The documentary Tales From the Script has been bought for release in America, and I'm surprised I've not heard of the film [Edited - Richard] before, for the documentary sounds very interesting as it attempts to look into the life of the screenwriter through some rather well known names.

It looks to dozens of Hollywood screenwriters and seems to be a companion piece, rather than the film version, of his book Tales From the Script: 50 Hollywood Screenwriters Share Their Stories (Amazon.com) which will be sold next year.

The documentary features writers such as Shane Black, Frank Darabont, William Goldman, Paul Schrader, John August, John Carpenter, Antwone Fisher, David Hayter, Peter Hyams, Zak Penn, Stephen Susco, to mention but a few of the big names in the long list from the film.

There are little details in the The Hollywood Reporter article, and looking at the blurb for the film it does give us some more information:

”Shane Black ("Lethal Weapon"), John Carpenter ("Halloween"), Frank Darabont ("The Shawshank Redemption"), William Goldman ("The Princess Bride"), Paul Schrader ("Taxi Driver"), and dozens of other Hollywood screenwriters share hilarious anecdotes and penetrating insights in "Tales from the Script," the most comprehensive documentary ever made about screenwriting.

By analyzing their triumphs and recalling their failures, the participants explain how successful writers develop the skills necessary for toughing out careers in one of the world's most competitive industries.

They also reveal the untold stories behind some of the greatest screenplays ever written, describing their adventures with luminaries including Harrison Ford, Stanley Kubrick, Joel Silver, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg. The film was produced in tandem with the upcoming HarperCollins book of the same name.”

Now that does sound a lot more interesting, but I wonder how much of the “untold stories” we'll really get to hear? After all the screenwriters will want to work again won't they? Mind you, it's always interesting to hear from people like Paul Schrader who are happy enough to talk about their brushes with the people behind the scenes.

Tales From the Script could be a rather insightful and interesting documentary.

[Update information removed - Richard]

By the way, you can order the DVD and book through their official site which also has much more information on the film.