The Dan speaks! There’s been a great disturbance in the Force. For the last few years,
@BenjiSamit
and I have been putting the pieces together in a galaxy far, far away. LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy is a love letter to all things Star Wars and LEGO, made by true fans.
Today is the opening of
#DetectivePikachu
This is the first movie
@BenjiSamit
and I have had produced, and we are extremely proud of how it turned out. For an hour and forty minutes, we want everyone to feel like Pokémon are real. We think you will.
I think the new version of Love Story by
@taylorswift13
may in fact be better than the original! Off brand tweet? No! Taylor’s absolute refusal to be taken advantage of as an artist is completely inspirational to me!
#TaylorsVersion
@dave_schilling
I know a lot of people have said Henry Winkler, but it is true. I worked with him. He introduced himself to every single actor, including the extras, with something like, "Hello, I'm Henry, and I'm excited to work with you today." He also brought home-baked cookies.
At my first job, the boss made me do a riddle to assess my intellect. He told me the riddle wrong, making it impossible to solve but still treated me like a moron. Totally degrading! Anyhoo, I’m off to run my tv show and that company is out of business. Hang in there, my friends!
For those who have never experienced being on a show that gets canceled, it is basically like dismantling a small village full of people who care about each other, people who will never all be together again. Definitely thinking of everyone who lost their jobs today. Onward!
When I hire people for TV rooms, I am shocked to find the question that tripped most people up the most was “what are your passions and esoteric interests outside of writing?” The show is shaped by such passions! Things I know nothing about are gold! Nerd out in these interviews.
Musical theatre geeks ONLY: What is a line from a musical that has insinuated itself on your life? For me, it is Sweeney Todd grudgingly singing “anything you say, anything you saaaaaay” in “By the Sea” as my go-to phrase for when I have to do something but don’t want to.
A few months ago, I had a bad physical. Prediabetes, high cholesterol, etc. I got scared I was not going to be around for my kids. Since then, I have lost 70 pounds and my numbers are good! Hardest thing I have ever done, but hopefully you are all stuck with me a bit longer!
I told you to watch this space, and here is why! Nothing work related but something even better. Twitter friends, meet Saul Rodrigo Hernandez aka Hot Rod aka Rowdy Roddy Hernandez! Saul, being born on Friday 13th, is already interested in the outré and the occult. Proud!
Twitter Pre-2016: Shaq and Ashton Kutcher tweeted back at me!
Twitter Post-2016: Some guy called Bobaphat69 does NOT like the early voting trends in North Carolina. I’m freaking out.
I am not part of the WGA negotiating committee, but if you put me in there with the AMPTP, lock the door, and let me explain in extreme detail with textual evidence my theory that Stairway to Heaven is about Galadriel from Lord of the Rings, this will all be over tomorrow.
It is my first day as co-showrunner. It’s hard to believe. Sometimes the most profound pleasure is setting a goal and not stopping until it is done. No matter where you are in your journey, find the moments that light the way and give you hope of arriving where you want to be.
I once worked with an actor who told all the writers after a table read, “I am an international superstar. Every joke you write for me has to be gold, and you are all writing me shit.” Then all the pens and pencils were put under lock and key, as punishment.
It’s 2022 which means many are turning their minds toward getting a job. So here’s another TV STAFFING THREAD! Some find these writing threads tedious, but as my friends can tell you, I have no problem being tedious. Today’s 🧵 : THE CUBAN MISSILE’S GUIDE TO SHOWRUNNER MEETINGS
It’s Hail Mary time.
@pizzahut
I am one of the writers of TMNT: Mutant Mayhem. Is there any way I can get one of these shirts? I will only eat Pizza Hut from now on. Every meal. I was participant in the Book It! program, so my history with your fine company goes back many years.
You never know who is going to turn up on the WGA picket line! The legendary
@GineokwKoenig
!!!!! Star Trek’s Pavel Chekov!! Babylon 5’s Alfred Bester!! My life is made!
#WGAstrong
#WGAsolidarity
THE CUBAN MISSILE’S PRACTICAL GUIDE TO TV STAFFING: Recently I’ve been fortunate enough to have two shows picked up to series. As a result, I’ve been reading tons of scripts to staff said shows. There is an aura of mystery around this topic, and I would like to be candid + open.
I don’t know much, but I do know if you want to stay married, pick one of your spouse’s enemies at work and get three times as angry as your partner whenever that person pulls some shit.
Whatever happens with
@OneDayAtATime
getting renewed or canceled, at least there are dozens of other shows starring, created, and written by Latinos that authentically represent our community’s experience, while still addressing universal topics everyone can enjoy. Oh wait. Damn.
I know there is a lot of division tonight. I hate to wade in. But it is indisputable that in Starship Troopers Dizzy Flores is hotter and more fun than Carmen Ibanez, and Johnny Rico truly fucks that situation up.
This is so demonstrably untrue, it's stunning. The WGA issued a counter to the AMPTP's offer weeks ago. If you talk to anyone with knowledge of this situation, on either side of negotiation, the truth is plain. This headline is meant to create fear, and it simply will not work.
Tomorrow my second movie comes out. I have two shows in production. 10 years ago, I had so little going on I cried when the Heat lost to the Mavs in the finals because it felt like my hometown Heat losing was a referendum on my life. Keep going, even if you take the L sometimes.
Avatar: The Way of Water was one of the most unbelievable movie experiences I've ever had. I never abandoned the Avatar hype train, and I am proud of myself this day. James Cameron operates at a level higher than anyone else. The whole movie was him shouting, "YOU DARE DOUBT ME?"
Screenwriting 🧵: THE CUBAN MISSILE’S GUIDE TO BEING A GREAT TV STAFF WRITER. In an attempt not to do the work I am actually paid to do, here are my thoughts on what makes a great staff writer. Subjective as always but hopefully filled with something approximating wisdom.
I’m 100% for adopting the proposed WGA “Additional Literary Material” credit. It’s absurd writers can contribute to a movie and receive NO CREDIT. There are big movies I’ve worked on I would love people to know about, not as ego, but as a track record that yields more work!
I once met with a literary agent who told me my work was “too sci-fi, too fantasy.” The exact things he identified as problems were, in my mind, my greatest strengths. We did not work together! All kinds of people will offer opinions on how you “should” write. Don’t listen.
All I can say is that 99% of the showrunners I know are in support of this proposal, including me. I am not going to demonize writers against it, but I think this is a classic Mr. Spock “good of the many vs. good of the one” situation.
The WGA proposed that TV shows should hire a minimum of six to 12 writers, but some writers disagree.
“Nobody asked for this,” said one prominent showrunner. “Every showrunner I know is against this. It doesn’t make sense to anybody.”
I talked to the other Cuban-Americans, and we are giving special dispensation to dunk on Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz in perpetuity until one of them shows medical evidence of a spine.
Many months ago, I somewhat flippantly bribed the twitter-verse for followers by saying I would reveal my worst celebrity encounter, which happened to be with a beloved childhood hero, at 10,000 followers. That goal seemed years away at the time. But here we are. It happened.
People think writers and actors are soft. And we ARE attention-seeking validation magnets. But pursuing a career in the arts is also brave, foolhardy, and kinda batshit. We have all withstood incredible pain to get here, and we can take much more.
#SAGAFTRA
#WGA
#Solidarity
There is only one piece of screenwriting advice you will ever need. Does your script contain three elderly women (and one’s even older mother) living together, sharing laughter and hard-won wisdom in their twilight years? If not, ask yourself why. I call it “The Golden Rule.”
It is November and you know what that means: it is the month we celebrate this guy who makes a conscious choice to jump through Axl Rose’s wedding cake in the November Rain video when he clearly does not have to.
So our show
@OneDayAtATime
got canceled after three season. But don’t be sad! Just consider how many classic things only lasted three seasons: Star Trek, Gilligan’s Island, and my parent’s marriage.
#ODAAT
#OneDayAtATime
Our show Ultra Violet & Blue Demon has been ordered to series at Disney Channel! The idea of Mexican/Latino superheroes for every kid in the world to see nearly moves me to tears.
@BenjiSamit
and I are ready to leap off the top rope!
For Hispanic Heritage month, I want to point out that writers from our community are interested in writing all kinds of stories across all genres. Sci-fi, horror, romance, fantasy, animation, everything. I hope the industry can expand the idea of what a “Hispanic” writer is.
I am only in part 1, but
#SnyderCutJusticeLeague
is already an incredible improvement. What an absolutely fascinating gift we’ve been given to study. The Snyder Cut is real!
So many times I have received a “best and final” offer that ultimately was neither best nor final. It is a meaningless phrase when someone wants something, and in this case, MUST HAVE something from you. We keep going until the deal is right.
Your moms are all great, but please acknowledge the 80s hotness of my mom and her band. That guy with the beard who looks like a better looking version of me is my dad!
@Marina_Sirtis
These kind of responses are bewildering to me. Star Trek is one of the most political shows of all time. It has given generations of people an ethical framework to strive toward, and as I get older, I appreciate it all the more.
What’s your favorite single image or cover from any comic book? My favorite is this masterpiece by
@thealexrossart
from Marvels written by the master
@KurtBusiek
. To me, this image encapsulates everything special about the X-Men. I don’t think there is a lovelier image in comics.
Small career advice 🧵 for writers: After writing on three sitcoms, industry people didn’t really get it when we said we wanted to write big genre movies. We realized it was up to US to change the town’s perception of what we were capable of writing. 1/
@maggieNYT
This is disingenuous to the point of intentional absurdity. Your absolute insistence that you bear no personal responsibility for shaping the narrative while opining and...ya know...shaping the narrative insults the intelligence.
If you are in the tv/film business, maybe take a quick second before speculating publicly about how bad/poorly received new shows/movies are going to be before they even come out. You may be right! But you may be dead wrong. Either way, it’s public and people remember! Bye!
My point in telling these stories is that ultimately positivity is a more powerful force than gossipy bullshit. I sat down to write the bad experience, and then I thought to myself, “why put this into the world?” Everyone has a bad day: you, me, or even a nameless mega-celebrity.
Part 2 in the never know who is going to show up department:
@tmorello
!! The Nightwatchman himself is helping us rage against the machine. Tom is not only the real deal when it comes to the rights of workers, he is also my friend.
#WGAstrong
#WGAsolidarity
Never do I see the argument that superhero content is popular because the world is so unstable and we want to believe in a higher, positive power, in much the same way the world was in the 30’s-40’s when superheros became popular. Not everyone who likes this stuff is a dumb baby.
At exactly 10K followers, I will reveal which people in Hollywood are nice and which people SUCK, including people you think are nice but actually suck. Follow accordingly!!!
I don't outline. I don't even write scripts. I recite the story and dialogue from memory like the great bards of old and someone does their best to write it down before I finish. I guess that's why people don't like working with me?
Robin f’n Williams came up to me shouting, “Dan! What a great joke!” Then he asked me for my permission (!) to alter it slightly. Of course, Robin! In the moment, I could feel my soul leaving my body from disbelief and joy. Even now, it hardly seems real.
This might be my last rodeo as a WGA Strike Captain, but I am SO proud of the work we did. I’m in awe of my fellow captains, the lot coordinators, WGA staff, leadership, and our negotiating committee. Future generations may not know our names, but they will know our legacy.
#WGA
The most talented actors, writers, directors, musicians and visual artists I knew in college, nearly without exception, do not create art professionally. You don't have to be the best to ever do it. You do need to be determined enough to Shawshank crawl your way to victory.
It's Hispanic Heritage Month! Here is my wish: more Latino TV/movie executives making decisions about Latino-centric content. I'm pretty tired of hearing things aren't "relatable." Guess what?! Putting our lived experiences on screen will make them relatable to everyone! Duh!
Once I had a meeting on a show for the diversity spot. The showrunners said, “We didn’t read your script, but we did print it out.” I retorted, “I guess that’s a good start. Next time try reading it.” We didn’t get the job. In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, I regret nothing!
Today, I will be leading my first network table read as a creator. It has taken a long time to get here. Just keep learning and believing in the stories you want to tell. With Crom on our side, we’ll all get where we’re going. And if Crom won’t help, to hell with him.
EXCLUSIVE: A Disney film is in the works featuring the character Figment. The feature hails from Seth Rogen’s Point Grey with 'Pokémon Detective Pikachu's Dan Hernandez & Benji Samit set to write
I guess the Mawg is out of the bag!
@joshgad
@BenjiSamit
Josh Greenbaum, and I have gone to ludicrous speed! Getting the opportunity to work with our writing hero
@MelBrooks
is quite literally a dream come true.
A “Spaceballs” sequel is in development at Amazon MGM Studios. Josh Gad is attached to star, as well as produce alongside Mel Brooks.
Josh Greenbaum will direct the film from a screenplay by Benji Samit, Dan Hernandez and Gad. Kevin Salter will executive produce.
Get the
One thing I do after a script dies is I migrate over my favorite characters to new scripts. It is a tiny way to feel like your work was not in vain and some part survives to fight another day! I have had a nerdy character called Spec traveling between scripts for 15 years!
I am going to take the fact
@HamillHimself
liked my Father’s Day tweet about my new daughter as a blessing from the light side of the force. A luminous being is she. Thanks, Mark!
I’m back into the
#SnyderCut
of Justice League, and I am still stunned by how much great stuff was removed. The theatrical cut ripped out the soul of this movie, particularly in setting up the characters and why we care about them! Could this be one of the great comic book films?
@JBennet
I'll fix for you. "Hi, I'm here to weasel out of our confounding decision to print something as obviously dangerous as Cotton's Op-Ed. I will dress up my intellectually dishonest argument by pretending I'm just 'letting the reader decide' and not normalizing calls for fascism."