The Screenplay: "Backgammon"
A screenplay draft of my short story "Backgammon" – with an open thread of development notes from Remy Bazerque, the project's director-collaborator, and our readers.
The Backgammon screenplay here.
The first of my 100 STORIES series was published in February, 2024. “Backgammon” tells the story of a high school senior who breaks into homes for both illicit thrill and the connection he finds in the private spaces of other people. He ends up in a complex relationship with a fellow classmate that explores intimacy, boundaries, and criminality.
Remy Bazerque, an award-winning filmmaker and fellow substacker approached me about working together to develop the screenplay for a short film of Backgammon.
This project has been particularly interesting to me because of my own background in screenwriting and film.
I was a graduate student in film at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Academy Awards, Golden Globes and over a billion dollars of box-office receipts came emerged from that class of twenty-five. I don’t expect I will be making a dent in the staggering success of my friends and classmates, but even years later, I’m interested in seeing something I’ve written on the screen. I cut my teeth writing screenplays, and I haven’t eaten.
We are also inviting you to join the journey and add your own perspectives.
I’ve worked at a snail’s pace with this project, but here, at last, is an initial adapted screenplay from “Backgammon.” As intended, this is a “throw it over the transom” start, but there is now a “something” to develop.
Our mission has always been to develop this collaboratively. From here, we will publicly exchange notes and suggestions on the drafts, working back and forth between a directorial and writer’s vision. Afterwards, the baton passes to Remy. Hopefully, you’ll find this dialog interesting.
We are also inviting readers to join the journey and add their own perspectives. Use the comments section below if you like. This is also where Remy and I will exchange notes. Join us.
You can find the screenplay for Backgammon here.
Our commitment to each other on the project is this:
Whatever draft of this screenplay exists at midnight on December 31st will be the “final” draft.
Over the following six months Remy takes the baton: he has committed to submitting the screenplay to a minimum of five screenplay competitions.
If there’s energy and the response is promising, he’ll begin the push for funding to shoot the film, push to festivals, etc.
So, we’ll see. But one step at a time as in all things creative. This is a step.
Here’s the story:
Here’s the original vision for adaptation:
Here’s the first draft:
Here’s the screenplay.
I loved this story and subscribed to Nathan immediately. i would love to see this filmed, although i do have my own film of it in my head... always a danger in film adaptations.
Oh wow! It will be fantastic to see this on the screen!!