Insider Intel: The Historical Doomsayers

Risk aversion is killing the business. There, I said it. The irony is suffocating: Hollywood's current risk-averse mentality is killing the exact genre that built the studio system and saved it during multiple downturns.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS was the highest-grossing film of the 1950s. BEN-HUR won 11 Oscars and saved MGM from bankruptcy. GLADIATOR revived the sword-and-sandal epic in 2000 and made $460M when everyone said the genre was dead. THE KING'S SPEECH cost $15M and made $414M while winning Best Picture. Even the faith-based animated feature DAVID outperformed expectations during this holiday season. Let's not even talk about DUNKIRK, OPPENHEIMER, SINNERS and now THE ODYSSEY. NUREMBERG, co-produced by Stage 32 exec Sandy Shenkman, is Sony Pictures Classics’ biggest hit this year. Even internationally, the movie THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO dominated the European box office. How about THE CROWN or OUTLANDER on the TV side? See where I'm going?

I'll be honest. I'm tired hearing that historical projects are too expensive and are not worth the investment. If anything, it is the safest genre. Audiences will come to event movies. Meanwhile, studios routinely greenlight $100M contemporary action films that disappear in two weeks and generate zero cultural conversation. The cost argument is a smokescreen. Period pieces require different resources but they're not inherently more expensive than the bloated tentpoles we approve without blinking.

The most risk-averse thing we can do right now is keep saying no to the genre that's proven itself over and over and over again.

You can submit your period piece to the Stage 32 Annual Screenwriting Contest by clicking here!

This Week in the Writers' Room

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 28 @ 4 PM PT: The Executive Hour returns with special guest Jack Morningstar!

Jack works in CAA's TV Literary Department, where clients' credits include A QUIET PLACE, HERETIC, EVIL DEAD RISE, SLOW HORSES, and THE WALKING DEAD. He'll be answering questions about what's actually happening in the TV business right now, what big agencies are looking for in new writers, and how representation actually works at the highest level.

If you would like to join the Writers’ Room, access weekly events, submit to dozens of open writing assignments, and attend exclusive pitch tanks with industry executives- click HERE for a free trial!

This Week’s Exciting Announcements!

This week, we're thrilled to spotlight a Stage 32 Member who is now in development on their series, following a recent consultation on Stage 32!

Ray Cho - Screenwriter!

Congratulations to Ray who is in development with Stage 32 exec Emmeline Yang Hankins for his medical TV drama after they met through a consultation.

As an Emergency Physician in Los Angeles, Raymond has had a front row seat to the full gamut of human catastrophe: ischemic organs, fentanyl overdoses, self-inflicted gunshot wounds (that somehow miss), and rectal foreign bodies (pro tip: never eat with that fork again). He survived the pandemic, too (yes, it happened) - mostly thanks to caffeine and questionable coping mechanisms. Through all of it, he's maintained a passion for conveying the diverse array of human experience through storytelling, having learned the craft from too many years of absorbing X-Men comics and binge-watching medical shows.

We've Officially Announced Our Diversity Talent Accelerator Quarter-Finalists in Partnership with Color Farm Media!

The Grand Prize Winning screenwriter will receive:

• Color Farm Media Diversity Talent Accelerator placement for script development and packaging with Color Farm Media
• Career Accelerator Prize Package ($4,000 value), including script development, career consulting, writer branding, and comprehensive education resources
• Personal Mentorship Track with dedicated 1:1 career development sessions from our success team
• Industry Marketing Campaign promoting the winner to our exclusive roster of 2,500+ managers, agents, producers, and executives
• Strategic Partnership where Stage 32 and Color Farm Media executives collaborate to prepare your project to take directly to market

Our Finalists will receive:

Our Finalists will receive a Career Momentum prize package valued at $1,500, including Career Development, a Writer Branding Workshop, and an Education package, and will have their logline featured in a Stage 32 Look Book sent to over 2,500+ top entertainment industry executives, giving their work unparalleled exposure!

But that’s not all! Everyone who makes the Semi-Finals will receive a Career Breakthrough prize package valued at $1,000, our Quarterfinalists will receive a Career Elevation prize package valued at $500, and all Entrants will get a prize package valued at $100!

Congratulations to the talented creatives who have made it through this first round!

For the last 14 years, Stage 32 Contests have led to dozens of success stories including writers getting representation, sold, optioned, staffed, given writing assignments and getting produced. No other contest opens more doors and we want to do the same for you.

If you have a diverse story that needs to be told, now is the time to show us what you've got, because our goal is to amplify your voice, give you the access Stage 32 is known for, and take your writing career to the next level!

Need help navigating the industry? Contact success@stage32.com

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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