#Guillermo Del Toro, Edgar Wright, And Other Directors Share Tales Of Their Unmade Scripts

As you can see above, Scott Derrickson, the director of “Sinister,” “Doctor Strange,” and the upcoming “Black Phone” also chimed in. He said, “I had a 5 year run before The Exorcism of Emily Rose during which I was paid to write or rewrite 13 screenplays — none of them got made. I was earning a good living but all of my creativity would be read by just a handful of executives. It caused a kind of soul sickness in me.”

This was a recurring theme in other replies from filmmakers like Duncan Jones (“Moon,” “Source Code”), who said, “Think of all the amazing art Michelangelo could have left us if he didn’t have to restrict his work to religious subject matter and the egos of rich benefactors!”

Think of all the amazing art Michelangelo could have left us if he didn’t have to restrict his work to religious subject matter and the egos of rich benefactors!

— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) September 21, 2021

Jones added, “People think that writing scripts is like writing books, but it really isn’t. It’s more like drawing up architectural plans for picky clients. If they’re paying for it, you are finding a way for your artistry to serve what they need, including making tweaks for their budget.”

People think that writing scripts is like writing books, but it really isn’t.
It’s more like drawing up architectural plans for picky clients. If they’re paying for it, you are finding a way for your artistry to serve what they need, including making tweaks for their budget.

— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) September 21, 2021

Edgar Wright, whose new film, “Last Night in Soho,” is almost upon us, replied, “Indeed, I said once about a project I was writing on, I think the better draft is buried under three coats of paint.”

Indeed, I said once about a project I was writing on, I think the better draft is buried under three coats of paint.

— edgarwright (@edgarwright) September 21, 2021

All of this serves as a reminder that even your favorite filmmakers are beholden to the whims of producers and the practicalities of budget and other factors. The names here all have an edge in that they have mostly been directing their own films. I can’t even imagine what it must be like for some of Hollywood’s unsung screenwriters, who have yet another barrier between them and the dream of a finished film.