Amazon recently started their own production company/mini-studio called Amazon Studios. It's gone through some changes over the past few months, but essentially every month they have a contest with several categories including completed films and screenplays. The winner in each category receives some kind of award and in exchange Amazon Studios options the material, which they can then greenlight as a film (in the case of a script) or sell into distribution (in the case of a film). I interviewed script writer George Strayton to learn more about his entry.
Michael Tresca (MT): Tell us a little about your entry.
George Strayton (GS): It's an action/adventure/romantic comedy called The Forbidden City in which a professional gamer who never leaves his apartment must deliver a package to China to save his sister. Upon arriving, he's forced to hook up with a gorgeous, but untrustworthy American woman involved in the Chinese underworld to make the exchange before it’s too late. Here's the story in a bit more depth:
Ben, a dorky 20-something from New York City who earns a living winning online Halo and World of Warcraft competitions, has become so introverted that he never leaves his apartment. But when he receives a mysterious package from his sister, he's contacted by a sexy, but insane Chinese woman -- a grand-daughter of Chairman Mao who believes China has deviated from its Communist underpinnings -- who orders him to bring the package to the People's Republic or say goodbye to his beloved sister forever.
But when Ben arrives in China, everything instantly goes wrong and he has no choice but to make a deal with a beautiful criminal named Jane, an American caught up in the Chinese underworld of competing Triads.
The journey to reach the rendezvous point involves, among other things, the relentless Chinese Public Security Bureau, the Dragonhead of a Triad who has put out a hit on Jane, a karaoke scene at a Triad bar featuring Ben in drag, and finally a conspiracy to destroy the United States economy.
It's a fun, frenetic, and at times frightening film (especially when you realize that the plot against America is in fact an actual possibility in the real world) that intertwines action, adventure, and romance. In the end, we find out if Ben can learn to step out of the fantasy worlds he lives in and face his fears in the real world and if Jane is willing to give up a fortune for love.
MT: You wrote this script about a gamer. How do gamer sensibilities figure into the script?
GS: The opening sequence involves an online World of Warcraft tournament (which I assume most people know are actual events with prizes running into the hundreds of thousands of dollars). Being a gamer myself obviously gave me great insight into writing the scene in a way that felt tense and exciting, especially considering the fact that nothing's more boring than watching someone else play a video game. It was about the banter and the team's internal conflicts. It's about the world of gaming, how it can take over your life (I'm guilty of this, for sure), but also how it can help generate good qualities like team-work, inventiveness, hand-eye coordination, and so on.
MT: What actors do you envision playing the roles?
GS: I imagine Justin Timberlake and Emma Stone starring in the two main roles. Based on Justin's multiple performances on Saturday Night Live, I know he could pull off the comedy aspect of the script, especially that scene I mentioned where his character has to sing karaoke in a club filled with armed Triad members who let you know when they "don't appreciate your performance." And Emma Stone has a great strength of character and the ability to do comedy as well, so I think they'd make a great on-screen couple.
MT: Got a director in mind?
GS: I'm really open, but I'd love to work with Shawn Levy at some point. I know he'd do an excellent job directing the film.
MT: What kind of audience do you envision being interested in this movie?
GS: It's meant to appeal to a mainstream audience. The Saturday night date crowd, specifically, but also any gamer who wants to see a fellow gamer face dilemmas and struggle to win, using his gaming skills in the real world of the movie to succeed.
MT: What sets it apart from the other entries?
GS: There are so many entries it's difficult to say. It's definitely unique in that it's the only script I've ever submitted. Hopefully enough people will vote for it that it gets a chance of placing or even possibly winning the contest.
MT: Where can we learn more?
GS: You can read the script and rate it in various categories at http://studios.amazon.com/scripts/11277. I'd really appreciate any support from gamers out there who'd like to see a movie in which gaming isn't denigrated or put down in anyway, but is in fact celebrated for the great things it can do for players and society in general by bringing people from all over the world together to work for a common cause, whatever the specific game.
MT: Anything else you'd like to add?
GS: I'm just excited to be involved in the contest. I think Amazon's giving everyone a chance to have their work read. Perhaps that will help crack open Hollywood to let more people in rather than having the same small group of people writing every film.
Comments