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EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate/Summit has won an auction for Spinback, a John Swetnam spec script action thriller set in the world of electronic dance music. Scott Speer (Step Up Revolution) is attached to direct, with Todd Garner producing through his Broken Road Productions banner, with Sean Robins and Jeremy Stein.
Garner hatched the idea, which, boiled down is: soldier returns from Afghanistan. When his brother, a prominent DJ on the EDM circuit, is murdered, he must infiltrate that world in order to figure out the killer. The project aspires to have a fast-paced niche subculture vibe reminiscent of The Fast And The Furious and XXX.
Speer is currently at work with Swetnam on the next installment of Step Up at Summit, so it’s easy to see why the studio wanted this project. Swetnam most recently worked with Garner on Black Sky, the New Line natural disaster project which sold under the working title Category 6. Swetnam will also be involved in a producing capacity.
Speer amped up the stakes by making a mock trailer for the movie, featuring EDM footage and footage from other movies which cut together established the tone they are after here. EDM, I’m told, is a $4 billion industry, and it sounds like an elevated version of rave and house music. The DJs are treated like rock stars.
Aside from Step Up 5, Swetnam is also writing an untitled martial arts movie for New Line. He also scripted the found footage movie Evidence for Bold Films and producer Marc Platt. Swetnam is repped by Paradigm, Benderspink and Loeb and Loeb, while Speer is repped by WME and Principato Young.
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Premise sounds rad… Swetnam is on a roll!
Wow, so Garner apparently has a roster of Guild writers churning out his ideas on spec? It would be nice if the WGA at least tried to be relevant. I can’t believe this stuff is being openly reported in the trades, it should be embarrassing for both Garner and Swetnam.
@Ted H – Does this mean writers shouldn’t write scripts on spec, and producers should be ashamed of giving writers ideas to write specs scripts, and the WGA should be embarrassed that it’s writers are selling spec scripts… Got it. Ted H, hope you have lots of paid writing assignments booked at the moment because there is always an overabundance of them. #idot #thinkbeforeyourtype #hopeyourenotawriter #stoptrolling #iknowthisisnttwittergetoverit
Yes, I can see that you’re confused. I don’t think it will help to answer all of your questions because you’re missing a grasp of the fundamental principles at play here. John Swetnam wrote this script on spec, but he doesn’t own it. Not really. It’s Todd Garner’s script to sell and do with as he pleases. Had it not sold, Swetnam would not have been able to set it up somewhere else with a different producer attached. Garner wouldn’t allow it and no other producer would want to touch it. That’s the problem here — this arrangement is for all intents and purposes, a work-for-hire arrangement, but Garner isn’t paying Swetnam. He’s asking Swetnam to spec the work for his own idea. If you don’t see that this is a big problem I’m not sure how much more I can help you.
Todd Garner’s movies have grossed BILLIONS — that’s with a B — in worldwide box office gross, on projects done with GUILD writers. Swetnam is a GUILD writer and enjoys the protections and benefits offered by the guild. If these two people want to collaborate on something, fine, they can do it under Guild auspices. It’s not that hard and it’s really not that expensive either. It’s just sad to see writers like Swetnam reap Guild benefits on certain projects while turning around and undercutting the Guild on other projects.
Ted – You’re clueless dude. Writers can write on spec if they want to.
Couple key distinctions you’re missing here: you say “writers,” well there are Guild writers and there are non-Guild writers. They are NOT one and the same. Writers who join the Guild get a whole boatload of benefits and protections, but in return they forgo doing certain types of work in certain types of scenarios. Period end of story.
There is DEVELOPING a PRODUCER’S IDEA on spec, and there is writing YOUR OWN idea on spec. They are not one and the same. Figure out these basic distinctions before hurling the ole “clueless” label around.
I can’t believe I’m about to reply to one of these comments, but damn, I’m tired of people talking out of their asses. Ted, you act like I’m some kind of puppet on a string to the big bad producer, but dude, I’m a grown ass man. I work for myself. No one tells me what to write. Period.
Now, if I’m hanging out with a friend/collaborator/producer that I respect the hell out of, and we start gelling on an idea that I think I can nail. It’s up to me if I want to risk writing it for free. It’s my time and my decision. We were partners on this from the beginning, and I wrote it because I believed in the idea, world, my story, my ability, and the producer’s passion. It was my choice. No one else’s.
Todd makes ZERO money if this movie doesn’t get made. The spec sale is mine. My sample. My money. I don’t know what business you’re in, but I’m in the business of making movies, and working with a guy like Todd, who GETS MOVIES MADE, is the easiest decision I’ve ever made.
So let me do I what I do, and you do what you do. But at the end of the day, sack up, and if you don’t want to write something… don’t.
Period.
Sorry to everyone else if I’m coming of like a total douche, I just get tired of people acting like all writers are these little wilting flowers in the big boy machine. That’s weak bullshit.
Best of luck to us all!
It’s a tough business, but in my opinion, the it’s the greatest business in the world. And I’m just grateful to be a part of it.
John Swetnam
Writer of SPINBACK
Great response.
Ugh… JOHN Swetnam. Sorry about that dude.
Amen
John congratulations on the deal, seriously. But all due respect, it sounds like you missed the entire point of what I was saying. This has nothing to do with you being a puppet or taken advantage of, I never said nor implied that nor think that. This has to do with the Guild’s ability to be an effective advocate on behalf of the many professional writers it serves — including you. When Guild writers work for producers like Todd Garner for free, it undercuts the Guild’s ability to function as an effective advocate. I don’t think pointing this out makes me talking out my ass.
Todd Garner is one of the increasingly few producers with the ability to get movies set up and MADE at the studio level, which is great for him and I see why you would want to work with him; he also has pretty nice offices and a full-time staff. But when it comes to writers developing his ideas, why there’s absolutely NO WAY he could ever find a way to pay them anything for something like that. Do we really buy that? Do you really buy that? Can he REALLY not find ANY money to develop his ideas into scripts? Or does he simply not have to? This is the type of problem that is destroying screenwriting as a professional career from the inside out.
In this instance you were in a position to work on spec, you made the choice to do so and in this case it worked out for you. This is all great. But you need to understand not every writer is in the position to do that. In ten or fifteen years YOU may not be in a position to do that. I’m just guessing that you’re probably fairly young and without kids. For writers who’ve been at this for a while, who have mortgages and families to support, working on spec is often simply not a viable option. These are the writers this is about, not you.
When producers like Todd Garner pay nothing to writers for developing their ideas, only a certain type of writer is really able to go after it. When the Guild tries to do their job and gets on the phone with Garner, it’s very hard for them to make any case about why he should be funding any development under their agreements when he can point out that Guild writers are perfectly willing to work for him for free.
John you will soon start receiving some very nice residual checks for BLACK SKY — honestly I hope they’re big. But I also hope you think about the fact that these checks didn’t spring wholly from your hard work and imagination, they also sprung from very hard-fought battles that the Guild has waged on your behalf in the decades before you ever picked up a pen. Writers as recently as 2008 lost jobs and lost income and walked the picket lines so writers like you would receive residuals that will see you through lean times.
Those are the writers that all this is really about — it’s honestly not about you.
All in the game yo. All in the game.
Fucking OWNED!
LOVE this response. As a huge fan of electronic music I’m excited to see this develop!
Sweet! About time EDM got the Hollywood treatment. Hope the movie has big name DJs and awesome visuals cuz… well, why else go to an EDM movie?
Boxerbaum and JWags are killing it. No coincidence they are both dressed exclusively by John Varvatos. The clothes make the man.
Maybe in LA it’s cool, but in Paris, Milan and New York, it’s looked upon as super tacky. Unless this a joke, in which case, it’s a good one.
Boxerbaum should also be endorsed by Stanley for being such a tool. The personality makes the reputation. On the script side of this let’s hope we see the grittier insider happenings of the EDM world, not just a glossed-over generic version.
Bitters. Box rules!!!!
Box is cool beans but JWags is like a 35 year old frat boy, and obnox to the FULL line. Apparently he can sell them specs though!
So, a found footage EDM movie? Sounds like a theater full of vomit and seizures to me!
Very happy to learn of this. Congratulations, John Swetnam!
Thank you for explaining. It’s gross and slimy out there and most producers will exploit and grab as much as they can get. It is up to writers to fight for their own rights. The guild is useless. The climate of one step deals and actor vanity deals with metworks and studios makes writers feel useless and afraid enough to attach producers who “develop” (ha ha) in hopes of being able to get more traction on their project. Do yourself a favor writers, believe in your product. Make the producers bring something to the table other than half assed notes and the ability to get people on the phone .
SPOILER ALERT;
The brother commits suicide after two evil guys called Danger Maus and David Guetta claim to be pioneers of a genre that has been alive and kicking in 1992 and are effortlessly killing dance music and people’s ear drums simultaneously.
Should be fun – only challenge is making clubs look good in films. Eternally tricky!
Regardless of where the idea came from, it’s damn hard in this biz to sell a spec and it seems like Swetnam sells at least one every few months.
Bow down to the king, minions. Take a knee and effing BOW!
No Ted is 100% correct. For WGA writers speculative writing is fine when it’s the writers idea, otherwise it’s not. if you’re not in the guild you can do whatever you want and you’ll likely get screwed
Any writer who’s had to break in post-strike knows this is an outmoded POV. Working with producers’ concepts is the reality for working writers, and not necessarily a bad one either. Good ideas are good ideas. And at the end of the day, Swetnam still owned the material, so what’s the problem? The guy is killing it. Haters gonna hate, apparently.
Imagine if Energy Entertainment still existed….
Congrats John. Was this another concept you ripped from the Done Deal Pro logline/story development forum?
Do you read the articles you idiot? This and Black Sky were ideas he worked on with the producer. Are you saying the producer is ripping off ideas too? Go back to McDonalds.
I’ve been in the WGA for more than 15 years, the first script I sold was a spec based on a producer’s idea. Did I write for free? YES! I was hungry and more than willing to take advantage of the opportunity given to me. Did it sell? YES! I was able to prove I had the talent and my decision paid off. Did it get me in the guiild? YES! Did it get made? NO! But if I wouldnt have wrote that spec based on that producer giving me a chance to have a crack at the idea/script because I wasnt getting “paid”, I wouldnt have ever made it to the WGA in the first place. The notion of “pay-me up front” is all good for a studio gig, but most producers are living off terrible studio development fees… I know, because I’m a producer now and guess what? I’m still writing on spec, so should I report myself to the guild because I’m not paying myself to write my ideas first? Besides, whats the point of getting paid a little money upfront “to take care of our poor children” if the producer pays you for the script and then owns the idea and sell it what for whatever he wants, or brings on another writer and pays them MORE money for your work just because you needed to earn WGA minimum.
It’s a new era. No one wants to spend a dime on development. A film I wrote opens this year and I went through hell on that to get WGA minimum. Even at a 15 plus million dollar budget… Producers try to lowball and skirt around guild rules all the time. It’s unfair. But to break into the industry post strike was a chore in itself. Consider it a blessing, an honor to have a producer enjoy collaborating with you, give you a seed of an idea and say, we can sell this, now go write… Appreciate that. Because if you think you’re too good, above that concept of writing on spec, you’re a dinosaur and dated.
Do a job, then get paid.
This.
All the Guild issues aside, I hope there’s a lot of Parkour in this movie.
So let’s get this straight.
Todd Garner hatches an idea. Gets this writer to hack it out — Like Category Six. And then he’ll ask another writer, a professional (Oscar winner no doubt), to rewrite the fuck out of it — Like Category Six.
Cool. I want to join the WGA just to be lowball through my career with this “meh” concepts.
Ted, as a WGA writer who broke in when John did, we both come from humble roots.
We started a small writer’s group and by the end of it, John and I sold a spec and got into WGA.
We are writers who were stuck in the trench and fought our way (legally) to a sale.
We wanted to capitalize on that sale.
The entertainment industry changed forever with the advent of new distribution platforms.
It’s a new model.
If you have a problem with the new model, take it up with the elected officials at the Guild.
Please consider backing off the writers who they protect.
WGA writers are earning income for the Guild and we help subsidize the health and pension plan when others aren’t working.
We pay a substantial initiation fee, so the complaints need be directed to the studios, managers/agents, or producers and lawyers who all vet the deal.
Please consider this– hard working and humble writers who just want to pay the bills and write are not in a position to change Guild politics. Don’t disparage a fellow writer, take it up with the ‘man’.
As writers, united we stand, divided we fall.
Breaking into this business has never been easy and isn’t easy now, you and John both deserve congratulations for the work and talent it took to get you in the door. Nothing I said was meant as a personal attack — on John or any other writer.
But none of that changes the fundamentals at play here — WGA writers working for free for prominent producers weakens the Guild and hurts writers in the long term. This is the core issue of any collective bargaining, really, the tension between your personal, short-term self-interest (spec with my buddy Todd Garner!), and the collective long-term interest of writers in general (when producers like Garner learn they need to pay quality writers to develop for them, they’ll find a way to do it, because that still beats working with hack amateurs who will work for free but deliver consistently horrible drafts).
You cited all the “studios” and “reps” and “agents” who “vet” the deal, which makes me afraid you have no idea that many of these people are in direct OPPOSITION to the aims of the Guild and of writers. A studio vetted a writer’s deal, so it must be OK? Reps are still trying to commission your residuals, for God’s sake. The only person fighting for your healthcare and residuals and long-term employment stability is the WGA, it’s not your reps or your lawyers and it sure as hell ain’t the studios, so don’t be comforted when they “vet” a deal.
You keep saying “take it up with Guild leadership,” which is actually precisely what I would recommend you and John do on this issue. Because the Guild’s position is clear: don’t spec for producers on producers’ ideas/properties. Period. End of story. No, they can’t throw you in prison for doing it, but they’re clear about their position on it.
I imagine you and John are both being mentored, you should seriously have a heart-to-heart with your guild mentors about this issue, or better yet, a guild rep. I’m not here to attack any writer or hate on anyone or anything, I just know how desperately we need a strong guild. The fact that development dollars are scarce and times are lean and old models are changing is ALL THE MORE reason we need a strong guild, not all the more reason to undercut the guild by looking out for ourselves in the short-term.
It’s a complex issue and I appreciate your position.
I only took umbrage when I felt a fellow writer was being needlessly outed on a board when the current stare of affairs is overseen by a slew of people from managers to producers.
I do take comfort in reps vetting a deal before telling me the Longform is ready to sign bc that’s part of their job. Division of labor. We write. They sell and construct deals which are now more custom tailored than the 90s spec bubble.
When it comes to feeding our families, I believe all professionals have the right and duty to adapt to the changing business climate.
I appreciate the response and constructive dialogue. We all seem to have the same end goal, a strong and unified guild. Hopefully the elected officials can solve the issue in the near future.
Cheers.