Tag Archive for: blockbusters

Wolverine: Loner, Orphan, Wandering Warrior (X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST)

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wolverine_jackman

Wolverine a.k.a. “Logan” has been the most popular superhero in the X-Men universe for decades, which is why the first major feature film in Fox’s X-Men franchise, X-MEN (2000), chose to foreground him as the central protagonist of the narrative, and he’s been featured in several more films, including two solo adventures, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (2009) and THE WOLVERINE (2013) (with a third on the way) and this summer’s upcoming epic, X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. The films have mined the core elements of his original character construction from the comic books, which focus on three key aspects of his personality and history. Read more

Back to the Future screenplay analysis and podcast now available

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Back to the Future (1985)

One of the greatest spec screenplays of all time and a timeless piece of entertainment that plays with pop culture in brilliant ways, Back to the Future, written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis and directed by Zemeckis, is the topic of our latest Story Maps Screenwriting Podcast. Wes Alwan of The Partially Examined Life joins me and William Robert Rich for this discussion of the history, screenplay and philosophy behind the film, and, yes, the incest issue. Read more

Making Everyone Happy All At Once: Writing a Blockbuster

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Note: This article originally appeared in Script Magazine here.

There’s a debate raging now about whether or not the actors who play the superheroes in hit franchises are worth as much as the brand. Would we accept Chris Pine as Tony Stark or is Robert Downey, Jr. the only actor who can pull off Iron Man? Mark Ruffalo was great as Bruce Banner in The Avengers, but did we pay to see the co-star of You Can Count on Me or did we pay to see THE HULK smash things in all his 3-D CGI glory? Read more