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July 2022
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After THE ONLY WAY OUT went to Netflix, our goal became to find a director and fast, while the script was still hot. Fortunately, we were prepared with an incredible list of potential directors we wanted for the film, FEMALE directors, who we knew would bring my female-driven story to life in the most incredible way.
We spent a lot of time talking about the unique flavor each of the following women would bring to THE ONLY WAY OUT. It was an incredible conversation, and I had a blast imagining the film through the eyes of each of these incredibly talented women. (If you don't know who they are, please look them up, watch their movies, and study their work. It's brilliant!)
Nikki Caro, MULAN (live action version)
It quickly became apparent that reaching these female directors wasn't going to be easy. Marty kept running into dead-ends. He'd been desperately trying to get the script to Chloé Zhao and Kathryn Bigelow, but it just wasn't happening.
That's when Steve called in a favor from a woman he knows, one of the most powerful women in Hollywood, someone on top of the food chain, so to speak, who has access to many of the directors on our wish list and could easily get my script to them.
In the meantime, Marty was working all fronts trying to find a director so we could get back in the door with Netflix. In the meantime, I had my fingers crossed that Steve's contact would get back with him about how to reach some of these amazing female directors. I really wanted a woman at the helm. Unfortunately, Steve never heard back from his contact, and it felt like we were in a race against the clock.
But then, on August 10th, the day after my birthday, I was with my husband and two kids, enjoying a day out. We'd ridden the train to Denver or maybe it was Centennial for the afternoon for something, I can't remember what, although we might have met my parents at a vegan ice cream joint to celebrate my birthday. Anyway, we were on our way home, just about to get off of the train coming back from Denver when Marty called.
I answered call just as the train's doors swished open. It was so loud, so chaotic I could hardly hear myself think. I plugged my right ear with my finger, pressed the phone close with my left hand so I could hear.
"Hi, Amy," Marty said warmly. "I'm on the other line with Stephanie (my manager). We found a fabulous director we'd like to talk with you about. You have a minute?"
"Yes," my mouth replied before my brain could catch up.
Marty said a few more things about the director, things I didn't even register. I was so, incredibly flustered. Adrenaline pulsed through my body, rocketing me to an unbelievable high and while Marty kept talking, I quickly mouthed to Justin that it was Marty on the line. The kids caught on and all of us rocketed toward the parking garage, to our car, in search of a quiet place for a phone call. I was also in desperate need of a pen and paper.
I hadn't been expecting a call from Marty, but the fact that it had come on a Sunday afternoon while I was out with my husband and kids was crazy and I was so relieved when Marty said he'd call me back in about 5 minutes for the conference call.
However, sometimes 5 minutes in LA is not 5 minutes in CO time and about 30 seconds later, while we were still sprinting to the car, Marty called back with Stephanie on the line.
"Hi," I answered breathlessly.
"Hi Amy," Stephanie said kindly. "How are you, dear?"
"Great," I replied, diving into our car.
"How are you?" I huffed, trying to buy myself some time to get situated.
As she replied, Justin and the kids dove into the car behind me. Justin put his finger to his lips to shush the kids. Knowing the kids were starving, I did my best not to pant into the phone, quickly tossed them snacks, dug a pen out of my purse, and opened the glove box in search of paper. The only thing I could find was a tire sales receipt envelope. That would have to do.
"I'm doing well," Stephanie replied.
From then on, the conversation was all business, and my hand was busy scribbling notes onto an envelope advertising a certain big-box tire store's tires and various locations while Justin drove
home. We did, after all, have two hungry kids in the car who had to pee.
Marty let me know that an up-and-coming director, Eric Schwab, who he had met through his agent, had read the script and loved it and wanted to have a meeting to discuss it. Eric was a 2nd Unit Director, the person responsible for filming stunts and "secondary" actors. He had worked extensively with Brian DePalma, who had given him the opportunity to direct A-list actors for some scenes in many of his films, including CARLITO'S WAY.
Not only that, but he was the 2nd Unit Director on TOP GUN: MAVERICK, which had just come out, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE III, VALKYRIE, MISSION TO MARS and so many big-name films. Tom Cruise loves him, and they often work together.
My head was spinning. Holy S#@! Holy S#@! Holy S#@! After discussing Eric's credentials Marty said that he and Steve were going to meet with Eric about the script on Tuesday. Eric had mentioned what he saw as his take on the film, and it seemed to fit, so the meeting was basically an in-person job interview to see if Eric was a fit.
I was so incredibly excited, but I was also conflicted. Because I'm a woman and because my script is female-driven, and because I believe in providing opportunities for other women, I really wanted a female director at the helm. Marty and Steve had expressed similar sentiments, and Marty and I talked about how it just wasn't working out.
In fact, Marty, Steve, Stephanie, and I were incredibly frustrated by how impossible it was to get my script to a female director. At one point, the jaded part of me even thought, well, it's no damned wonder more films aren't directed by women.
When you chain the door shut, then bury it in the middle of nowhere, you also bury the opportunities that are trying to find you. I'm sure there's more to the story and I'm not saying gender discrimination isn't still rampant in Hollywood (far from it), but at the time, from the outside looking in...
I digress. Back to the call. Marty said that Eric had some script notes and he told me what those were. I quickly filled every inch of space on the front and back and inside of the envelope and was starting to take notes on my arm when we pulled in our driveway. Thankfully, Justin ran inside and grabbed me the brand-new notebook I'd received as a birthday present the day before because Marty, Stephanie, and I spent the next 45 minutes discussing script notes.
I was thrilled with most of the notes and thought they'd add a lot to the script. Eric was an astute reader and his comments put my mind at ease when it came to him as a director. The changes/suggestions weren't major, just small things here and there, which was awesome!
When we were done discussing notes, Marty asked if I had any questions for the meeting with Eric. My brain was mush, but I managed to throw out a couple of questions before we said goodbye.
What happened next happened so fast it made my head spin.
Two days later, after a successful meeting with Marty and Steve, Eric Schwab was attached to direct.
Three days after that, Marty went back to Netflix with Eric's bio and scored a meeting between himself, Netflix Executives, Steve, and Eric.
Not only that, but the next day, Marty's agent submitted the script to Paramount. I was on fire! Things were moving forward at lightning speed, and everything was going so well...
To be continued... Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a post!