Is Netflix going to be around in five years? SNL just made fun of them this weekend for making way too much content (I like the bit about the show that only has one known viewer – “Kennymeade Depot” – and how the title actually sounds like one of those real Netflix shows you never watch). However, there’s a very specific reason why they’re doing this. Netflix was built on a foundation of renting out OTHER PEOPLES’ content. Over 80% of their content is not theirs. Imagine if that all disappeared one day? If the studios ever found their balls, they could do that. And then Netflix would only have Netflix content. And what is Netflix content? It’s a bunch of garbage movies with a few good TV shows. That’s why they’re creating content at a breakneck pace. They’re doing the streaming version of “prepping.” They need to have something to scroll through once the Disney streaming armageddon debuts in 9 months. With Warner Brothers not far behind.
Ironically, I’ve seen some pretty cool stuff on Netflix these last couple of weeks. Ballad of Buster Scruggs, which I reviewed last week, was amazing. I also saw this movie, “Cam,” about a webcam girl who starts seeing her doppelgänger on a cam feed. The doppelgänger conceit always starts strong and ends weak, as writers struggle to explain what’s going on (they never know and are therefore writing themselves out of a corner the entire third act). Cam runs into some similar problems, but it manages to keep the tension throughout. I was pleasantly surprised. I also saw the first episode of Bodyguard, about a war vet tasked to protect a political figure whose views he doesn’t believe in. The first episode was awesome. It’s also a great reminder to start your script with a scene that makes it impossible for the reader to put it down. I always tell you guys that and get asked, “What do you mean?” This scene is what I mean. Check it out and you’ll understand where the bar is.
But yeah, Disney’s IP is terrifying. They’ve got Star Wars, Marvel, and 80 years of animation movies to make, re-make, reboot, and build off of. Netflix’s IP is… Bright? I guess Stranger Things as well. I’m not sure if Stranger Things is scaleable though. Netflix does have some interesting projects in development such as The Umbrella Company, The Magic Order (Mark Millar), Ratched (prequel to Cuckoo’s Nest), Locke and Key, The Dark Crystal, and the biggest project of all, The Irishman (which, in the process of de-aging its stars for the flashback scenes, seems keen on testing just how limitless that Netflix bank account is). What do you guys think? Will Netflix survive the next stage of streaming wars? I honestly don’t know.
As for the real world of movies, I’m only looking forward to one film in the final month of 2018, and that would be Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. Not only because I heard it was great. But should this movie do well, it will be another major strike against Lucasfilm head, Kathleen Kennedy, since the writers of the film, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, are the directors she fired off Solo. And if they can make a premise as wacky as this work, their version of Solo, no matter how weird, was likely a thousand times better than middle-of-the-road Ron Howard’s version.
While I’m not exactly jonzeing to see Aquaman, I’m hoping to be surprised. James Wan has a special talent for elevating material that you wouldn’t suspect would be any good. And the movie does look fun. I’m afraid Bumblebee’s going to get lost in the holiday jumble for me and I’ll be waiting for digital. I don’t know what to make of Mary Poppins Returns. I love Emily Blunt but this one may be skewing too young for me. Oh, I almost forgot. There’s one more movie coming out on Netflix December 14th. Bird Box! I loved that script. But it’s funny how now it’s going to be looked at as A Quiet Place ripoff, despite the fact that it was written before that film. Still. Who doesn’t like them some Sandy Bullock, the nicest woman in Hollywood? I’ll be checking that out for sure. Am I missing anything? Let me know in the comments.
SCRIPTSHADOW DECEMBER SCHEDULE
Okay, here’s the schedule for December. Pay attention because there are a lot of things going on, particularly with the release of the two major “Best Of” screenwriting lists (The Hit List and the Black List). Usually, the Black List likes to release their list on the 13th. But they also tend do it on a Monday. The 13th is on a Thursday so I suspect they’ll release the list on the 10th. If they decide to wait an extra week, the dates below will change to reflect that. Ditto with The Hit List. They like to get their list out a couple of weeks before the Black List. So they may come out with it today. If they wait another week, the review dates below will reflect that.
Another important date to note: Thursday, December 13th! That’s the due date for the ALL Holiday-Themed Amateur Offerings. If your script’s got even a sideways glance at a holiday angle (Santa Clause, Rudolph, Frosty, Hanukkah, a haunted stocking, a suicidal teenager with a candy cane addiction), send it to carsonreeves3@gmail.com. Include the title, genre, logline, why we should read it, along with a PDF of the script. I’ll be Ho-Ho-Ho’ing a review of the winner on Friday, December 21st.
You’ll also want to tune in on Friday, December 14, as I’ll be listing my 10 favorite amateur scripts of the year. That should be a fun conversation. And, finally, you’ll want to get as much Scriptshadow in as possible, since I’ll be heading away on a Scriptshadow winter wonderland Staycation during the last week of December. But don’t worry. I have something for you to do in the meantime. Read on to find out what it is.
Tuesday December 4 – #1 Hit List script review
Wednesday December 5 – #2 Hit List script review
Tuesday December 11 – #1 Black List script review
Wednesday December 12 – #2 Black List script review
Thursday December 13 – My Top 10 favorite scripts of the year
Thursday December 13 – All Holiday Amateur Scripts Due!
Friday, December 14 – My Top 10 favorite AMATEUR scripts of the year
Monday December 17 – Review: Spiderman Into the Spiderverse
Tuesday December 18 – A 2018 Hit List or Black List script review
Wednesday December 19 – A 2018 Hit List or Black List script review
Thursday December 20 – My 10 favorite movies of the year
Friday December 21 – Review the winner of the Holiday Amateur Offerings
Saturday December 22 – A rare Saturday movie review: Aquaman
Sunday December 23 – Tuesday January 1 — I will be on winter vacation. So no Scriptshadow posts. :(
Sunday December 23 – Tuesday January 1 – Because there will be no Scriptshadow, I’m challenging you with The Unofficial Holiday Scriptshadow Write-A-Script Jamboree. You have 10 days to write a script. That’s only 10 pages per day. That’s easy! Start outlining now so you don’t have any excuses. :)
