito through Electric Somewhere. If you’ve worked in a niche world—whether it’s sports, fashion, or tech—there’s potential to mine that for prestige TV by anchoring it in relationship-driven conflict.
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◊High Stakes and Higher Expectations: ‘Harold & Kumar’ Creators Reunite for Sequel at Lionsgate
Screenwriters Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald—best known today for creating Cobra Kai—are returning to the franchise that launched their careers: Harold & Kumar. The trio will write and direct a new installment for Lionsgate’s Mandate Pictures, marking their first Harold & Kumar script since 2008’s Escape from Guantanamo Bay. The original 2004 film, which Hurwitz and Schlossberg wrote, turned heads for centering Asian American leads in a mainstream R-rated comedy and has since become a cult classic.
The upcoming sequel—still untitled—will be produced by their Counterbalance Entertainment banner alongside Greg Shapiro (The Hurt Locker), who also produced the original trilogy. John Cho and Kal Penn are expected to reprise their roles, though no deals are yet confirmed. The filmmakers promise “smoke-filled chaos” and a passing of the blunt to a new generation, signaling the project will lean into generational comedy with returning fan-favorite characters.
For screenwriters, this announcement is a case study in IP resurrection with creative control. It’s rare to return to a breakout franchise two decades later with the same writing team and the directing reins. Their ability to evolve from raunchy buddy comedies to prestige Netflix dramedy (Cobra Kai was Emmy-nominated) proves the value of versatility. If you’re looking to leverage an older project, this move highlights the power of nostalgia—and having your original team intact when you reboot it.
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◊Christina Hodson Ignites New Firefighter Drama for Ron Howard
Screenwriter Christina Hodson (Bumblebee, Birds of Prey, The Flash) has landed a major feature at Amazon MGM with an original firefighter drama that reunites director Ron Howard with the flames he first tackled in 1991’s Backdraft. Glen Powell (Twisters, Hit Man) will star in the untitled film, based on Hodson’s pitch about two childhood friends turned elite firefighters who must face both blazing infernos and their fractured friendship during a deadly wildfire crisis in Texas.
Hodson, who’s known for blending genre thrills with emotional stakes, is writing the script and also serves as an executive producer. This marks another high-profile step in her growing filmography, moving her from franchise IP into original prestige territory. She is repped by CAA, Northstar, and attorney Jim Gilio.
Howard will direct and produce with Imagine Entertainment partners Brian Grazer and Jeb Brody. Powell produces alongside Dan Cohen for their Barnstorm banner. Given Powell’s involvement both in front of and behind the camera, and Hodson’s track record of character-driven spectacle, this film is expected to strike a balance between action and human drama—Amazon MGM’s current sweet spot.
Screenwriting takeaway: Hodson’s path shows how crafting high-concept, emotionally resonant original pitches—especially when paired with proven star power—can break through even in a franchise-heavy marketplace. Writers looking to sell specs should study her blend of genre momentum and relationship-driven storytelling, and her ability to pitch compelling original stories that feel both urgent and cinematic.
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◊A Full Boat and a Bigger Line: Carl Gottlieb on How Jaws Was Rewritten from the Inside Out
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/jaws-bigger-boat-quote-writer-872226/
Long before “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” became one of cinema’s most quoted lines, Carl Gottlieb was deep in the trenches rewriting Jaws—while literally living with Spielberg. Originally brought on to punch up the script just weeks before production began, Gottlieb didn’t just revise the screenplay; he also acted in the film and became a creative anchor during the chaotic shoot. A story editor on The Odd Couple at the time, he quit that steady gig to co-write Jaws, adapting Peter Benchley’s novel into what would become the first summer blockbuster. The iconic line, famously ad-libbed by Roy Scheider, originated as a crew joke about the production barge being too small—an offhand gripe that perfectly mirrored the narrative stakes. Gottlieb’s approach to rewriting wasn’t about cleverness for its own sake—it was about ground-level collaboration, shared quarters, and rewrites shaped in real-time by production limitations. For screenwriters today, it’s a reminder: the best lines often come from observing the chaos around you and trusting actors to deliver in the moment. And yes—sometimes the best rewrite starts with moving in.
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◊Enter the Dragon… 2.0: China’s AI Remake Wave Targets Kung Fu Legends
China has launched a sweeping AI initiative to “revitalize” 100 martial arts films, including Fist of Fury, Drunken Master, and Once Upon a Time in China. Dubbed the “Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project 100 Classics AI Revitalization Project,” the effort will use artificial intelligence to reimagine visual and audio elements while keeping original storylines intact. The initiative is backed by government agencies and major studios like Shanghai Canxing Culture and Quantum Animation, signaling a formal embrace of AI-generated content at scale.
Though no screenwriters have been publicly attached, the move presents an urgent issue for writers working in legacy IP: studios in China are skipping traditional development pipelines, opting instead for AI to “enhance” existing screenplays without fresh human input. That raises serious questions about authorship, credit, and residuals—particularly for any original screenwriters or estates involved.
For screenwriters navigating an evolving international market, this is a wake-up call: maintain visibility in contract negotiations about future uses, particularly regarding remakes, animation rights, and AI training. Writers with credits in classic or genre films should pay close attention to how their work is being re-used—and whether AI adaptation clauses are creeping into global co-productions.
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