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EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros has made a preemptive low to mid six-figure deal for Son Of A Bitch, a spec script comedy penned by Kelly Oxford, who has a raging following on Twitter. In the vein of Bridesmaids, the raucous comedy is about a young stoner who tries to maintain her popular party image even after discovering she’s pregnant. The film will be produced by Steve Golin and Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, who developed the script at Anonymous Content before WME made the deal for Oxford.
Son Of A Bitch is the first feature script written by Oxford, whose book of humorous essays, Everything Is Perfect When You’re A Liar, will be published by Harper Collins in October. She previously sold TV pilot scripts to CBS and NBC, and honed her comedy chops through her Twitter feed @KellyOxford. Hers was named one of the top 140 Twitter feeds in 2011 and 2012 by Time Magazine. Over 330,000 follow her observational tweets, including Howard Stern, Jimmy Kimmel, Jonah Hill, and Jason Segel. Hey, if it worked for Diablo Cody, why not Kelly Oxford?
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Easily one of the funniest people I follow, I’m eagerly awaiting this and said book. “If you liked this comment, we could be friends.”
Sounds like Ms. Oxford is terribly talented, from all the shout outs to her Twitter feed, which I’ve never actually read. As a matter of fact, I don’t follow anyone on Twitter, but that’s neither here nor there. So, congrats and all props to Ms. Oxford for making it happen, 140 characters at a time. Your perseverance and talent have done you well.
That being said, has anyone else noticed a disturbing trend in the motion picture industry, in regards to women and screenwriting success? It appears to me that the more attractive a female screenwriter, the more likely she’ll make a sale and, further, the likelier she’ll have career success.
To name a few screenwriters that support my argument, one need look no further than Lorene Scafaria, who wrote, sold and is directing SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, Liz Meriweather, who’s written and sold several high profile specs, not to mention is the creator of the hit sitcom NEW GIRL, Jane Goldman, writer of KICK ASS, THE DEBT, THE WOMAN IN BLACK and co-writer of X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, Maggie Carey, who wrote, sold and is directing THE TO-DO-LIST, which is now in post-production, Kasi Lemmons, who, after co-starring in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, went on to write, sell and direct the critically acclaimed EVE’S BAYOU and even Diablo Cody, who famously went from a year of stripping to blogging to selling JUNO, to winning the Oscar, and is now directing a script she wrote and sold, formerly titled LAMB OF GOD. I could go on and on, but you get the idea.
Now, let me clarify here: All these women are mucho, mega, prodigiously talented, especially someone like the gorgeous Kasi Lemmons; who knew she could act, write, AND direct so incredibly well?? Their talent is equal to, if not surpasses, their beauty. But the fact is, they all had their shot, most of them quite early in life, and their careers just skyrocketed from there. And they all happen to be not the least bit hard to look at.
Yeah, yeah, I get it: Grow up and smell the bias, FSP! Beautiful people *always* have an advantage. True. But it’s not so pronounced among the men. I mean, to my mind, I can only think of a handful, if that, of good looking male screenwriters whose careers have been meteoric: David Benioff, who, after his meteoric success as a novelist, wrote and sold the multi-million dollar selling spec STAY, Andre Nemec, who’s credited with scripting the uber successful MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL, not to mention creating tv shows like LIFE ON MARS and OCTOBER ROAD, and maybe a young Shane Black, who was quite a handsome guy in his misspent youth. (though with Black’s outlandish talent, he would have made it regardless). I mean, if you take a sampling of the hottest male screenwriters tearing it up out there, you’ll get names like Zak Penn (story credit on THE AVENGERS), or Damon Lindeloff, co-writer of PROMETHEUS, both of whom are bald, btw, or Orci & Kurtzman, who, hell, I don’t know what they are, but they’re certainly not hunks, or JJ Abrams, who kinda looks like a miniature Kurt Russell, doesn’t he? Or Joss Whedon, who, true, can get a woman into bed just by tackling her with his tumescent intellect, or for God’s sake, Seth Rogen, whose star just seems to keep on rising. Male writers don’t seem to have to clear the same beauty bar that female writers do, or so it seems.
The point I’m trying to make here (and I *do* have a point), is that if I were a struggling, average looking, female screenwriter, this disturbing Hollywood trend would bother the hell out of me.
That’s all.
Ugggggg I barely love Kellys tweets and I find the tripe she hacks out to be merely amazing and never rises above excellence.
Hmm, you haven’t read her tweets, and you say she’s getting work because she’s pretty. I have to disagree. She’s very clever, hilarious, self-deprecating, and hard working; that’s why she’s getting the work. There are tons of attractive tweeters that are boring, and they are still at their day jobs.
Also, there are a few tweeters with megafollowers that are not conventionally attractive making bank. Looking good doesn’t hurt, but it’s as Hitchcock said, the three things needed for a good movie are ‘The script, the script, the script.’
You forgot — … she’s also white. You think?
The white entertainment industrial complex rules again.
When and where did I say K-Ox is getting work because she’s pretty? I said she’s mega talented and deserving of the success she has… oh, and by the way, she also happens to be a hottie. A happenstance that’s been trending way before Twitter was born.
lena dunham. id say she is doing pretty well and not attractive.
Good point–and also very lucky. I personally found “Tiny Furniture” to be nothing but whiny self-indulgence. Haven’t seen, “Girls,” but I shudder to try.
Dunham also has very successful artists for parents. She was profiled in the New Yorker. I don’t think that would’ve happened on the strength of one successful indie and a series deal if the journalist couldn’t also write about her famous (in New York art circles) parents.
That’s not to say Dunham isn’t enormously talented and extremely hard-working, merely that she isn’t quite a perfect counter-example to FSP’s point. Given what the headshots look like every time Deadline reports on a deal for a woman writer, producer, or even executive, the argument is seriously worth considering. Hollywood being what it is, even Dunham’s indie look has been glammed up.
no one knows who the fuck Dunham’s parents are. she made Tiny Furniture on her own. A young girl, wrote, directed and stared in her own film and Criterion put their name on it. she’s amazing and people can try to diminish her success but they only make themselves look like assholes.
I think Dunham’s a cutie.
have you maybe considered that of the hundreds of working writers that the law of averages would be that some would be attractive? It is not like these scripts come with head-shots.
That’s what I was thinking. Exactly!!!
Shit, that totally, completely negates my entire argument, I’m so fucking owned! — taking my ball home, hanging my head in shame…
It’s okay. You’ll get em’ next time tiger!!
Be bitter. One can NOT help what one looks like.
Who’s bitter, Beth? I’m just making an observation here. But it feels like I’m having to wade through waves of faceless Stormtroopers while Darth Kelly reclines, smiling, in her comfy Aeron chair.
and that makes the entertainment industry different from every other industry on the planet how, exactly?
I were a struggling, average looking, female (hooker, stock broker, nanny, or whatever profession you want), this disturbing (Sunset Blvd., Wall St., Park Ave.) trend would bother the hell out of me
Um – no. I tweet, though I’m not one of Ms. Oxford’s followers. Her humor doesn’t always resonate for me, but I will say that she writes. She’s blogged for more years than most, and as some have noted: Ms. Oxford is good at using the web. Take notes.
If you look at the Black List (a list of notable unsold spec lists), hardly any are by women, period. Of course as a woman this irks me – so I take Ms. Oxford’s spec sale as an encouragement. Frankly, if you think studio execs risk their careers on some spec writer’s looks (male or female), you just don’t know the industry. What recommends Ms. Oxford is her twitter numbers and previously selling two pilots, produced or no.
If you want to sell something in this town, kick your own butt. If you have enough in your basket that you look like a decent risk, you’ll have friends in hollywood.
YES. Thank you a thousand times over. Thank you.
Kelly is so talented. Yay female comedy writers!
To all of you haters: I know Kelly Oxford well. She manages to do it all – raise smart, funny and well-adjusted kids and maintain a strong partnership with her husband while working more hours chasing her dreams than any of you would be willing to do. Her dedication and drive is rare and she deserves every reward that comes her way.
Congratulations to Kelly! I follow her on Twitter and find her extremely funny.
Kelly is a warm & loving human being & I wish her nothing but success.
Seriously funny. Seriously twisted. I can’t wait.
kelly is a terrible person on twitter, which is why i love her
Kelly Oxford is Team Jacob. Trust me on this one.
[Insert terrible comment about @kellyoxford here]
Terrible things about Kelly Oxford
I’ve been following her for years and reading her tweets has replaced reading the comic strips page in the paper each day. Good luck, Kelly! I love you, girl.
So you were setting the bar pretty low to start with.
That would need a question mark if it weren’t a statement.
Great job Ms. Oxford. (That’s not the terrible comment, that was the unnecessary words above directed at whoever it was).
I’ve been following her for a few months and she is hilarious. I’m looking forward to seeing this when it comes out!
I’m a raging follower
not all girls who sell scripts are hot. i will not name names because i am a gentleman.
Don’t worry Internet – I got this.
Kelly Oxford is a boring old bittie
Yup…Good enough.
I follow her!
Terrible things about Kelly Oxford.
This is f-ing terrible. She sucks at writing and is basically worthless as a person. Can’t believe this.
who writes stuff like this, and why? There is a documentary in here somewhere about people like this on the net.
Terrible things about me (Kelly told me to post this)
Haha! I wonder how many of us rushed here to prove her wrong — in a nice way. When she wrote the “terrible things” tweet, I flashed back to her blog posts alluding to stress diarrhea and thought maybe we could delay it if she read some genuine congratulatory comments first.
Angry, angry…insult, blah, blah, Kelly needs a tampon…what are you famous for anyway…etc.
But seriously, this seems like an awesome concept. Also an awesome concept: “a preemptive low to mid six-figure deal.” Congratulations.
this rules
Let’s start it off positive. Congrats. You’ve brought tears to my eyes from laughing at your tweets.
If what worked for Diablo? You cannot compare the two; Diablo was plucked from virtual obscurity because a producer stumbled upon her blog, she wasn’t a web celeb with 300,000 followers. This wreaks of a relationship deal – I’m betting if a no-name wrote the same script, no sale.
Twitter launched July 2006 and Juno premiered September 2007. Couldn’t have less to do with Mason meeting Diablo. Unless “twitter” is now a blanket term for “the internet”? Isn’t this blog supposed to be on the forefront, not written by my Grandpa?
It’s sort of like me writing an article about cars that concludes by saying a Ferrari is fast and shiny, just like a Kia. Ie; why am I writing a blog about cars?
Fleming is comparing Cody/Oxford because the two women came to Hollywood from northern north America and both started out with internet related self-publishing from home and not some NYU film school. Preeeeeety simple.
love this bitch. can’t wait to see it!
I wish Kelly was my mom. Or my mom’s friend that I misleadingly call my “Aunt” Kelly.
Good job, bitch face
Congrats, now time to register http://www.whothefuckiskellyoxford.com to appease all the haters.
I expect this will be one of the funniest movies in a long time. Kelly Oxford is hilarious! Good for her!
Didn’t you see the Tourist?
Why? That bitch isn’t funny. All of her tweets about her kids and her smoking pot… not funny. And what is up with her Ramones nostrils and scary photos. I’m just kidding… she’s hilarious with some good observational comments. FYI if you like this comment we could be friends.