JOHN WINSTON RAINEY

John has just sold a spec script, A STAR IS DEAD to Miromar Entertainment for release in 2009. A STAR IS DEAD is about A country/western singer/songwriting icon who appears to have been killed when his Porsche Carerra 911 with the vanity plate COWBOY takes a header over a cliff. It revives his career, but no one recognizes him. He has to get a job as a real cowboy, and while coming back from the dead, he learns a few things about life.

John also co-wrote CARPIRATES with producer Fred A. Wyler for Aviv Pictures in conjunction with Miromar Entertainment. CARPIRATES, directed by academy-award-winning Michel Morales is scheduled for a fall 2009 release. It's about a young computer game developer and hobby race driver who loses the Carerra race in Hamburg by illegal means, then his girl friend. He discovers that a villainous Greek ship owner are behind both events for reasons that reach deep into the past. Trying to talk to his girlfriend, he gets beaten up and his race car is blown up by the Greek's henchmen. Seeking revenge, he steals a cargo carrier owned by the Greek ship owner from the middle of the Mediterranean, which has 1111 Porsches on board.

BRAD GANN

Brad Gann has sold his script INVINCIBLE to Walt Disney and Mayhem Pictures for $500,000 against $900,000. After getting a Script Evaluation.

INVINCIBLE is the story of a 30-year-old part-time bartender with one year of high school ball who tries out for and makes the Philadelphia Eagles NFL team ultimately becoming the captain of the special teams.

INVINCIBLE opened on August 25, 2006 and was number 1 at the box office.

Brad Gann wrote:

"John, I just wanted to drop you a line to thank you for your incredibly incisive and thoughtful comments on my script, INVINCIBLE. A producer to whom I've shown your analysis agreed that you've provided a really strong framework/template from which to improve the script. You've managed to cut right to the heart of the matter, and I'm now really confident that I'll be able to knock this rewrite out of the park."

Congratulations, Brad!!!

Order INVINCIBLE DVD from Amazon.com.

MARK SMITH

We congratulate Mark Smith on the sale of his thriller VACANCY to Sony Entertainment for a low six figure deal with back-end points. The film is already in pre-production..

As reported by Variety on March 16th, 2005 by Nicole LaPorte: “Hal Lieberman is producing the horror-suspense pic “Vacancy,” written by Mark L. Smith, for Screen Gems.

Aim is to begin production in late summer.

Pic is about a young, married couple who, while stranded at a desolate motel, discover hidden video cameras in their room. They soon realize that unless they escape, they’ll be the next victims of a snuff film.”

In 2009, "Vacancy 2: The First Cut" penned by Mark will be released.

In 2010, Mark's script, "Holes", will be released. It is filming now.

DAVID BAXTER

Congratulations to writer/producer David Baxter of Nimbus Pictures for moving forward on his project NUVOLARI about Italian race car legend Tazio Nuvolari. David has written a brilliant bio-pic script for the $90 million period piece and is currently in pre-production. He goes to Italy next month to scout locations.

ASHIA CHACKO

Congratulations to ASHIA CHACKO for winning the 2007 Moondance Screenwriting Competition. Ashia wrote BLACK BOX, an action/thriller about electronic voting fraud.

“John, I loved your thoughts, insight, and guidance from your critique and consultation. I found your outline to be the most eye-opening story builder in terms of theme and plot. It helped me to make every element of my story cohere. Thanks so much for clarifying the craft of screenwriting and showing me my story in a new light.”

ERIN AISLINN

Erin Aislinn, a novelist who has been participating in the South Bay Screenwriter's Workshop, has just published THE RAVAGED ONE, her second novella with Venus Press. In January 2007, Ellora's Cave will be releasing her category novel EARTHLY POSSESSION.

DOREEN ORION

Doreen Orion now has a best-seller on her hands! "Queen Of The Road" about a Long Island Jewish princess who spent a year traveling the continental U.S. with her Wasp hubby, a large poodle, 2 cats, and 200 shoes, is a laugh fest. For more info, go to: http://doreenorion.com/orion-book.htm

CHRISTIAN KELLER

Christian Keller is currently in preproduction with "Trevi", the biopic about Gloria Trevi, the Mexican Madonna in the '90s. It is due to be released in 2010. There are many Academy Award winners attached to this one!