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SH - Chapter 21: A24
🕑 Added 2025-09-10 17:02:46 +0000 UTCSince Matt had classes at the university, Owen covered for him this time and worked with the editor today.
After the session with the editor, Owen went back home.
When he reached the door of his apartment, he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He tried to unlock it, but the screen was completely black.
“Damn it… I didn’t charge this piece of junk,” Owen muttered.
It was an iPhone he had inherited from the “old Owen.” The screen was covered in scratches and, for some reason he couldn’t figure out, the battery drained much faster than it should.
He stepped inside the apartment, dropped his backpack on a chair, and plugged the phone into the charger.
While waiting for it to power up, he turned on his laptop to kill some time watching YouTube videos and checking his email.
As soon as he opened his inbox, one email caught his eye.
The subject line read:
[Submission – Script: The Spectacular Now]
Owen froze for a few seconds before clicking it.
He hadn’t been expecting a reply. It had been just over 20 days since, one March night, he finished that script and uploaded it to The Black List.
The Black List is a website that gathers unproduced film scripts. Screenwriters can upload their work and even pay for evaluations. The site has a community of over 8,000 industry professionals, directors, producers, executives, and actors.
He had paid a $30 monthly fee to keep the script active and accessible to producers, agents, and executives. That included visibility within the platform and the chance of being discovered.
He had also paid $100 for a professional evaluation, where a reader assessed the script’s structure, dialogue, characters, tone, and so on. The script had received quite a high score, which is why Owen decided to publish it, though he hadn’t expected to be contacted so soon.
The script Owen had written and uploaded to The Black List was The Spectacular Now, based on the young adult novel by Tim Tharp, a book he had read, and later seen adapted into a movie released in 2013, in his previous life.
The story follows a high school senior known for partying and living in the moment. His whole life revolves around never missing a party and being the life of each one.
He invests all his time in parties and girls, with no plans to study. One morning, he wakes up sprawled on a lawn with no idea how he got there and meets Aimee, a girl very different from him, with whom he begins a romantic relationship.
In his previous life, the film had a budget of $2.5 million and grossed $6.85 million at the box office. That made it a relative success, bringing in about 2.5 times its budget.
It wasn’t a massive hit, but it later performed very well on streaming, further boosting profitability.
It was also acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, participating in various film festivals and earning several nominations and even some wins.
Owen opened the email.
[Hi Owen,
I read your script “The Spectacular Now” through The Black List, and it left me with a very strong impression. It’s an honest, intimate story, with an authentic voice and solid emotional depth.
The portrayal of the protagonist and his relationship with Aimee is handled with uncommon sensitivity. The balance between humor, vulnerability, and the emotional transition into adulthood is very well achieved.
At A24, we are looking for stories with soul, especially in the coming-of-age genre, with potential for contained production and strong emotional impact. Your script fits that profile perfectly.
We’d love to discuss a possible option agreement with you. Would you be available this week for a video call?
Looking forward to hearing from you,
— C. Méndez
Creative Executive | A24]
'A24!?' Owen thought, shocked and thrilled when he realized the email wasn’t from just any production company but from one of the most influential independent studios of the past decade.
A24 wasn’t just a production company. It was a mark of prestige. Their track record was full of films made on very low budgets that went on to earn massive profits. Even so, several films that Owen remembered from his past life as A24 productions didn’t exist here.
That hadn’t stopped them, though. A24 had found other stories to tell and bring to the screen.
Still, Owen hadn’t seen all of A24’s hits in his past life, which meant some of those movies still existed here.
One of them was Moonlight.
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2017 and the Golden Globe for Best Drama, Moonlight was a low-budget film that stunned the world.
It became the first Oscar-winning film with an entirely African-American cast and an LGBT theme, focusing on the life of a young Black man trying to understand his identity in a hostile environment.
It cost just $1.5 million to make and grossed over $65 million, a huge success.
But even so, Owen had never seen it. He was rarely drawn to films with heavy political or overtly social themes, especially in later years, when he felt Hollywood had become overly politicized.
Owen found it curious, even ironic, that A24 was the studio interested in his script.
In his past life, The Spectacular Now had been distributed by A24.
They hadn’t produced it, but they were part of the process that brought it to audiences. And now, in this reality, they were interested in his “original” script.
But there was something even more important: A24 didn’t just produce, they also distributed.
And suddenly, something clicked in his mind.
Paranormal Activity was in its final stage of post-production. The original plan was clear: get accepted into the Palm Springs Festival, premiere it in the Midnight section, and, if everything went well, catch the attention of a distributor. A tough road.
But now he had direct contact with A24. He had a script this studio wanted.
Owen replied to the email, thanking them for their interest and proposing an online meeting in two days. That would give him time to prepare properly.
He knew he had to focus on the script. That was the purpose of the meeting. But he also knew he had a unique opportunity in front of him.
How could he bring up Paranormal Activity without sounding desperate or out of place?
He didn’t want to come across as unprofessional, nor risk influencing the conversation in the wrong way. But if the tone of the meeting was open and fluid… if he felt confident enough…
Maybe he could mention it. Nothing forced. Nothing pushy.
Just casually drop that he had also produced and starred in a horror feature already in post-production, with a first cut completed and the possibility of screening at the Palm Springs Festival.
If he told them he had also written Paranormal Activity, they might be interested, since it would reinforce their trust in his screenwriting abilities, given that they were already interested in one of his scripts.
He needed to play his cards right.
As he prepared some notes for the script negotiation, key points, counteroffers, references, time flew by.
Around five-thirty in the afternoon, Matt arrived at the apartment.
Matt left his backpack on the floor and let himself sink into the couch.
“Damn… college classes are so boring,” he sighed dramatically.
Owen, who had sat back down in his chair, glanced at him with a faint smile before starting to tell him what had happened.
When he mentioned that A24 was interested in one of his scripts, Matt lifted his head, eyes wide.
“A24!? That’s amazing… wait, you wrote another script!?” Matt said, realizing Owen had finished another script and uploaded it to The Black List, where A24 had found it.
“Yeah… I worked on it quietly,” Owen replied, shrugging as if it weren’t a big deal.
Matt gave him a look that mixed disbelief with a teasing grin. “Uh-huh, sure. Very humble of you.”
Then he shook his head and smiled even wider. “I swear I’d tell you to just focus on being a screenwriter, but after seeing you act, I know you can do both.”
“Thanks,” Owen said with a faint smile.
“I feel a little offended that I didn’t know anything about this until now… but can I read the script?” Matt asked, curious about the story.
“Of course,” Owen replied, standing up from his chair.
He walked over to a small shelf where he kept some folders. He pulled out a neatly bound printed copy of the script. Even though he also had it in PDF, he preferred reading on paper. It gave him a more tangible, real feeling.
As Matt settled in to read, Owen continued working on his upcoming meeting with A24.
After a few minutes of silence, Matt chuckled quietly.
“The comedy is really well done. And the two main characters too. Sutter’s got a lot of personality.”
He paused.
“And now that I think about it… he’s got a bit of you in him. Party guy, a mess, allergic to commitment. You’re not writing about your dark past, are you?” he teased.
Owen raised an eyebrow without turning around. “You think so?”
“Absolutely. And the female lead, Aimee, she kind of reminds me of Sophie. Though, of course, she’s not as shy,” Matt said, resting his chin on his hand.
Aimee is a quiet, reserved classmate of Sutter’s, though he doesn’t realize it at first. She doesn’t stand out socially and prefers to stay unnoticed. Her mother is controlling and doesn’t want her to leave the state to study, which creates an internal conflict between her dream of becoming an astronomer and her loyalty to family.
Owen smiled faintly without replying. He knew those were coincidences.
“Still, from the brief descriptions, they do sound a lot like you and Sophie,” Matt added before going back to reading.
When Owen wrote The Spectacular Now, he had thought of himself as Sutter, his height, eye color, hair, lean build.
It wasn’t just coincidence.
If he managed to sell the script to a studio, A24, in this case, and the film eventually went into production, maybe that description could open a subtle door for him.
He had done the same with Aimee, shaping her after Sophie. If he could help his girlfriend, why wouldn’t he?
The chemistry the two of them could create on screen would far surpass anything A24 could get by casting other actors.
Although maybe it wouldn’t matter. Maybe he’d never have a say in casting decisions. But it had been easy to do.
Two days passed this way, and the time came for the video call with the A24 executive.
During that time, Owen had shared the news with Sophie, and she had been genuinely happy for him.
But, just like Matt, once the excitement of the good news wore off, she felt a bit indignant discovering that Owen had written, finished, and published a script without telling either of them.
He hadn’t mentioned it when he was writing it, nor when he uploaded it to The Black List, not even when he got the positive evaluation.
He had to make it up to both.
He calmed Matt with a large pizza, two cold beers, and a night full of laughter and conversation.
As for Sophie… well, let’s just say he had to enthusiastically meet other nightly needs.
Despite their “annoyance,” both ended up being key to his preparation. They helped him organize his thoughts and polish his presentation.
Now, seated in front of his laptop, wearing a dark blue shirt and with his hair neatly combed, Owen took a deep breath and waited for the clock to strike the hour.
He was ready.
Selling the script was important, yes. But just as important was planting the seed of Paranormal Activity.
If he could do it without sounding desperate, if he could spark genuine curiosity, then maybe…
Maybe Paranormal Activity could find something even more valuable than being accepted into a festival: a distributor with reach, respect, and prestige. A24.
Comments
Calvin Ellis
❤️Thank you for this moment.❤️
