‘Based On a True Story’: 4 Narratively Pieces That Were Born to Star In Hollywood
‘Based On a True Story’: 4 Narratively Pieces That Were Born to Star In Hollywood
3,000 stories since our inception, our founder has learned a thing or 20 about what makes a true tale irresistible to the Hollywood gods. Here are a few he plans to bring to a screen near you.
There’s something about seeing the words “Based on a True Story” flash across your screen that makes you inch forward in your seat. Suddenly, that movie or TV series is imbued with weight and consequence that just isn’t there in a work of pure fiction.
Ask my wife and she’ll tell you it doesn’t take an emotional masterpiece to get my tears flowing. (Procter & Gamble’s “Thank You, Mom” Olympics campaign, anyone?) But I cry extra hard at the concluding tackle scene in Rudy, inspired by the true story of underdog Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger’s role as a defensive end at Notre Dame. I’m in complete awe of the sheer genius and utter atomic destruction portrayed in Oppenheimer. I cringe, a lot, at the repulsive sexism and shocking biomedical deception in The Dropout, about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, and I’m equally horrified and inspired by the excruciating journey of the Exonerated Five in When They See Us.
As a reader, writer and editor, I find myself totally immersed in narrative nonfiction storytelling — that’s why I do what I do. And as a TV and film producer, I recognize the value in Narratively’s unique brand of stories, or “intellectual property,” to serve as a magnet that inspires stakeholders at even greater scale — by bringing together producing partners, screenwriters, studio executives, directors and actors to form the teams that help translate our remarkable storytelling for the masses. To this end, I’ve collaborated with Hollywood partners from Amazon to Disney, LeBron James, Warner Bros. and many more.
I’m no clairvoyant, but across dozens of projects and countless meetings and inquiries asking “Is this story available?” I can now predict, as early as when I first hear a pitch from one of our writers, how much Hollywood buzz a Narratively story will create. Below are a few of those that have generated some of the most interest, the pieces that are at the very top of my own “must-adapt-for-the-screen” list. If you agree with any of these picks, please share your ideas in the comments for a dream actor you’d like to see in a particular role — ’cause they (or their agent) just may be reading this!
1. The Deep South’s Dames of Dildos
Story by Hallie Lieberman
In a Bible-belt state where sex toy stores are illegal, a church-going grandma, enterprising mom and sassy granddaughter build a booming business hawking penis pumps and butt plugs—and helping every person find their path to pleasure.
Why It’s Ripe for the Screen:
If I had a dollar for every time I heard a Hollywood partner say they wanted a “female Succession, Breaking Bad or Ozark” I may not be a rich man but I could probably buy a nice new pair of pants to wear to my next Hollywood pitch meeting, which is not nothing. In this case, instead of New York media moguls and drug kingpins in the mountains of Missouri, we’re swapping in the deep red South, the allure of illicit dildos, and the colorful personalities of three generations of women who peddle them. Fun, sexy, inclusive and suspenseful. Yes, please.
2. A Gilded Age Tale of Murder and Madness
Story by Kay Adams and Nancy Markey
In opulent seaside Newport, a wealthy and beloved Black businessman turns up dead. The prime suspect is his son-in-law, a dashing medical student set to become one of the country’s first Black surgeons. The resulting trial will tear the town in two.
Why It’s Ripe for the Screen:
In this Black Gilded Age whodunit set in the elite enclave of Newport, Rhode Island, you have an irresistible murder mystery set against the tantalizing backdrop of wealth, privilege and the continued oppression of the African-American community. If this weren’t enough, our writers behind the story have a series of other Gilded Age murders they’re dissecting one by one. Movie franchise, anyone?
3. My High School Girlfriend Became America’s Most Wanted Drug Queenpin
Story by Jonathan Reiss
I lost my virginity to the baddest goth girl at theater camp. When I tracked her down fifteen years later I discovered just how dangerous Liz Barrer really was.
Why It’s Ripe for the Screen:
This is not your typical drug queenpin tale. It’s what I like to call a “true-crime romance,” bubbling over with nostalgia for young love and centered on the do-or-die quest of our memoirist, Jon, to investigate why his ex, Liz, broke bad. Is there still time to rekindle the old flame? Can Jon save Liz, or, perhaps just as importantly, save himself? Or will he break bad along the way? You’ll have to read, and watch, to find out!
4. My High-Flying Life as a Corporate Spy Who Lied His Way to the Top
Story by Robert Kerbeck
I was just looking to make rent when I stumbled into a part-time gig stealing secrets from Wall Street elite. I made millions once I realized how desperate we humans are for someone who will actually listen.
Why It’s Ripe for the Screen:
If there’s anything Hollywood loves more than unexpected perspectives on exclusive subcultures, it’s entryways into these worlds that revolve around crime, deception and “Robin Hood” tales. Enter Robert Kerbeck, who spent decades deceiving America’s most powerful corporate giants so that he could help his high-paying headhunter clients poach those companies’ talent. (OK, so Robert wasn’t exactly stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, but Hollywood’s other major weakness is morality tales, and his story, also a book, delivers in spades, without sacrificing the suspense and fun of taking aim at the 0.1 percent.)
Interested in teaming up to develop one of these for the screen? Or do you have a favorite Narratively story not on this list that deserves its own Hollywood debut? Give us a shout at hello@narratively.com or drop a line in the comments.
Noah Rosenberg is the founder and CEO of Narratively.