Saw Jessica Chastain’s new film Miss Sloane tonight, followed by a Jeff Goldsmith Q&A with the writer, Jonathan Perera.
- He taught himself to write after reading Story by Robert McKee.
- He saw an interview on TV and was inspired to write his first ‘practice script’ about a lobbyist.
- He heavily outlined the story, framed by a trial sequence, then flashing back.
- He finished the script, then spent several months looking for other ideas.
- He saw in Variety that the Weinsteins were looking to do a similar themed film with Meryl Streep.
- He pulled up the latest Blacklist list and cold emailed queries to 5 managers.
- Two responded with a read request.
- He sent it to them without doing a rewrite or polish. Again, this is the first script he ever wrote.
- One of them emailed him back 3 weeks later, asking to meet.
- He then revealed to the manager that he was a Brit, living and teaching in Shanghai.
- They Skyped. He was signed. The manager then got him repped by UTA.
- They sent the script that appeared to be 123 pages, but was really closer to 144 (he screwed with the margins in FD) to Patrick Chu at FilmNation.
- FilmNation optioned the script and asked him to meet the director they thought would be best, Oscar-nominated John Madden.
- They did rewrites for about a week. Another writer was never brought on to the project.
- Jessica Chastain signed on.
- The script placed on the 2015 Blcklst.
- At the Toronto Film Festival, they got distribution.
- It releases later this month.
- He is developing a pilot and has two studio writing assignments.
- He still lives in Shanghai.