IP Finds 🔎: A Must-Option Real-Life 'Breaking Bad', a Crash-and-Burn Maître D'...
...plus a tragicomic fake hijacking; a magical fairies world; and a forgotten sports saga
Welcome to The Optionist! As always, thanks for reading. And a special thanks to all our new corporate group subscribers.
If you’re interested in a group subscription for your organization, email me at andy@theoptionist.community for more information. Solo subscriptions to The Optionist are $250 a month (or $2,500 a year — that’s two months free if you buy the year upfront). Think about it as $62 a week — a great value for having an extra set of hands to help find material.
In the past week, I really enjoyed mega producer Dan Lin’s comments in his podcast with The Ankler about diversity in front of and behind the camera, and how his Rideback Rise initiative is helping inclusive voices create big broad hits — particularly in an era he believes will be “ruthless” in terms of economic cutbacks hurting studio DEI initiatives. (To me Hulu’s Prey – which I love – is a perfect example of a hit that manages to be both broad and inclusive.) I’d like to think my newsletter is a good companion for this next uncertain chapter in Hollywood. I hope you agree that The Optionist curates some excellent (inclusive) stories whose themes are irresistible to anyone who loves a good story. Let me know what you think!
Let’s get right to this week’s picks. Between all the trailers for the League of Their Own reboot, the impending retirement of GOAT Serena Williams and drama around the detention of WNBA star Brittney Griner, I’ve been thinking a lot about women’s sports and how many untold stories are out there. Case in point: