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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 an analysis from Rainey Script Consulting. 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 for several weeks. Brad Gann wrote: Order INVINCIBLE DVD from Amazon.com CONGRATULATIONS to DARA MARKS on the publication of her book INSIDE STORY: The Power of the Transformational Arc. As a colleague of Dara's, I find her views on screenplay story-telling akin to mine, and I strongly encourage every screenwriter, beginner or pro, to study her book. If you have an opportunity to attend Dara's lectures or seminars, do not miss out. Her presentation and grasp of the material will empower your craft on many levels. To order, go to: http://www.daramarks.com/
We congratulate Mark Smith on the sale of his thriller VACANCY to Sony Entertainment for a low six figure deal with back-end points. 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. VACANCY is to be released in April 2007. 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.” MARK L. SMITH has scored again, this time as both writer and director, with SÉANCE. It’s a horror flick that has already won an award at the Shockfest Festival. Storyline: In an attempt to rid their dorm of a troublesome little girl ghost a group of college students inadvertently bring back the little girl's killer. SÉANCE is to be released in June 2007. Go Mark! John read and critiqued Mark’s first screenplay in 1993! 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. Congratulations to ASHIA CHACKO for winning the 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, a novelist who has been participating in John’s 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 scored a pre-emptive offer from Random house. LEAVE THE DRIVING TO HIM: The True Story Of 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Dog, A Husband, And A Bus. The release date is June 2008 It’s the hilarious non-fiction journal of Doreen and Tim’s journey to every contiguous state in the Union in one year. Known as the definitive Jewish American Princess whose only sports are shopping and lounging, Doreen gasped and vehemently refused when Tim brought home a 40-foot bus, totally remodeled and pimped out, and stated that this was going to be their home for the next year. By the end of the journey she was actually driving the thing! You gotta read this. Anticipate the movie. Then, you’ll be inspired to read Tim’s follow-up book called: I AM NOT AN IDIOT! Optioned PUZZLE, a psychological thriller, to indy producer, Amy Metcalf. It’s a six-month option.
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