Petition asks Nicholas Turturro to read prison screenplay
More than 2000 women sign petition demanding a firm commitment from Nicholas Turturro (film producer) to read screenplay addressing Texas judicial system
Nicholas Turturro – Talent Agents
– Actor, Writer, Producer – NYPD Blue (1993), The Longest Yard (2005), Here Comes the Boom (2012), Excess Baggage (1997) – C.D.A. Studio Di Nardo, Luca Di Nardo – 323 Talent Management, Noreen Savides
Nicholas Turturro & Adam Sandler’s film company targeted by Texas petition
Will Hollywood just rollover and let prisoner’s suffer?
EXCLUSIVE
More than 2000 women have signed an open letter to Adam Sandler calling on Nicholas Turturro and Hollywood to take “movie action” to tackle injustice against men and women in the wake of revelations that Texas has more prisoners incarcerated than the Soviet Union’s gulag system had. Texas currently has over 290,000 inmates housed at 580 facilities.
The signatories, including state senators, professors of criminal justice, social workers, family, and inmates, call for a “firm commitment” to tackle the unjust prisons in Texas. The petition has also been signed by Beto O’Rourke, and Matthew McConaughey. These two signatories might face each other in the 2022 Texas governors election. Both have expressed interest in the job. The petitions arrived for Nicholas Turturro at C.D.A. Studio Di Nardo, Luca Di Nardo last week.
In the open letter to Nicholas Turturro, the 2080 women write that they are “heartbroken for first-time drug offenders many times addicts who have received extremely harsh sentences in Texas when rehabilitation has proven a cheaper and more effective solution.” The petition goes on to say their family and friends are often heartbroken for and looking for redemption and rehabilitation for the victimless drug crimes.”
The signatories, including attorneys, professors, politicians, family members, and inmates, call on Nicholas Turturro for a ‘firm film commitment’ to tackle the issue of operating the Texas prison system for profit.
The petition came to light when women discovered the screenplay, a copy which was dontated to all 580 of the state’s prison and jail libraries. The existence of the petition surfaced on International Women’s Day. Women in Texas face extreme prejudice in Texas and often receive extremely harsh penalties for even a small amount of drugs, including marijuana. Marijuana is legal now in 21 states.
Inside prisons, the women are faced with such horrendous conditions… the petition demands that “filmmakers begin to take the issue seriously.” Also, the petition reminds that “even here in the USA in the 21st century citizens are not safe from government oppression.”
Actor, Writer, Producer, Nicholas Turturro, has not responded to the petition. Nor has C.D.A. Studio Di Nardo, Luca Di Nardo responded with a comment.
Alan Nafzger/caption]
The screenplay “Dumbass” was penned by writer and retired professor of political science Alan Nafzger.
The premise of the story is that, “Adam Sandler writes letters and saves numerous women from the monotony of prison life, and later when he gets into trouble with a drug cartel they return the favor by rescuing him.”
The film would be set in contemporary, Gatesville Texas. There are four women’s prisons located in Gatesville. And of course, Texas is famous for putting everyone in prison for a long sentences for little or no reason. The number of women in Texas prisons has tripled in the last ten years, as mass incarcerations have proven profitable to not only the state but also profitable for an array of business interests.
Writer Alan Nafzger has called on Governor Greg Abbott to, “end the prison industry.”
Recently, “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak spoke out against the Texas system and put a good word in for mercy and forgiveness out on social media. “How nice for those who have lived such exemplary lives that they can express glee when others have their lives ruined by a mistake, real or perceived,” Sajak tweeted last month.
During the winter’s deep freeze, the The Marshall Project, exposed the horrible prison conditions, “Inside Frigid Texas Prisons: Broken Toilets, Disgusting Food, Few Blankets.”
The petition states, “Why don’t we have the ‘Adam Sandler’ character… sending letters to women in prison and being their friend and trying to help them adjust, giving them hope… and when they get out of prison he picks them up so they don’t have to ride the smelly bus back home… but his pickup truck is a junker, smoking and sputtering … worse than the bus. But his heart is in the right place… He’s the last “chivalrous” man on earth.”
Nicholas Turturro has not commented on the script, thus far. A statement is expected soon.
Professor Nafzger has made a short treatment of the project available online.
He has made the finished script available at for select filmmakers.
Adam Sandler of Happy Madison Productions has expressed interest in the screenplay.
Nicholas Turturro is a Actor, Writer, Producer known for NYPD Blue (1993), The Longest Yard (2005), Here Comes the Boom (2012), Excess Baggage (1997) and is represented by C.D.A. Studio Di Nardo, Luca Di Nardo.
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Don’t kill the hero! This is one of the toughest sells on the spec market. I know movies have been made where the hero dies, but unless you know Leonardo DiCaprio (Blood Diamond) or Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator and Ladder 49), then I’d refrain from this approach because it’ll take a big, A-list actor attached to get made and in today’s economy, audiences don’t want downer stories! Plus, it’s unlikely this type of script would sell from a writer without a track record.
Give the hero the last scene and the last line. Big, name actors want the big moments and there is no bigger moment than closing a film. Give the hero the last scene and the last line. Another tip is to use a repeat-line to reinforce the hero’s arc. This is when we hear him say something he said earlier, but it now has new meaning. We’ll be discussing all of this in more detail in the chapter on CHARACTERS.
Here’s the next hero issue with scripts in regards to Act III: The hero should NOT get what he wants exactly how he wants it or the story fails! If he wants a certain girl in the beginning, he should fall for another girl by the end – he still gets the love he wanted in the beginning, but it’s with a different female. He may want a big promotion in the beginning only to learn (grow into an arc) that what he really wanted was more time with his family. The hero should get what he wants, but in a different way than he wanted.
Everyone has probably seen the first Die Hard movie. Let’s imagine in the end, instead of Bruce Willis taking out the main terrorist by killing him – his wife does it! After all, Holly (the wife) was mistreated and her family threatened by the terrorists – doesn’t she deserve her due? Yes, and she gets a ‘revenge’ moment, but it MUST be Willis who takes out the main terrorist or the movie fails. Those 4 out of 10 scripts I read actually have Holly taking out the main terrorist. Does the writer really expect to sell a movie where the hero doesn’t take on the bad guy? I guarantee it will NOT sell.
Also throughout the second act, the antagonist has his or her own goal and plan, which is in direct conflict or competition with the hero/ine’s goal. We may actually see the forces of evil plotting their plots (John Grisham does this brilliantly in The Firm), or we may only see the effect of the antagonist’s plot in the continual thwarting of the hero/ine’s plans. Both techniques are effective.
Now, if the hero/ine were able to carry out the plan without a hitch, it wouldn’t make for very good drama, would it? So once you’ve got your initial plan, you need to be constantly blocking that plan, either with your antagonist, or the hero/ine’s own inner conflict, or outside forces beyond her or his control.
· ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS: Have you identified the CENTRAL ACTION of your story? At what point in your book does the reader have a clear idea of the protagonist’s PLAN? Is it stated aloud? Can you make it clearer than it is?
I give you these last two examples to show how helpful it can be to study the specific structure of stories that are similar to your own. As you can see from the above, the general writing rule that the protagonist drives the action may not apply to what you’re writing, and you might want to make a different choice that will better serve your own story. And that goes for any general writing rule.