7 Hollywood Gatekeepers on What They Look for in a Script

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November 06, 2017
By Stacey Wilson Hunt

As part of our ongoing investigation into how movies are written now, Vulture talked to some of Hollywood’s most powerful executives and producers about what exactly they’re looking for in a script in 2017. Below, find out what drives these gatekeepers nuts, why they do (or don’t) care about spelling and grammar, why page length matters, how Trump has changed their tastes, and what goes into the oft-forgotten art of saying “no.”

Gatekeeper: Lynda Obst Title: Producer, Lynda Obst Productions

Notable Credits: Sleepless in Seattle, The Fisher King, Interstellar

The scripts most interesting to me right now: “Are stories that run perpendicular to the political narrative, but still shed light on it, and stories that reveal something moving and deep about character.” Most annoying trends in screenwriting: “I loathe slasher movies and dystopian future scenarios — lazy, repetitive, and depressing. I also hate bad science in sci-fi when it’s easily correctable. The country is dumb enough without our cooperation. Also, making movies out of TV series. It shows a depressing lack of confidence in market, and an overreliance on marketing.”

Proper grammar and spelling matter: “I think a writer is suspect if a script isn’t spell-checked. I’m an ex-editor, so grammar is important except obviously in dialogue.”

The one thing a writer can do to make me want to throw a script across the room is: “Be full of clichés and mention the Kardashians.”

The best first draft I’ve ever read is: “Richard LaGravenese’s The Fisher King.”

What I look for in an ending is: “Relief and resolution of something, if not everything. It depends on the genre. But always remember that your test number is highly determined by the feeling at the end of the movie. I learned this working on Risky Business.”

Does what’s happening in the news affect what I want to read? “Not at all. Personally, I want to make nothing that reminds me of Trump.”