Laurence Dworet
Encyclopedia
Laurence Dworet, M.D. is an American
screenwriter
.
In 1990, he and his writing partner Robert Roy Pool
sold their spec screenplay The Ultimatum for $500,000 against $1,000,000 if a film was made. It was the story of terrorists who plant an atomic bomb in an American city and threaten nuclear devastation unless their demands are met. Steven Spielberg
described it as one of the three most exciting scripts he had ever read and was going to direct it, but the script became bogged-down in endless rewrites
.
Using his medical background, Dworet and Pool wrote the screenplay for Outbreak
which they sold to producer Arnold Kopelson
for $250,000 as he wanted a rival virus picture to Fox's Crisis in the Hot Zone
. Kopelson then paid Ted Tally
$500,000 to rewrite the script.
An interview with Dworet can be found in William Froug
's book The New Screenwriter Looks at the New Screenwriter.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
.
In 1990, he and his writing partner Robert Roy Pool
Robert Roy Pool
Robert Roy Pool is an American screenwriter, best known for his authorship of the motion pictures Outbreak , starring Dustin Hoffman, and The Big Town , starring Matt Dillon. He also received a "story by" credit on the motion picture Armageddon , which starred Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton...
sold their spec screenplay The Ultimatum for $500,000 against $1,000,000 if a film was made. It was the story of terrorists who plant an atomic bomb in an American city and threaten nuclear devastation unless their demands are met. Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
described it as one of the three most exciting scripts he had ever read and was going to direct it, but the script became bogged-down in endless rewrites
Development hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...
.
Using his medical background, Dworet and Pool wrote the screenplay for Outbreak
Outbreak (film)
Outbreak is a 1995 American disaster film starring Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Spacey. The film was directed by Wolfgang Petersen. In addition, Outbreak features Cuba Gooding, Jr., Donald Sutherland, and Patrick Dempsey....
which they sold to producer Arnold Kopelson
Arnold Kopelson
Arnold Kopelson is an American film producer.Among his credits are Platoon, Seven, Outbreak, The Fugitive and The Devil's Advocate.-Biography:...
for $250,000 as he wanted a rival virus picture to Fox's Crisis in the Hot Zone
Crisis in the Hot Zone
Crisis in the Hot Zone was the title of a 1992 non-fiction article by Richard Preston in The New Yorker. It chronicles the story of how the U.S...
. Kopelson then paid Ted Tally
Ted Tally
Ted Tally is an American playwright and screenwriter.-Screenwriter:Born William Theodore Tally in North Carolina, Tally was educated at Yale College and the Yale School of Drama, and has also taught at each of them...
$500,000 to rewrite the script.
An interview with Dworet can be found in William Froug
William Froug
William Froug is an Emmy award-winning American television writer and producer. His producing credits include the series The Twilight Zone, Gilligan's Island, and Bewitched. In addition he wrote teleplays for The Dick Powell Show, Charlie's Angels, and The New Twilight Zone...
's book The New Screenwriter Looks at the New Screenwriter.