OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East

Host Alison Herman talks to writer and director Noah Baumbach about the adaptation process, how his frequent collaborators influence and inform his work, and much more. Noah Baumbach is the writer/co-writer and director of more than a dozen feature films, starting with KICKING AND SCREAMING in 1995. His 2005 film THE SQUID AND THE WHALE and his 2020 film MARRIAGE STORY were both nominated for the Academy and Writers Guild awards for Original Screenplay. Most recently, he wrote and directed the absurdist dramedy WHITE NOISE. An adaptation of the 1985 Don DeLillo novel of the same name, the film follows college professor Jack Gladney, whose comfortable suburban life is upended when a nearby chemical leak causes "The Airborne Toxic Event," releasing a noxious black cloud over the region that forces the Gladney family to evacuate. WHITE NOISE was released in November 2022 and is available to stream on Netflix. Alison Herman is a staff writer for The Ringer, where she writes about culture in general and television in specific. When not fighting a losing battle against Peak TV, she tweets at @aherman2006. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Host Katie Rich talks to TOONING OUT THE NEWS co-creator and showrunner RJ Fried about how animation can help us address uncomfortable subjects, the challenges of covering topical issues on a streaming platform, and his transition from professional hockey player to professional writer. RJ Fried is a writer and performer. He co-created OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT, was the head writer on PROBLEMATIC WITH MOSHE KASHER, a writer on THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, and wrote on the Writers Guild Award-winning series TRIUMPH’S ELECTION WATCH 2016. He’s currently showrunner for the animated satirical news program TOONING OUT THE NEWS, which he co-created with Stephen Colbert, Chris Licht, and Tim Luecke. The show features a cast of animated characters, led by anchor James Smartwood, who lampoon top news stories and interview real-world guests, newsmakers and analysts. Seasons 1 and 2 of TOONING OUT THE NEWS can be streamed on Paramount+. Season 3 can be streamed on Comedy Central, and new episodes air on Wednesdays after THE DAILY SHOW. Katie Rich is an Emmy-nominated, WGA and Peabody award-winning writer, actor and producer who attended Northwestern University before joining Chicago’s Second City. After Second City, Katie joined the writing staff of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, where she worked for seven seasons. She has also written for and consulted on many award shows such as The Emmys, The Academy Awards, The Golden Globes, The ESPYs, and NFL Honors. You can hear her writing on NPR's LIVE FROM HERE or actually hear her voice on Showtime's OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT, HBO’s BATMAN: THE AUDIO ADVENTURES and Netflix’s CHICAGO PARTY AUNT, on which she also served as co-creator and executive producer. Katie currently lives in Los Angeles where she is co-executive producer on the spin-off of HBOMax’s HARLEY QUINN. Follow Katie on Twitter at @katiemaryrich. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Host Alison Herman is joined by Lena Dunham to talk about the challenges of adaptation, the impact of success at an early age, discovering a love for outlining, and how it all comes back to the writing. Lena Dunham is the writer and director of several feature films, including TINY FURNITURE and SHARP STICK, as well as the creator and star of the acclaimed HBO series GIRLS. Most recently, she is the writer and director of CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY. CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY is an adaptation of the 1994 novel of the same name by Karen Cushman. The film follows Catherine (known as Birdy), the daughter of a financially destitute Lord in medieval England, and her efforts to thwart her father's plans to marry her off to a wealthy suitor. The comedy film premiered in September 2022 and is available to stream on Prime Video. Alison Herman is a staff writer for The Ringer, where she writes about culture in general and television in specific. When not fighting a losing battle against Peak TV, she tweets at @aherman2006. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Host Alison Herman talks to THE MENU co-writers Will Tracy and Seth Reiss about the transition from satirical newspaper to late-night to feature writing, finding humor in sadness, the shared qualities between restaurant kitchens and writing rooms, and much more. Will Tracy and Seth Reiss are veterans of late-night shows like LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER and LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS, and before that, the satirical newspaper The Onion. Their first-ever feature screenplay is THE MENU, a horror satire that is set in the world of fine dining. The film was released in November 2022 and is now playing in theaters. Alison Herman is a staff writer for The Ringer, where she writes about culture in general and television in specific. When not fighting a losing battle against Peak TV, she tweets at @aherman2006. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Host Marina Fang is joined by SHE SAID screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz to discuss the process of collaborating with Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, how screenwriting compares to the world of theater, creating a realistic depiction of journalism on screen, the importance of giving a voice to survivors, and more. Rebecca Lenkiewicz is a screenwriter and playwright. Her plays have been performed in London and internationally including at London's Royal National Theatre, and she has written numerous productions for BBC Radio. As a screenwriter, she is known for co-writing the 2013 drama IDA, the 2017 romance DISOBEDIENCE, and the 2018 biopic COLETTE, as well as for her work on TV series SECRET DIARY OF A CALL GIRL, THE EDDY, and SMALL AXE.   SHE SAID is based on the groundbreaking New York Times investigation by reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, and their editor Rebecca Corbit, as well as Jodi and Megan's book of the same name. The film follows Twohey and Kantor through the process of publishing the story that exposed sexual abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein—and became a launching pad for the #MeToo movement, shattering decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault and harassment. The film premiered in September 2022 at the New York Film Festival, and will be released in theaters in the US on November 18, 2022. Marina Fang (she/her) is a senior culture reporter at HuffPost, based in New York. She primarily covers film and television, examining their intersection with politics, race and gender. She can be found on Twitter at @marinafang. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Host Alison Herman talks to writer and director James Gray about his upbringing as a secular Jew in Queens, attempting to empathize with Maryanne Trump, the purpose of art in encouraging empathy across class and racial lines, and more. James Gray is the writer and director of eight feature films, beginning with his 1999 debut LITTLE ODESSA, as well as films like the 2007 crime thriller WE OWN THE NIGHT and the 2013 drama THE IMMIGRANT, and the 2016 biopic THE LOST CITY OF Z. Most recently, he directed Brad Pitt in the 2019 space drama AD ASTRA, which he co-wrote with Ethan Gross. His latest project as writer-director is the semi-autobiographical drama ARMAGEDDON TIME, in which he returns to New York and more specifically Queens for an intimate portrait of social class, assimilation and coming of age. ARMAGEDDON TIME was released in late October 2022 and is now playing in theaters nationwide. Alison Herman is a staff writer for The Ringer, where she writes about culture in general and television in specific. When not fighting a losing battle against Peak TV, she tweets at @aherman2006. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Host Alison Herman talks to writer and director David O. Russell about themes like love and loyalty in AMSTERDAM, his long collaboration with actors like Christian Bale, his real life work with organizations like Ghetto Film School to increase representation in Hollywood, and more. David O. Russell is a writer and director known for films like THE FIGHTER, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, AMERICAN HUSTLE, and JOY. He has received numerous accolades for his screenplays, including three Academy and Writers Guild Award and two Golden Globe nominations, and two BAFTA and Independent Spirit Awards. He has also received multiple nominations and wins for his directorial work. His latest project is the period mystery film AMSTERDAM, which he wrote and directed. The comedy follows three friends and World War I veterans who witness—and are subsequently implicated in—the murder of a U.S. Senator and wind up uncovering one of the most outrageous plots in American history. The film will be released in theaters on October 7, 2022. Alison Herman is a staff writer for The Ringer, where she writes about culture in general and television in specific. When not fighting a losing battle against Peak TV, she tweets at @aherman2006. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Host Marina Fang talks to Jessica Knoll about the extensive process of adapting her own book, how her personal experiences shaped the film, why Gillian Flynn is her guiding light, and so much more. Jessica Knoll is a screenwriter and novelist known for her thrillers Luckiest Girl Alive, and The Favorite Sister. In 2021, she was named a screenwriter to watch by Variety, and in 2019 her original script, 'TIL DEATH sold to Amazon and made The Black List. Her feature screenplay debut, LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE, is an adaptation of her first novel (of the same name). The mystery-thriller stars Mila Kunis as Ani Fanelli, an up-and-coming writer at a glossy magazine who is set to get married at a lavish Nantucket wedding. But when a director of a documentary urges Ani to go on camera to tell her side of a school shooting that took place when she was a teenager, Ani is forced to confront the dark truths of her past that threaten to unravel her meticulously crafted life. The film premieres on October 7, 2022 and will be available to stream on Netflix. Marina Fang (she/her) is a senior culture reporter at HuffPost, based in New York. She primarily covers film and television, examining their intersection with politics, race and gender. She can be found on Twitter at @marinafang. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Host Greg Iwinski talks to Greg Mottola about leaning into the absurdity of the everyday, bringing a 70s-era whodunnit into the 21st century, our rediscovered love of murder mysteries, and much more. Writer and director Greg Mottola began his career with his 1996 indie dramedy film THE DAYTRIPPERS, for which he received a Golden Camera nomination at the Cannes Film Festival for best first feature film. He then went on to direct the hit 2007 coming-of-age comedy SUPERBAD, then wrote and directed the critically acclaimed 2009 film ADVENTURELAND, which earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Screenplay. Since then, he has gone on to direct other film projects like PAUL and KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES. Mottola has also directed episodes of several hit television series, including the pilots of FX’s DAVE and HBO’s THE NEWSROOM, as well as episodes of the THE COMEBACK, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, UNDECLARED, and THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS. He most recently wrote and directed the crime comedy film CONFESS, FLETCH, which is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Gregory Mcdonald and a reboot of the hit 1980s series starring Chevy Chase. CONFESS, FLETCH stars Jon Hamm as the roguishly charming and endlessly troublesome Fletch, who becomes the prime suspect in a murder case while searching for a stolen art collection. The only way to prove his innocence? Find out which of the long list of suspects is the culprit - from the eccentric art dealer and a missing playboy to a crazy neighbor and Fletch’s Italian girlfriend. Crime, in fact, has never been this disorganized. The film will be released simultaneously in limited theaters and on paid digital streaming platforms on Friday, September 16, and will be available to stream on Showtime starting October 28. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Host Alison Herman talks to OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH showrunner David Jenkins about the creative freedoms that come with a virtual writer's room, why the true story of pirates Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard makes the most sense as a romance, the labor implications of ratings transparency in the streaming age, and much more. David Jenkins is a television writer, showrunner, producer, and playwright. He’s known for creating the 2016 TBS sci-fi comedy series PEOPLE OF EARTH, and for his work as creator and showrunner of the acclaimed HBO Max pirate workplace rom-com series OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH. OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH is a (very) loose adaptation of the true adventures of 18th century would-be pirate Stede Bonnet. After trading in the seemingly charmed life of a gentleman for one of a swashbuckling buccaneer, Stede becomes captain of the pirate ship Revenge. Struggling to earn the respect of his potentially mutinous crew, Stede’s fortunes change after a fateful run-in with the infamous Captain Blackbeard. Stede and crew attempt to get their ship together and survive life on the high seas. The series, which was recently renewed for a second season, premiered on HBO Max in March 2022. The full first season is available to stream on HBO Max. Alison Herman is a staff writer for The Ringer, where she writes about culture in general and television in specific. When not fighting a losing battle against Peak TV, she tweets at @aherman2006. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast