As I wait for the stars to align for my next film, I have kept very busy as a writer. In case you’re wondering, I have just crossed the finish line on three assignments:

1. Arthur And The Invisibles – This is a rewrite I did for a Luc Besson movie (formerly titled “Arthur and the Minimoys”), along with my co-writers Todd Edwards, Peter Bedgood and Tony Leech. It is a cool kid’s fantasy film, based on two of Luc’s books that are best sellers. We got to meet Luc and were assigned with the task of putting some of our American humor and “Hoodwinked style” into the existing film. The film is a combination of CGI animation scenes (which look beautiful) and live action scenes. We just got done with a first pass, which both Luc and Harvey Weinstein are very pleased with. There will probably be some more tweaking on this script as pickup shoots commence and animation is adjusted.

2. Escape From Planet Earth – Tony and I have completed a draft of the screenplay for Tony’s directing effort, a CGI animated film about aliens breaking out of Area 51. We are very happy with the script… but the real boost came when the Weinstein camp told us that it was “one of the best first drafts they’ve ever read.” Nice to hear. The next step is waiting for that magical GREENLIGHT from the studio that will put the film into production. Then Tony has a busy couple of years ahead of him.

2. Hoodwinked 2: Hood Vs. Evil – As of this writing, Tony, Todd and I have just completed a third draft of the screenplay. With each draft of this project, many scenes have gone through dramatic changes. But I think we’ve landed on something really great. It’s HUGE compared to the last movie. Big, big action, with a completely new look and tone to it. We’re very proud of it, and now we wait for the reaction from Kanbar Entertainment and Weinstein Company. Everyone is hoping that this is the draft that puts the project into production.

Whew.

Having these three assignments off my plate (at least for the time being) is a huge relief. It is also very exciting for me, because now I’ve got nothing but time and energy to throw myself back into getting my next film ready. I’ll have to keep the details secret for now, but it’s far more ambitious than anything else I’ve ever done. And that’s how I like it.