Tell me a story

I read the script for Heatseekers back in 2010, when a screenwriting teacher of mine praised it as an example of a movie script that described action well. Written by George Mahaffey, it’s about an ex-military pilot that infiltrates a group of aerial pirates. It was a notable script because it was one of the few spec scripts bought in 2010. (About 55 specs were bought that year, including possibly by favorite movie of 2012, Chronicle.)

The reason I’m excited to see this movie made isn’t so much because I liked the script—I didn’t; the characters felt flat, and the story seemed too reminescent of Point Break, just with air pirates intead of bank robbers—but rather because I’m interested in seeing how a script transforms into movie. I want to see what it is exactly the actors bring to the role and just how much they fill out a character that comes across flat on paper. It’s possible that somehow during the filming process, they’ll turn this story into a unique and interesting one. I don’t know, but I can’t wait to find out.

I’m a little worried that Michael Bay is involved in the project, but thankfully he’ll only be producing. Timur Bekmambetov (pictured above) will be directing. His previous directing credits include Night Watch, Day Watch, Wanted, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. He definitely has a cool visual style, so even if the story isn’t great, I’m sure it’ll be a pleasure to watch.

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, PunchDrunkCritics