When movie or show script gets stolen long into filming

When movie or show script gets stolen long into filming - Multiethnic family watching TV with dog on sofa

I remember reading something about Bryan Cranston's script getting stolen from his car at the time when he was playing Walter White of Breaking Bad. I can imagine something like this can totally throw a show off along with the audience eagerly waiting for every new episode.

So what would usually happen when actor's script containing key elements (i.e. finale spoilers) gets stolen mid-way through filming of a show/movie?

Small clarification: By "What happens" I mean things like i.e. Does actor get penalized financially? Does the Script get re-written? etc.



Best Answer

Scripts go missing all the time. There are bunches of them in circulation at any time, color-coded. The color-coding isn't to find thieves, but to make sure everyone's working from the same script.

A friend of mine, back in the '70s, paid his way through college by taking old scripts and selling them, which couldn't possibly have been legal—but nobody cared. (Same friend is now the head of a major production company.) I mention this because this whole "nobody can see the script!" is a relatively new, and probably still a pretty rare thing. (I mean, do you suppose that the producers of, at random, "Fuller House", care if someone gets a copy of the script?) With certain high-profile exceptions, like the comic book/sci-fi stuff, "script security" isn't a big issue.

As Daniel points out, above, nothing from the Sony hack seems to have had any influence on what got put on screen, with the possible exception of The Interview being scuttled.

I've never heard of anyone being charged for losing a script, but I can't swear it hasn't happened. I saw the printing end of it a lot, and it seemed like there were always plenty of extras as a rule.




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Can someone steal your movie script?

It's rare that an experienced producer will actually steal a script from a writer. Anyone who's ever produced a movie knows it's much cheaper and easier to pay you for your screenplay than to defend a plagiarism lawsuit.

How do I protect my script from being stolen?

Many writers will protect their work by way of the poor man's copyright. This entails putting the script in an envelope, sealing it and sending it to yourself via registered mail. Don't open it\u2014keep it sealed for any legal battles later.

What is a blacklist screenplay?

The Black List is an annual survey of the "most-liked" motion picture screenplays not yet produced. It has been published every year since 2005 on the second Friday of December by Franklin Leonard, a development executive who subsequently worked at Universal Pictures and Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment.

Do production companies steal ideas?

Never tell a stranger your idea. They may steal it. If a large, established film company wants your idea, they will probably just pay you money and give you a producer credit. If a successful, well-financed film company simply steals your idea, you can do nothing about it.



Screenwriters Shouldn't Be Afraid Of Their Scripts Being Stolen - Mark Sanderson




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