| Photograph: Derek Dolechek |
If you haven’t already heard Anna Klassen’s name, you’re bound to soon, the 29-year-old is surging through the ranks in Hollywood. Most recently, Klassen was tapped to collaborate and write the feature A Time Lost for actress Millie Bobby Brown, who’s best known for her role as Eleven on Stranger Things.
But the road to success wasn’t straightforward and, for most of her life, Klassen didn’t realize screenwriting was a feasible reality.
Klassen grew up in Eugene, Oregon, about two hours south of Portland. Eugene is well known for its parks and recreation, hiking and outdoor activities; but it’s also known for consistent rain. For a young Klassen, when she couldn’t play outside because of the weather, she often found herself immersed in TV and film, eventually making her own movies.
“I grew up being obsessed with cinema. Since grade school, I spent every spare moment making my own movies with my parents’ huge, outdated Panasonic camcorder,” Klassen says. “I would shoot videos with friends and my brothers, or whoever would make movies with me. It continued through middle school.”
But when Klassen got to high school, her obsession with film wasn’t exactly revered by her classmates. It didn’t seem attainable; possibly, even, an “ill-advised goal.” She decided to alter directions. To stay close to filmmaking, but in a way that seemed more realistic, Klassen took up journalism. She wrote about movies as entertainment editor of her high school paper, and then enrolled at the University of Oregon, where she became the editor-in-chief for their magazine. Naturally, Klassen majored in journalism, and after university, she made the leap to Los Angeles to begin a career as a film journalist.
“My want to create films themselves was never sated,” Klassen says. “I was adjacent to the world, but not in it. So, I started writing scripts on nights and weekends.”
With no educational or professional screenwriting or film background, Klassen began teaching herself the art of screenwriting. She read dozens of books and scripts, listened to podcasts, and reached out to mentors and friends in the business to help her along.
“While my first script was far from something I was proud of, I had a blast writing it,” Klassen explains. “So, I continued writing in my free time and eventually won a few contests, a fellowship, and had a script on The Black List. I got a manager and agents, and was soon taking a million general meetings, as well as meetings about specific projects.”
In December 2017, Klassen left her steady job as west coast entertainment editor for Bustle.com to embark on her career as a professional screenwriter. It wasn’t an easy move; Klassen spent months unemployed, wallowing in self-doubt. But it was also an uncomplicated decision for Klassen, who finally felt like she was living her truth.
“My career in journalism has probably prepared me best,” Klassen says. “Working under a deadline, working with other creative voices, learning to take notes, etc., has been crucial to any success I've had as a screenwriter.”
Klassen’s success is undeniable. In late 2018, she was hired to write Dorothy and Alice, a Netflix feature about Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz and Alice from Alice In Wonderland coming together in the same universe. In that same year, Klassen heard a well-known actress was interested in meeting.
“About a year ago, my agents told me that Millie Bobby Brown had read my J.K. Rowling biopic, When Lightning Strikes, and really enjoyed it. She had an idea for a movie that Netflix was attached to make. She told me about the idea and I spent a few weeks fleshing it out and coming up with my take.”
Eventually, Klassen would find herself in a Netflix room with Bobby Brown, pitching her idea.
“She loved it, and said she'd be thrilled for me to write the script,” Klassen recalls. In August 2019, the deal and paperwork were signed and Klassen began writing A Time Lost, a drama and original film by Bobby Brown and her sister, Paige Brown. The story is about a long-standing feud between two Long Island families coming to a head when one of their teenage daughters is diagnosed with cancer.
“I was incredibly excited and thankful,” Klassen says. “I'm such a fan of Millie's and to be able to write a movie specifically for her is a dream.”
So, what is Klassen’s writing process like?
“When I'm on assignment, I tend to write very quickly. I make a detailed outline of every scene, sometimes including bits of dialogue, then rip through a vomit draft before spending the majority of my time revising,” Klassen explains.
“The first draft is easy. Rewriting is hell. So, I try to get the first draft out fast so that I have plenty of time to tweak the script into something I'm happy with.”
Klassen has already finished her first draft of A Time Lost, a feat to be proud of as she works tirelessly to make the Stranger Things actress’ vision come to life. She says she’s excited to write a movie with a high school aged protagonist in this ‘coming of age’ film.
“Millie is incredibly intelligent, funny, thoughtful and grounded. She has a ton of smart ideas and is very collaborative,” Klassen says. “Millie has a wide range as an actor, and I'm excited to write her a role that showcases her skills.”
Besides writing the feature, Klassen is keeping busy. She recently set up a horror film at a production company that can’t be named just yet. Ultimately, she hopes to find herself writing more genre, thrillers and horror.
“Dark, elevated horror is undoubtedly my sweet spot and what I'd love to do more of,” Klassen says.
There is no set time frame for when A Time Lost will be released, so keep your eyes peeled for future updates about the feature that’s being called a ‘tear jerker.’