I just read it and yeah, there's a lot of overlap. So back to the drawing board.
I love the original idea, but at some point I got stuck on it taking place at work because of the aforementioned thinking about killing the boss as being relatable. But the story doesn't have to take place at work because there are plenty of other people we fantasize about killing during the day.
So I've decided not to scrap my script, but to use this as an opportunity to get really creative. I went for the obvious - cube farm frustration and an irritating boss, but this is actually going to force me to come up with a scenario that hasn't been done.
It happens to everybody eventually.
Well, "9 to 5" got there even firster. Did you ever see it? Not that the idea can't be updated, but they spend half the film fantasizing killing their boss and then kidnap him...
ReplyDeleteYep, that happened to me this week too.
ReplyDeleteI was working on an idea about a man going to EXTREME measures to get over an ex... and I knew there were some movies it was close to. And then I watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall again, and I had this sinking feeling the entire time. I feel like the POINTS of the movie and my idea are different... but the plots seem too similar. I think I could pull it off -- but I think it's better just to revamp the idea entirely.
Oh well.
9 TO 5 came to mind for me as well. Actually, FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL always played to me like it cribbed a surprising number of details from "10" so I guess some of it depends on the execution.
ReplyDeleteAs long as no one uses my idea of a bus rigged with a bomb that can't go below 50 or it'll explode, I'm sure I'll be fine.
I had a great action concept going and before I finished it I spotted something similar coming out, so I morphed it into a comedy. Then yep, someone beat me to that too... drats
ReplyDeletethere are so many people i think about killing.
ReplyDeletewhy not switch from boss to coworkers of escalating difficulty and evil. secretly taking out the people you work with to get ahead is a dream i had last night.
I didn't think about 9 to 5, guess because it's been so long since I saw it. I did think about Swimming With Sharks, though. That's a damn fine film.
ReplyDeletePretty much the same thing happened to me last week. I'd been making notes like crazy for a slightly supernatural drama/thriller (would've depended) and then I saw Daybreakers which had done all the important things I'd noted. At least, I hadn't already broken the story or anything...
ReplyDeleteI can only emphasize:
ReplyDeleteSimilar but different. Your idea actually sounds more like 9 to 5.