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Write On: 'Apple Cider Vinegar' Creator & Showrunner Samantha Strauss

June 16, 2025

“In my mind, Belle is going through life, at least our version of Belle – I’ve never met the real Belle – she’s going through life with this hole inside, this overwhelming need for approval, that social media absolutely capitalizes on, and she just k...

From Lilo to Dragons: The Animated Career of Dean DeBlois

June 16, 2025

Among the most hotly anticipated movies of the summer are two live-action remakes of recent animated classics, Lilo & Stitch, releasing May 23, and How To Train Your Dragon, coming just a few weeks later on June 13. What many may not know, is tha...

The Hero’s Journey of ‘Ballerina’

June 13, 2025

The next hero in the John Wick franchise is Eve (Ana de Armas), a ballerina/assassin who is trained under the Ruska Roma, which is helmed by the Director (Anjelica Huston) who we learned about in John Wick: Chapter 2. Eve is being set up to become a ...

‘Dangerous Animals’ and the History of Sharks in Horror Cinema

June 11, 2025

Sharks don’t hold a great reputation when it comes to movies. They’re predators and killers - you simply don’t see cult classics called ‘Puppynado’. Instead, sharks dominate horror movies, lurking in the dark water and attacking unsuspecting tourists...

Write On: 'Matlock' Creator & Showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman

June 9, 2025

“The most important thing that I’ve learned as a storyteller is that I have to treat every character in the show as though they’re the lead in the show, and they are never doing anything so that I can prompt a move from another character. They are do...

‘Karate Kid: Legends’ and the ‘Overcoming the Monster’ Archetype in Screenwriting

June 4, 2025

According to Christopher Booker’s The Seven Basic Plots, there are really only seven types of stories that one can tell. While the Karate Kid story may seem deceptively simple, it has a strong concept behind it; in this case, the basic plot of Overco...

What Screenwriters Can Take Away from ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’

May 29, 2025

Are you a new screenwriter? If so, there’s probably a good chance you weren’t even born 29 years ago when Tom Cruise took over the role of Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible, one of many films inspired and adapted from their TV counterparts. Mission: ...

Write On: 'Running Point' Co-Creator and Showrunner David Stassen

May 23, 2025

“It’s not ripped from the headlines. We’re not using any of [the Buss family’s] real-life stories and putting them into our show. Because Mindy [Kaling], Ike [Barinholtz], and I have so many influences like Arrested Development, 30 Rock, The Office a...

Creativity in Death: How ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ Keeps Things Fresh

May 21, 2025

It’s coming. You know it’s coming. But Final Destination: Bloodlines keeps the audiences guessing on who is going to die and how – it builds suspense even when everyone knows someone is about to die. If there is one thing that the Final Destination f...