Screenwriters / "Reno 911!" Stars on Writing, $$, Egos and the Inside POV

Screenwriters / “Reno 911!” Stars on Writing, $$, Egos and the Inside POV

Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon are best known for being funny, whether it’s as stars of Reno 911! or as the writers of hit movies like Night at the Museum. So it’s not surprising that their book on screenwriting plays things for laughs. For starters, it’s called Writing Movies for Fun and Profit. (With the “Fun and” part crossed out and a poolside pic featuring cash, bling and hotties.) But don’t be distracted by your constant laughing, or the ladies in the swimsuits – this is one of the best books of its kind. Here’s a taste:

Your hero needs to be likable, cool (and, by the end of the movie, EVEN COOLER), and attractive. YES, ATTRACTIVE. … No movie star is going to pick up a script described as “a fat, ugly, unlikable loser” and jump at the chance to play that role. … Sure, sometimes an ACTRESS will play her one “ugly” role, to try to win an Oscar – but if you’re trying to win Oscars YOU BOUGHT THE WRONG BOOK, BUSTER. We wrote the movie where the monkey slaps Ben Stiller.

Garant and Lennon took some time to talk with Amazon Studios about Hollywood realities, the perils of ego (and what to do with yours) and the many lessons of Die Hard. You’ll hear Lennon speak first.

Hear more: Garant & Lennon talk humor and how to punch up a script (which could be useful if you’re interested in this opportunity at Amazon Studios). And they discuss the differences between working in TV and working in movies here.

— Stephanie Reid-Simons