Needle
Adaptation of the story of a high school girl’s struggle to escape her father’s addiction into a music-driven drama.
Client
Miramax and Disney
Brief
Adapt the story of a high school girl’s struggle to escape her father’s addiction into a music-driven drama.
Process
I knew I wanted to write my friend’s story, as it related to my own experience as a child of an alcoholic. It took many years to pull it from our personal lives and into a dramatic narrative that felt truthful and larger than life. I was first approached by a member of Naughty by Nature who wanted to take it to Queen Latifah. After a year of story development and no progress, I submitted the project to IFP’s Emerging Narrative program at the IFP Film Market in New York. I pitched to six producers. Susan Lewis, then the Executive Producer of Alicia Keys and Shakim Compere’s production company, brought the project to Alicia who had a deal with Disney. They optioned the script through Miramax for development. I was hired as the sole screenwriter.
Result
Option and Development at a major studio.