FIlm Agents - Yay or Nay?

Question of the day: I have often thought that my story/book would make a great movie (especially for Lifetime!), and my question to you is when it comes to books that are made into movies does that come about from your agent shopping the book around to film agents or you wait and see if interest comes to you?

While I don't have any concrete figures, I would say that 99.9% of the time, of books that actually get made, a film agent has shopped it around. Let's rewind a bit to discuss why.

I've said here before, but I'll say it again because I think I have a lot of new readers: getting your book published is a very, very difficult task. Getting it made into a movie makes getting your book published almost easy. In order for it to hit your local cineplex, an almost serendipitous stream of events have to occur. Including (but not limited to): 1) a film agent has to agree to take it on. So after finding a book agent, you now have to be vetted even further...these agents take on even fewer project than lit agents, AND there are fewer of them out there, so...the odds are small. 2) A producer (or director or some sort of behind-the-scenes figure) has to want to option it. 3) A studio has to agree to give this producer money. 4) A script has to be developed that all parties agree on. 5) The studio/producers has to decide that despite steps 1-4, it is still worth their time to pay everyone involved their big payouts by greenlighting the project. 6) You have to overcome a wide variety of snafus throughout the process (including but not limited to: weak scripts, temperamental directors, temperamental actors, temperamental producers, studio bankruptcy, etc, etc, etc.)

Phew! And those are seriously just SOME of the steps that come to mind. There are about a dozen others.

Film agents, like book agents, act as a filter between authors and producers/studios. The best agents (and I count mine among them - I'm very fortunate to have her), have relationships with producers, studios, directors, etc, and know what they're looking for, in the same way that lit agents have relationships with editors. Sure, of course, someone could read your book and contact you and want to option the rights. Definitely. But the odds that they'd have all of the other linchpins in place to actually get the movie made? Probably not high. I'm not suggesting that Steven Spielberg doesn't read books and contact authors - he might (though again, I'm guessing it's not his standard way of finding material - he has a team, I'm sure, who is always actively looking), but this route is sort of climbing up and over a mountain when there is a tunnel that offers direct access. But yeah, that tunnel has a pricey toll and doesn't allow everyone to pass through.

Sorry for the bad analogy. Anyway, I wish that I had other news; I wish I could say, yes, I know a dozen writers who have been contacted by legitimate producers who have then not only paid them fairly (I'm not talking about these ridiculous options for basically no money) but have gone on to get the movie made...but I can't. In fact, I know very few writers who have sold movie rights to begin with. Some, sure, but most? No.

But readers, correct me if I'm wrong. What say you? Possible to get your movie adapted without a film agent?

Scrapping the Screenwriting

Question of the day: Why didn't you try to be the screenwriter for Time of My Life? Do you care that someone else is writing it?

I get asked this question a lot, and to begin with, I didn't even entertain the idea of adapting TOML. For a few reasons: 1) I had no idea how to write a screenplay. I'm sure I could have learned, but at the time, it felt like selling the book was enough. 2) The various producers who were looking into acquiring the project weren't interested in using me, or so I assume. Producers like to vet their own "talent," work with people who have reputations or experience they're aware of, and I totally respect and understand that. And 3) the stakes were just too high. Selling this project and getting it made mattered to me personally but also, let's be honest, mattered (and matters) to my career. I didn't want to mess around by either not landing the producers we wanted or producing a screenplay that wasn't up to par. It was just too important that everything came together seamlessly, more important (to me) than writing the script.

So I guess, to answer the latter question, I don't care AT ALL that someone else is drafting it. To begin with, I totally trust the producers - I met with them several times, and my vision is very cohesive with their vision. But, that said, even if it weren't, it's a win for me to get this made, period. Even if the movie were total crap (which I don't expect it to be), that's no reflection on the original book. The book stands as it is. THAT was my work. The rest is gravy. A bad movie still sells more copies, a bad movie still raises awareness of the book. Beyond that...I don't feel any real ownership. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love this book, and I love the characters, but whether or not they're perfectly translated on screen...well, I have other things to worry about. (Really, I do!) I mean, sure, are there some actors who I might not want playing these roles? Well, yeah! But the fact that ANY actors are playing them is enough for me.

For now.

For the next book, if we're lucky enough to sell it, yeah, I might be interested in tackling that script. But I'm at a different point in my career than I was when we sold TOML, and I feel more confident with that challenge. And if they opt for someone else? That will likely be okay with me too. The good news is, is that by then, I'll hopefully have moved on to my next book, and with that one, there's always more possibility for another movie and another challenge and another option to write a screenplay...not to mention new characters who promptly make me forget the old ones.

Would you guys be okay letting your work fall into someone else's hands or do you think you'd be concerned over the implications?

And, Finally, Variety!

So it doesn't say too, too much new stuff re: the film deal, but it's still pretty cool to be on the top stories of today's Variety.

This is my last post about this, I promise! (Other than updates as to what is going on, progress, casting, etc, if things move ahead as hoped.)

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987102.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

And, in back to reality news, I'm getting cracking on the next book today. Yikes. I've been feeling a bit paralyzed with my writing: Time of My Life has been so well-received that I've been struggling to come up with that "great hook" that everyone has been singing about in TOML. It might sound weird, but it sort of has me frozen - feeling like I might not be able to top this book. Not in terms of writing quality, because I'll always push myself to be better, but in concept...because I've learned that concept is king when it comes to enthusiasm from your publisher, reviewers, booksellers, etc.

But my agent suggested that I revisit the book that I wrote in between TOML and TDLF - that there were some really good ideas there and some good writing, even if it wasn't super-high concept, so I'm going to start rereading today and see what I can pluck out of there and make it a little more hooky. (Is hooky a word? Does it sound like my book is prostituting itself? Hmmm, must rethink that.) :) It's sort of like remodeling a house: I'll pull what I like, ditch what I don't, and hopefully come out with a much better product. But it also might turn into a never-ending remodeling project that ends with my head exploding. We'll see.

So that's where I am. We'll see how it goes. I'm a little distracted with all this other stuff, but do need to get cracking. I'd like to have my next book nearly done by the time TOML comes out in October. I'll keep you posted on my progress and maybe we'll do a little writing challenge with blog readers.

Anyone else out there working on a work-in-progress?

Knowing My Strengths

Question of the week: Did you ever consider writing the screenplay yourself? I've been in similar shoes and instead of selling the rights to a production (albeit MUCH smaller than yours), I asked to take a stab at the screenplay myself. I've submitted one draft, received feedback and am now on round three or four. And yes, there are many days when I kick myself for not just selling the rights!

I didn't, not for one second, consider writing the screenplay myself. Which, I guess, might seem a little crazy. As my wise friend Laura Dave once said to me, "We really need to figure out how to write screenplays because that's where the money is!" Ha! And she's right, of course. You'll earn a lot more money on the deal terms if you adapt your own book, not to mention probably have a truer version (in most cases) of the adaptation.

But, eh, you know what? I just don't have any idea how to write a screenplay, and learning seems...daunting. I'm sure that I could read a few books and probably eke one out, but in many ways, I think I'm better off handing this over to someone who really rocks at creating a cinematic vision rather than pull together a scrappy version of what I might come up with. Another concern is that in some ways, I might be too close to this material. Obviously, not all aspects of a book can be included in the movie version, and what if I wanted to include certain aspects that are close to my heart but might not translate well on-screen? I'm not sure that I could toe that line. And since I've already written the best dialogue that I know how to come out of these characters' mouths, I also imagine I might have a hard time coming up with fresher, more movie-worthy chatter.

I dunno. It just seems hard. Writing a book is hard enough! Do I really need that challenge? :) One thing that I would certainly be open to is co-writing the screenplay alongside a pro, but since no one asked me, I guess that's not in the cards! Ha!

You know, maybe this sounds trite, but I'm really okay with passing it off to someone. I truly trust the producers on this project so much that I know that they'll put the material in good hands. Qualified hands. Which is more than I think I would be.

But readers, chime in - would you rather have a pro take a crack at your adaptation or do it yourself? Any personal experience with this?

Casting Call

Hee - I love how so many Ask Allison readers think exactly like I do: namely, they can't wait to cast their own novels and can't wait to hear how I'd like cast mine!

I should preface this post by saying that frankly, I'd be thrilled if anyone whose name I'd ever heard of would agree to be in an adaptation of my book. And I mean that. I also fully recognize that once you sign the rights away to your book and cash the check, you really lose all say. As I mentioned, I'm fortunate enough that the producers asked my opinion, and we were all on the same page, but still...if someone I never imagined as a character is cast...well, really, I won't complain. It falls under the category of "high class problem." And I try not to worry too much about those. I'm also not a casting director, who can see things in actors that I certainly can't.

But that doesn't mean I won't try!

So...answering your questions about how I would cast the movie is a little difficult because everything about this movie hinges around Jillian, the protagonist - different actresses would need different supporting players, and oddly enough, when I was writing the book, I never even pictured whom these actors would be. With The Department, I definitely did, but ironically enough, with this one...nope.

That said, as you guys know, I'm a devout Felicity fanatic, so I would absolutely squee to high heaven if we landed Keri Russell. In fact, I thought her final six episodes of the series, in which she goes back in time, were sheer perfection: her acting didn't get better than that, and she will forever have my girl-love for that (and the four seasons before that).

But certainly, there are other fabulous choices. The tricky part of this character is that she has to be both 27 and 34, and while that doesn't seem like THAT big a difference, it can be...and some wonderful actresses who can play 34 wouldn't be believable as 27, and vice versa. Jillian is this superficially perfect, desperately unhappy housewife who transforms herself into a breezier but still haunted 27 year old when she flashes backward. A few who I think could do it? Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner, Amy Adams, Rachel McAdams, Reese Witherspoon...who else? Chime in.

The other roles, as I said, all revolve around Jillian. Jack, her boyfriend in 2000, is that guy who so many of us dated at some point in our 20s: so close to what we think we need, sexy, kind, but maybe lacking that quality that we don't even realize we need. In the book, he's her escape (literally), and he's a good guy who doesn't quite have his world figured out, but who is good-looking enough (and sexy enough) to dupe others into ignoring that fact. If it weren't a full-out Felicity reunion, I'd be delighted with Scott Speedman. :) Robert Buckley, who is a hot piece of eye-candy on Lipstick Jungle would work. Ah, if only Timothy Olyphant were a bit younger, he'd be perfect because that man is the embodiment of sexy. (Though if they went with a slightly older actress, maybe he could work.) This is a toughie. Suggestions? This is why I'm not a casting director: I would just cast everyone from Felicity over and over again.

Henry, Jillian's husband when she's 34, is a classically handsome, straighter-laced kind of guy who has a quiet confidence about him that comforts and supports her. He's both her calming influence and also what undoes her: he's linear and rational, and gives her what she needs while simultaneously ignoring what she needs entirely. Again, casting the guys is so tough and so different for each potential-Jillian. But, I dunno, James Marsden? Patrick Wilson? Mark Ruffalo? Ben Affleck? Michael Vartan? Again, suggestions?

Jillian's boss is a 39-year old who has devoted her life to her work at the peril of her family (and because she has to be the primary bread-winner), and is sharply funny and sadly regretful. I'd love to see Catherine Keener, Laura Linney...anyone in that vein who can bring both snark and pathos to a character. There are SO MANY good actresses out there for this part.

Ditto Jillian's mom, who at about 55, has led a life of regret but also lived life to its fullest - leaving behind her family to find what she thinks is her true self. This role is entirely based on Jillian, so I can't even speculate.

Finally, the only person in the entire book about whom I DO have a clear vision is Jillian's dad, who has a gentle humor and a tender, wistful air about him, and for that, I think Jeff Bridges would be perfect.

But, as you can see, I'm game for just about any and every variation. As I said, I would be so flattered that any actor would even consider lending his or her time to this project that I really don't care so much!

But play along with me: which actors or actresses spring to mind when I describe the above roles? Jillian? Sexy, fun-loving Jack? Hard-working, but kind Henry? Lemme know!

The Next Steps

So more on film talk, since I got a lot of emails with questions and comments about the deal...which I think will be mentioned today or tomorrow in the trades. I'll post when/if I see some info.

A lot of people, I think, don't realize that while getting your film optioned is AMAZING, it is definitely NOT a guarantee that it will get made. What happens is this: a studio or production company buys the "option" to pursue the opportunity to develop your book for a designated amount of time, usually, in the case of film, 18 months. The very large majority of these options go nowhere. And I absolutely must and do keep this in mind. Someone on Backspace posted that she thought the percentage that actually get made is somewhere between 1% (if it's optioned by a production company that isn't attached to a studio) and 5% (if it's optioned with a studio deal). So, those are pretty sobering statistics.

That said, I have all sorts of reasons for being optimistic about this particular project moving ahead, not least that they are very, very actively looking to attach actors, writers, etc. Thus, they are moving forward, and hey, sometimes these projects do get made, and why shouldn't it be mine? This, coupled with a few other factors, has me feeling pretty good about where things stand right now.

But even so, even if it never gets made, I won't be disappointed. Here's why: in my opinion, this is a win-win situation. Not only do I get a very nice-sized check for doing absolutely nothing other than writing a book that I'd already written (and been paid for), but this announcement helps generate more buzz for the yet-to-be-released novel, which means that the sales teams, the foreign rights team, the marketing team, the PR team, the magazines who are reading galleys, etc, all take a little more interest in the book and might, just might, give it more promotion/review space/attention/bigger print run. I really can't lose, here.

So yes, I am feeling good about the chances of eventually seeing Time of My Life with a big old bucket of popcorn on my lap, but even if I don't, I can't say that I won't have won.

Tomorrow: we'll talk casting. :) (For all of you who have written to ask about my dream cast!)

The Big, BIG News: Part Two

Okay, so picking up where we left off:

Production companies and studios were interested but...THE STRIKE. Also, I'd met with the wonderful Meryl Poster (and fortunately had googled her enough to know about her projects but not TOO much so I knew about what a VIP she is, or else I really would have freaked out...that googling came after the meeting - fortuitous, really), but regardless, everything in Hollywood was on hold.

So when the strike finally came to an end (hurrah!), my agent and I got on the horn with our film agent and said, "What now?" She decided to take the project back to the main parties who expressed the most interest pre-strike. She also sent me a note and asked if I'd go back in and chat with Meryl again. Um. Of course!

So I whisked off my sweat pants and put on something slightly more acceptable and headed down for another fab and fun pow-wow with Meryl and her (wonderful!) #2, Kate. We gabbed about my dream cast, what came next and all of that. We were concerned that since the studios had stocked up on scripts pre-strike, that they might not take another look at this unless we attached an actress and/or a screen-writer. (FYI: when I say "attach," that's really just H-wood speak for someone who signs on to the project. I.e. if Reese Witherspoon "attaches" herself to an adaptation, it gives the studio a lot more confidence that the project will actually get done, as opposed to flopping around in development and going nowhere.)

The next day or so, my film agent calls me and says, "We can do a few things: 1) we can keep shopping it around to folks who might be interested or 2) Meryl and her team have asked for an exclusive for two months to see if they can get this done. It's your call."

I thought about it for about five minutes and made the obvious decision: here was a producer who had taken the time to LISTEN to me and my ideas, who I genuinely liked and who really had a deep, deep understanding of the book and its themes. Why wouldn't I entrust her with this for a few months, give her the shot to demonstrate how much she's invested in the project and ultimately, also prove to her how much I trust her?

So we gave them two months. About a month later, I get a call from my lit-agent saying, really, more squeeing, that we're expecting an offer from The Weinstein Company! This was huge news because, beyond the obvious, Meryl was once Harvey Weinstein's right-hand gal, and the fact that they were reteaming on something meant they really wanted to get this done.

So I squeeed and squeeed and waited by my email for more details...and waited....and waited....and finally, like a week and a half later or something, we got the offer. I jumped up and down and squeeed some more and would have immediately accepted (because I am a writer, not an agent) but my agent is savvier than I am and prepared a counter-offer. (See, this is why agents are good things. Very good things. Because I would have squeeed forever and happily cashed whatever sum of money they shoved at me and called it a day.)

We counter-offered. And then...radio-silence. For-evah. Like, for weeks. I was dying. Agonizing. Every day between the hours of 1-5pm (the cross-over hours between my agent in LA and The Weinstein Co in NYC), I'd have to madly distract myself from hoping for an email or a phone call. Eventually, it got to the point where even that proved boring, and I frankly forgot about it. In the way that you can forget about these things: and by that I mean, I resigned myself to the fact that obsessing over my email for four hours a day couldn't be healthy since God knows when I was finally going to hear.

But...eventually...hear I did! We got their counter! By this point, the galleys were out in the world, and I knew that this announcement could really help bolster the pre-buzz and press coverage of the book. My agent said that we could counter again, but I had to weigh what was more important: adding a bit to my bank account or doing what was best for the book - getting this news out so that people really took an interest in it four months before the release. Because waiting another month for more negotiations could be detrimental to the books success.

So I said, "Please, let's be done! Let's be happy with this incredible good fortune and now go sell the hell out of this book." So we did. And I'm thrilled. After such a long process, I'd grown a little numb to the excitement of what's actually happening, but now, with this news out in the world and the excitement that you guys and everyone else is sending back to me, well, damn if I'm not on top of the world again! Just like the day I first heard the news.

So - one last time: SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Next week: the official press release and more film stuff. This is a great time to post film questions since we're on the subject, and I'll do my best to answer them. I should also say that this is solely my experience - I'm sure that other film deals have varied wildly and this isn't necessarily representative of what always goes down. Just as a disclaimer...

At Long Last - the Big, BIG News!

So, it's been many, many months in coming but I am THRILLED to finally be able to announce the film deal for TIME OF MY LIFE! I cannot express how excited I am by this, not just because of the sale, but because I've been personally involved in the process and feel confident and comfortable with the team behind it.

First, here are some details: the book has been sold to The Weinstein Company, on behalf of Meryl Poster, the former co-president of Miramax, who has produced, among others, Chicago, Chocolat and The Cider House Rules. (Not bad company to keep!) At one point along the way, I was even told that "Harvey loves it." Squeee! My husband and I did a total double-take at each other when we read that email because...uh...like...how is that even possible???

Okay, so, I know that there is a lot of curiosity about how books get made into films, so I'm going to break down the process and what happened as much as I can remember. This has been in the pipeline for about seven months, so I'm sure that I'm forgetting a few details.

The first thing that happened: as soon as we sold the book to Shaye Areheart Books/Random House, my literary agent sent it to my now-film agent. Getting a film agent involves much the same process as getting a lit agent: he or she has to fall in love with the book and believe that it can SELL. So my now film-agent believed in it, and after I'd finished polishing the draft, she went out to the production companies/studios that she thought were the best fit. Again, this is much like your lit agent goes out to the best editors/pub houses that would work best for your book.

We had some interest. Strong interest from more than one production company. BUT. The strike loomed large. What happens when there isn't a strike is this: the production company often (but not always) has a deal with a studio. So, XYZ Films might want to option a manuscript but if they don't want to front their own money, they take the manuscript to, say, Paramount (if that's who their deal is with) and attempt to get them to pay for it. So...several weeks before (or a week before, I can't really remember) the strike deadline, these production companies take it to the studios, all of whom firmly aren't buying. Not because of the material - this is emphasized - but because, they're not buying squat a week before their writers are set to strike.

Oh, I forgot: I need to back up. When these production companies were interested, my agent called and asked if I'd take a meeting with one who was here in NYC. "Of course!" I said, figuring that my agent would go with me and hold my hand through the process. When she told me that I was going alone, I freaked. But I must have freaked internally because evidently, that producer is now my producer - Meryl Poster. The meeting was AMAZING. We talked about who we envisioned in the parts, we talked about the themes of the book and why they resonated with all of us...basically, we talked for two hours or so, and all involved felt like, "Wow, this could really be something great if it could get done." And it was truly incredible how much our visions meshed. I understood, of course, that once you sell the film rights, for all intents and purposes, you also relinquish your involvement/control, but I never once felt that Meryl wouldn't be interested in hearing from me. And so, I left her office feeling like a pretty lucky girl.

Only. Yes. The strike. No one was buying, and so, despite all of this momentum and enthusiasm, I was back to square one. No one was buying, and any plans/excitement/relationship-building was put on hold.

Tomorrow....more details. (Yes, I'm a tease, but to be honest, I'm also exhausted and can't type anymore!! Despite this glamorous news, my son failed to get the memo about his mommy and was up all last night puking...proving that truly, life goes on!) So check back tomorrow for more...

On the Silver Screen

So this weekend, I caught Little Children on one of the movie channels and was really drawn into it. I LOVED this book, so was unsure about a film adaptation, but I thought it was really well-done, if not more bleak than the actual book. I guess it shouldn't be that surprising since Tom Perrotta co-wrote the screenplay, which had to help ensure authenticity.

It's amazing how many books-to-film are popping up these days, especially knowing how difficult it is to actually get a movie made, much less book rights sold, adapted, actors/directors/writers-signed on, etc. And with the writers' strike, these days, nothing is getting bought or sold.

But this season, there are loads of film adaptations popping up on screen. Some are highly praised - Atonement, which I haven't yet seen but people are saying is very good, and ditto Charlie Wilson's War; some are middling - The Golden Compass, which, again, I also haven't seen; and some are just abysmal - P.S. I Love You, which, given the reviews, you couldn't pay me to see. Incidentally, I just bought that book in hopes of reading it before the movie came out (this was before the horrible reviews), and I just couldn't get into it. Which goes to show that reading is so subjective because it was a huge best-seller but just wasn't for me. Go figure.

So, have you seen any of the above adaptations? What are your favorite book adaptations and what were the worst ones you've seen in recent memory?

Getting a Feel for Film Rights

Can you discuss how film rights work? Do you have a different agent who handles them? What are the chances that film rights sell?

Ah, film rights, the ultimate dream of most writers out there. (Until they wreck your vision of it by casting Colin Farrell when you were more thinking Tom Hanks.)

Film rights are tough on several counts: 1) they're not always an easy sell. We have some things in the work for TDLF - and we've had some other things in the work for a looooong time - and who knows what will pan out. You can't pin your hopes on selling film rights. (If and when something pans out for me, you guys will be the first, well, the second after my husband, to know.) 2) Even if you sell those rights - usually in an option format, meaning they "option" the rights to your book for a certain amount of time but aren't under any obligation to actually make the film - there's still a slim chance that you'll ever see your work on the silver screen. Why that is, I'm not entirely sure, but I'm guessing that studios and production companies don't mind shelling out money to retain the possibility that they might want to make the movie, but when push comes to shove, they don't want to shell out to make the actual movie. And there are a variety of factors that go into this: landing the right actors, whether or not your demographic will show up at the theaters, whether or not execs think the story will sell, etc.

As far as agents, no, I don't have a separate agent who handles film rights, but MY agent has an agent who handles film rights. How it works is this: film agents can pick and choose which projects they want to represent, much like a literary agent can. Only this time, I'm not the one shopping the book, my agent is. So she farms it out to film agents she thinks are good matches, and then it's in their hands as to whether they say yes or no. My agent does deal with production companies more directly, however. They come to her and say, "Hey, I'm interested in TDLF; can you send it my way?," and she does.

So that's how it all works. Questions? Thoughts? Something I left out?