For years I had envisioned doing my own version of "A Christmas Story". Very similar in tone but in my own humorous voice and perspective (and obviously from my own experiences as a kid growing up in the 1970's). Yesterday, I was literally pulling all of my ideas and notes together, started creating color Post-It notes of each scene (25 of them), put them up on my white board, and typed out my entire beat sheet and treatment. I told my wife that this might be the fastest script I could ever write - I have been telling these stories for decades. Momentum and motivation were pouring out of me. This morning, having all ready cleared my "normal" work load for the week, I sat down at my computer looking forward to an entire three day weekend to do nothing but write away. And then, I read this in the Hollywood Reporter....
"Christmas has come early for Legendary and Warner Bros. The two companies are gearing up to make a sequel to the yuletide holiday classic, A Christmas Story, closing a deal for Peter Billingsley, the child star of the original 1983 movie, to topline and produce.
Titled A Christmas Story Christmas, the feature is intended for HBO Max. The new story will take place in the 1970s and sees an adult Ralphie return to his house on Cleveland Street to deliver his kids a magical Christmas like the one he had growing up."
UGH. Mind you, my story was never intended to be a sequel to "A Christmas Story"... it was simply my own autobiographical comedy about Christmas, told in a style reminiscent of A Christmas Story (adult voice over, etc.). But my elevator pitch was going to be "It's like A Christmas Story, only it takes place in the 70's'" Now I am frozen, not sure whether to keep writing my script or to toss it aside for being too similar in tone to what is being made. Any advice?
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Since you don't own the original IP and this was never meant to be a sequel to the original, it sounds like this is your own movie with a story inspired by events from your childhood, with a tone that pays homage to the original?
If that's the case and you're really passionate about this story, just go ahead and write it.
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Write it, use as a sample. Employers usually pay more for assignments than they pay spec writing
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I agree with Eoin. They say imitation is the best form of flattery. You honestly have nothing to lose since it's your own original story and not based on any source material. I think a lot of people tend to forget that 'A Christmas Story' was an adaptation of 'In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash'.
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write your story. Sure, it might be a love letter to the original movie, but it's still your script, your story, your ideas and based on your childhood. You just need to have your angle or hook that makes it stand out.
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What everyone here's already said, Don. ABsolutely write this. Whether you ultimately use it as a spec or you decide to go ahead & produce this baby, that's a decision that you can make later on. But write it nonetheless, get this story out there. If you're already this passionate about it, it will only continue to eat away at you if you don't get this on paper and share it :)
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THANK YOU to everyone for the wonderful responses. I am sitting at my computer this morning pounding away at my script. Thanks for the words of encouragment.
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Go for it! Sometimes these Hollywood Reporter "announcements" never even happen. And agreed, definitely an opportunity for a writing sample! Or--and here's a crazy idea--make it about Halloween in the 70s?? Everything Halloween is so slasher. It'd be nice to read/see a Christmas Story-esque comedy about everyone's second-favorite holiday---and set in the coolest decade--the seventies!
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Don, from someone whose own growing-up years finished in the 1970s, I've got to chime in and say: "Go for it! Finish that script!"
All the VERY BEST to you!
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The key here is how you started off your post, "...doing my own version of 'A Christmas Story.' " Your take will be different from young Ralphie's, and now that you know there's a similar project on the horizon make sure yours is unique.
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I'd love to see your version, especially if it includes more of the quirkiness of the 70s and early 80s when Christmas was a little more "tame" (maybe some would say "lame?") I grew up in the 70s and we had some weird and eccentric characters pop in and out of our lives around Christmas each year (as I am sure you do as well!) ... For me, while Christmas Story hit a few notes, it has clearly up losing some of its sheer as it goes up against a slew of new holiday content from Hallmark, Netflix, etc. I say, loudly, GO FOR IT!