Petition asks Andrew Niccol to read prison screenplay

More than 2000 women sign petition demanding a firm commitment from  Andrew Niccol (film producer) to read screenplay addressing Texas judicial system

Andrew Niccol – Talent Agents
– Writer, Director, Producer – Gattaca (1997), The Truman Show (1998), In Time (2011), The Host (2013) – Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Brian Kend –

Dumbass, Monopoly, The Cross, Manhattan Brave

Andrew Niccol & Adam Sandler’s film company targeted by Texas petition

Will Hollywood just rollover and let prisoner’s suffer?

EXCLUSIVE

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 Andrew Niccol at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Brian Kend last week.

In the open letter to Andrew Niccol, 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 Andrew Niccol 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.”

Writer, Director, Producer, Andrew Niccol, has not responded to the petition. Nor has Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Brian Kend responded with a comment.

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.

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.”

Andrew Niccol has not commented on the script, thusfar. 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.

Jana Sandler of Happy Madison Productions has also expressed interest in the screenplay.

Andrew Niccol is a Writer, Director, Producer known for Gattaca (1997), The Truman Show (1998), In Time (2011), The Host (2013) and is represented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Brian Kend.

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Every scene in the entire screenplay, especially while dealing with the hero’s arc in Act II, should have subtext. The subtext should be either visual or via the dialogue. Subtext is nothing more than underlying meaning. Remember the relative who said you look great, have you lost weight? He’s really implying you were fat in the first place. He’s just not saying it directly. That’s called dialogue subtext. Let’s say you want to show a character is angry. Rather than having him blurt it out, have him slam a door shut or throw a plate. That’s visual subtext that shows anger! It’s that simple! If a scene doesn’t have subtext, layer it in.

SCENE SUBTEXT

I hate that I have to tell writers to add conflict, but I can’t tell you how often I see information only scenes, especially in Act II. Sure, information is important to a story’s believability, etc., but why isn’t the writer clever enough to come up with ways to reveal the information via conflict? Conflict doesn’t mean people have to be shouting at one another. A clever technique to create conflict, especially in a softer story that might otherwise have none, is to put the audience in a superior position. For example, perhaps the audience knows the heroine is pregnant, but the story’s characters do not! Every scene where we see the heroine lie to try to hide her pregnancy may seem to lack conflict from other character’s perspective, but tremendous conflict is created for the audience as they watch to see her house of lies crumble when her secret’s finally revealed. Every scene in Act II must have conflict – if not, axe it and stop making up excuses that you needed to provide vital information and start acting like a screenwriter by developing scenes to present information via conflict!

SCENE CONFLICT

· What is the CENTRAL QUESTION of the story?

· How does s/he PLAN to do it?

· What does the protagonist WANT?

· ASSIGNMENT: Identify the PLAN, CENTRAL ACTION, and CENTRAL QUESTION of your story.