Petition asks Rachel Sennott to read prison screenplay
More than 2000 women sign petition demanding a firm commitment from Rachel Sennott (film producer) to read screenplay addressing Texas judicial system
Rachel Sennott – Talent Agents
– Actress, Producer, Writer – Stuck in the Mall (2019), Shiva Baby (2020), Tahara (2020), Call Your Mother (2021) – William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment, Sharon Jackson – Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment, Tiffany Schloesser
Rachel Sennott & 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 Rachel Sennott 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 Rachel Sennott at William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment, Sharon Jackson last week.
In the open letter to Rachel Sennott, 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 Rachel Sennott 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.”
Actress, Producer, Writer, Rachel Sennott, has not responded to the petition. Nor has William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment, Sharon Jackson 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.”
Rachel Sennott 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.
Rachel Sennott is a Actress, Producer, Writer known for Stuck in the Mall (2019), Shiva Baby (2020), Tahara (2020), Call Your Mother (2021) and is represented by William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment, Sharon Jackson.
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A man awakens to an alarm clock. We watch him shower, shave, get dressed, eat then go to work. Zzzzzzzz….that’s me snoring because I’ve fallen asleep from sheer boredom! Yet I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen dull protagonist introductions. NO MORE!
Here’s a typical, boring introduction. Whether you’ve seen this done in film or not is irrelevant. A commercial entrance makes for a far easier first sale!
Over and over again I see typical protagonist introductions. The screenwriter succeeds in identifying the lead, but usually fails to make the hero memorable or give him enough of a commercial introduction to make the role enticing. The character may be interesting, but if it’s not discovered until page 20 you don’t have a commercial introduction!
Remember the moment we met Edward Scissorhands? What about Indiana Jones? Have you ever seen James Bond make anything but a grand entrance? And no one’s been around longer than Bond!
But the point of that story is that George Bailey has been fighting Potter all along.
#NAME?
(This is a good lesson for any ensemble story, no matter what genre — all the characters should constantly be competing for the spotlight, just as in any good theater troupe. Make your characters divas and scene-stealers, and let them top each other.)
– One of my favorite romantic comedies of all time, The Philadelphia Story, uses a classic technique to keep that wedding sequence sparkling: every single one of that large ensemble of characters has her or his own wickedly delightful resolution. Everyone has their moment to shine, and insanely precocious little sister, Dinah, pretty nearly steals the show (from Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, and Cary Grant!!) with her last line: “I did it. I did it all.”