Justin Kuritzkes is the screenwriter for the film, Challengers, starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor. The story revolves around tennis pros who are caught in a love triangle. It’s not just about the game of tennis, but about the game of love and power. Let’s dive into Justin’s process of writing such a damn good movie!
In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with writer Justin Kuritzkes to discuss:
- How screenplays differ from other written mediums
- Building up a story that would realistically exist in the real world
- The inspiration behind the story
- How writing the movie made tennis less enjoyable for him to watch
- Deciding on the setting of the story
- Surprising moments during the writing process
- Writing in cars, hotel rooms, and airplanes when you are pressed for time
- The questions he asked himself before writing the story
- Collaborating with actors and getting their feedback
- Feeling like you are watching the movie as you write the script
Memorable Quotes
- “The thing about screenwriting is that it’s such a rigidly formalistic, medium.” [3:52]
- “I started thinking about the movie and I started watching a lot of tennis. Quickly, I became an obsessive tennis fan. I almost didn’t want to write the movie.” [11:40]
- “It’s like the big bang. Once the character is there, it’s sort of like “Now, there is light!’” [14:23]
- “If you feel like you are watching the movie when you’re writing it, hopefully, other people will feel that way, too.” [24:37]
Mentioned:
CHALLENGERS
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