Mickey 17 for the win!
Unfortunately, I’ve got too much work on my plate and, therefore, cannot write up a script review today. But I wanted to leave you with a brief reminder about the most important thing in screenwriting.
Have any idea what it is?
It’s CONCEPT.
And Mickey 17 is proof of that.
Hold up, many of you are saying, Mickey 17 just bombed at the box office. Why would this movie be proof of anything positive?
Are you ready for this?
I’m about to blow your mind.
The fact that it bombed is exactly why concept is so important in screenwriting (I know this was originally a novel but it was essentially written as a vehicle to get a movie adaptation, aka a screenplay).
You see, the most important component to making a studio movie (and even most indie movies) is POTENTIAL. Does the film have a shot at grabbing a huge paying audience? If the answer is yes, a script/novel/treatment/pitch will move up the ladder.
What’s the most proven way to create something with potential? A big concept. And Mickey 17 is a big concept. Nobody can argue that. Studio execs are willing to fall on these swords if they’re big ideas. Because it means they were gunning for the right thing – a movie that makes money.
When they get in trouble is when they push movies without clear concepts (or low concepts) and they bomb. Stuff like Megalopolis, Babylon, and Beau is Afraid. Greenlighting those movies will get you fired.
But people WILL READ SOMETHING LIKE MICKEY 17 because when they hear that concept, they know it has potential. They also know that high concept material doesn’t need to be perfectly executed to perform well. Say hello to M3GAN or Us.
Always come up with the best and biggest concept you can. If you do that, you have a fighting chance as a screenwriter. If you don’t, breaking into this profession is nearly impossible.
