Fellow Travelers

Numerous writers are now part of the Austin screenwriters colony. Listed below are several prominent writers whose work will either be on screens soon or has been recently optioned.

Sarah Bird recently completed an adaptation of her novel, Virgin of the Rodeo, for Warner Bros. and just finished writing a movie for TNT. "It's about a wagon train of mail-order brides going up the Oregon Trail in 1852," Bird says.

Kim Krizan co-wrote Before Sunrise with Richard Linklater. Her screenplay, Mata, has been optioned by Browen Hughes at DreamWorks. She's also written with Sabina Murray a romantic comedy called My Life as a Girl that she reports has serious studio interest.

Tim McCanlies wrote and directed Dancer, TX. Pop. 81. McCanlies has written Iron Giant, an animated film for Warner Bros. Nickelodeon has commissioned him to write an animated version of Hank the Cowdog, which will then be used to kick off a TV series.

Turk Pipkin's adaptation of his novel, Fast Greens, is at Warner Bros. Christopher Columbus' production company, 1492, is "currently making offers to stars." Pipkin also estimates he writes "half the magic specials on TV."

Cary Roberts' The Life and Lies of Billy Sol, the biopic of the legendary West Texas con man, is in development with Lynda Obst Productions.

Tasca Shadix's The Book of Stars was produced by Shadowcatcher Entertainment (Smoke Signals) and makes its world premiere during the SXSW Film Festival. Shadix is now working on a novel and two original screenplays.

Jesse Sublett, the author of this story, has just completed the script for The Killer Storm, based on the monster 1991 storm described in Sebastian Junger's bestseller The Perfect Storm, for the History Channel. It's coincidentally the same subject matter tackled by Bill Wittliff in his screenplay adaptation of the book.

Clark Walker co-wrote The Newton Boys with Richard Linklater and is "shopping around" an original screenplay, Wall Dogs. --Clay Smith