John August

Search Results for: Dahl

Two scripts for “The Circle” now up

Dead Projects, Projects

alaska highwayAt some point when I have a few free days, I’ll go through and update the [Projects](http://johnaugust.com/projects/projects.html) section like I keep threatening to. In the meantime, I’ve added two additional television scripts for download.

Backstory: For the 2003 television pilot season, I created a show called [“The Circle”](http://imdb.com/title/tt0387816/) for Touchstone/ABC. It was a one-hour drama about law enforcement in Alaska. Unlike the movie [Insomnia](http://imdb.com/title/tt0278504/), which focused on a “small town” police department, the real Alaska doesn’t even have that level of law enforcement. It’s much more provincial, with state troopers and magistrates. Pretty much any murder in the state is investigated by a single team based out of Anchorage.

We shot a pilot in British Columbia, directed by the hugely talented [Kim Manners](http://imdb.com/name/nm0543129/) of X-Files fame. The regular cast included [Brad Johnson](http://imdb.com/name/nm0424635/), [Dahlia Salem](http://imdb.com/name/nm0757993/), [Michael Ironside](http://imdb.com/name/nm0000461/) and [Gary Farmer](http://imdb.com/name/nm0001200/).

The pilot turned out well, and the studio asked for two additional scripts — one of which I wrote, the other written by [Matt Pyken](http://imdb.com/name/nm0701487/) and [Michael Berns](http://imdb.com/name/nm0076965/), writers I’d worked with on my first TV show. The whole thing was a good experience. Alas, we didn’t get picked up. But on the whole, I’d rather have made a pilot I’m proud of than a series I’m not.

There are two scripts here to read. The first is the pilot, titled “My Three Sons.” The second is “Gravedigger,” which would would have been the second or third episode. (The show wasn’t very serialized.)

[imagesPilot](http://johnaugust.com/downloads)

[imagesGravedigger](http://johnaugust.com/downloads)

During production, ABC kept referring to the show as “Alaska,” so that’s ultimately what we ended up calling it. I still prefer “The Circle,” however.

Did I ever watch the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

Charlie, QandA

I remember reading on IMDb, that you told Tim Burton that you had never seen the original [Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory](http://imdb.com/title/tt0067992/). I don’t think I have read anything on your site about that subject. Have you in fact seen the original Willy Wonka? What do you advise on that anyway? And is Charlie a remake or sequel or neither?

–Richard
Gold Coast, Australia

First off, I’m hesitant to say too much, because I don’t want to spoil anything about the new movie.

It’s true that when Tim Burton asked me to write [Charlie and the Chocolate Factory](http://imdb.com/title/tt0367594/), my first question was whether I should watch the original movie. (It’s not like I was raised off the grid by hippie survivalists, but somehow I had never seen it.) Tim urged me not to watch it until after I handed in the first draft, which I think was wise.

Halfway into my second draft, I finally watched the 1971 Gene Wilder version, and it was jarring. No disrespect to the movie, which is obviously beloved by a generation of my peers, but it was visually and narratively very, very different from Roald Dahl’s book. True, most of the main story elements were still there, such as the rotten children and the chocolate river. But some of the choices made – killing off Charlie’s father, adding Slugworth, the acid trip on the pink boat — wouldn’t have been my choices.

And in some ways, it’s great that the original movie did its own thing, because it gives the new movie a chance to use some of the overlooked parts of Dahl’s book. (But no, I won’t divulge which parts those are.)

Although the press will inevitably call this a remake of Willy Wonka, it should properly be called a new version of Roald Dahl’s book. I honestly think that if the 1971 movie had never been made, we would still be making this one. It’s testimony to the timelessness of Dahl’s books that they remain so popular today.

Dead copyright holders, and being too young

QandA, Rights and Copyright

I read the section on your site pertaining to copyrights and adapting a book or novel to a screenplay.  My only question is, if the copyright hasn’t expired, but the author died some time ago, what is one to do?  I’ve started the adaptation, but I don’t know if I should continue due to my uncertainty. 

Also, I’m a young screenwriter, a teenager, and although I’m confident in my writing, will my age hold me back from breaking into the world of screenwriting?  Thank you very much for your time.

–Brandon
New York City

When an author dies, the copyright passes on to his heirs. For instance, Roald Dahl wrote *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*. He died in 1990, but in order to make a movie version of his book, Warner Bros. had to negotiate with the executors of his estate to obtain the rights.

In your case, someone, somewhere owns the rights you seek. In all likelihood, the publisher is sending royalty checks to someone, so the standard advice (call the publisher’s “sub-rights” department) still holds.

[Reminder: It’s copyright, not *copywrite*; the past tense is copyrighted, not *copywritten.* I changed the spelling in Brandon’s question because it hurt my eyes. And yes, there is such a word as copywriter, but that’s a person who writes copy for advertising.]

As for your second question, yes, your age may hold you back from breaking into the world of screenwriting. But guess what? You’ll get older. Age is the only quality which increases without any effort on your part.

AICN review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory script is completely bogus

Charlie, Projects

This morning on Ain’t It Cool News, someone using the pseudonym Michael Marker posted what he claimed was a review of my CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY script. In fact, it was an elaborate and tedious piece of fiction. Not only did this guy not read the current draft, I suspect he’s never read any draft. Every single detail he mentions (such as the American setting, and Mrs. Bucket’s job) was completely wrong.

While the faux-review was very positive, it points out how incredibly inaccurate fan-run sites can be. Anyone with an agenda can easily manipulate them, while hiding behind the shield of anonymity. Good or bad buzz can be created without any backing whatsoever.

If people want spoilers for the movie, they can read the original book by Dahl. The movie is very similar to the book, with a little extra to explain how Willy Wonka became a candy magnate, and an ending that goes a little further to pay off Wonka’s handing-off of the factory to Charlie. With Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, I think the movie will absolutely rock. And I’ll sign my real name to that statement.