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In which the Writer adapts a bestseller for the screen – and can’t tell anyone.

You may sometimes stumble across descriptions of movie projects that state “story kept under wraps”. They may even just call the project “Untitled”. I’ve always found such posts annoying.

And now I’m doing that very thing myself. Ah, irony. Right now I’m under contract to adapt a bestselling novel for a producer in the UK. A producer who can walk the project into a major US production company. A production company that has links to two major directors.

Which is why I can’t say anything other than “story kept under wraps” and the project is “Untitled”. All I can say is, it’s a wonderful, epic story, and working on it has been a pleasure.

Will the project get greenlit? Who knows? But I’d really, really like to see this get to the screen: audiences will be wowed.

THE CROGLIN VAMPIRE chapbook sells out in two days

“The Croglin Vampire: England’s Earliest Vampire Legend?” is published by Withnail Books. It contains my detailed research into the deep background of the supposed vampire.
The story is that in the 19th century a vampire was active in the small village of Croglin, in Cumbria. Over the years the narrative developed and grew, depending on who was telling the story, until now the vampire is an established part of British supernatural folklore.
I investigated the legend’s various twists and turns for my non-fiction book “Paranormal Cumbria” in 2012 (spoiler alert: there never was a vampire). Withnail Books reprinted that chapter with permission in the chapbook, adding a number of fantastic illustrations, both historical and contemporary.
Sadly you can no longer order the 40-page chapbook, as it sold out in just two days. But you can read about it on their website, https://lnkd.in/eqV4HXib
And if you are ever in Penrith, it’s a great bookshop. Uncle Monty says so!

VRYKOLAX folk-horror script wins Special Prize at Tallinn

My folk-horror screenplay VRYKOLAX was selected for development by the European Genre Forum. After workshops in Zagreb, Amsterdam and Tallinn, it was pitched at the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, where it won the Special Mention Prize. It’s now being pitched further afield.

VRYKOLAX tells the story of a troubled British artist who tries to find the truth about his family on a remote Mediterranean island, where the locals are in fear of a Vrykolax, a revenant from Greek folklore which returns from the dead to wreak havoc on its relatives. The Vrykolax or Vrykolakis is in some ways similar to the more familiar vampire, although reports predate the Slavic vampire by several centuries.

The script is co-written with the film’s director, Achilleas Gatsopoulos. The producers are Minos Nikolakakis and Vassilis Economou.

If you are a potential investor and would like to know more, a pitchdeck is available. Please get in touch here.

In which the Writer writes lots of stuff and can’t tell you about it

It’s true, I haven’t posted here for donkeys. That’s ‘cos stuff has been happening.

But most of it has been happening behind the scenes. I wrote a bunch of scripts. I pitched a bunch of scripts. Some of them are now in development. I also got hired as a script consultant on a feature and a TV series. I got asked to write a bunch of pitches for my friends’ projects. And some nice people requested I join them in collaborating on several projects that will be a lot of fun if they go ahead.

Hopefully some of these projects will see the light of day. But because of the search for finance, it takes SO LONG for a film to made. And therefore sometimes it seems nothing is happening.

Something is happening, I promise. But if if tell you about it before it happens, I’ll jinx it. So instead, this is me casting a protection spell:

My projects are going to GET PRODUCED.

Or I will eat my boots.**

** Werner Herzog reference. Look it up.

In which the Writer gives a talk to the Society of Authors

I’m giving an online talk on the Essentials of Screenwriting to the France Group of the Society of Authors this Wednesday (29th March). It’s an opportunity to experience my curmudgeonly cynicism in full flow.

The event is free and starts at 8pm CEST/ 7pm BST. And it’s in English, in case you were wondering. You don’t have to be a member of the Society of Authors, but you do need to register. Then you’ll be sent a link to the Zoom meeting.

Here’s the link to register: https://www2.societyofauthors.org/event/france-group-online-meet-up-290323/

In which the Writer goes to EFM 2023 at Berlin

I will be at the European Film Market in Berlin from 16th to 20th February. EFM is always a great experience, if rather hectic. I will be pitching my spec scripts and taking meetings for work for hire. If you want to arrange a meeting, please get in touch via the Contact Form.

This year I’m determined to find time to visit the David Bowie plaque on Hauptstrasse. (Cue singing the chorus from “Heroes” out of tune…)

There’s lots been going on work-wise but it’s all behind the scenes and not really postable. I have to wait until things are official and made public. Suffice it to say – movies getting made.