“Hurry Up & Wait”

Almost four years to the month, I announced that I had sold the rights to “85 Grams: Art Williams – Drug Czar” to a major film studio who expressed an interest in producing a ‘True Crime Drama Series’.
After a number of false promises and three renewals to the agreement I severed ties with the Producer believing that with little to no effort shown thus far, it is likely agreeing to additional time will change nothing.
Within a week of kissing Producer #1 goodby, along came Producer / Director David Langlois, CEO of Gas Town Films in Vancouver.
David shared the vision of a True Crime Drama Series, yet he made no promises other than he would work hard in seeing it come to pass.
What I have learned over the past four years is that the film industry moves a Glacier Speed and the pet saying within the rank and file of the industry is “Hurry Up & Wait”. Such understanding is not native to my vocational past and remains far from acceptable today.
Having said that, in roughly eight months Producer David Langlois employed writer Jason Kelly and now has a final draft of the pilot for the series, plus what he refers to as a ‘Pitch Deck’ which I gather is the promotional literature that accompanies an invitation to those with the money to make things happen.
To date he has entertained no less than a dozen studios, receiving interest from many but for one reason or another, their timing did not coincide with David’s (or mine).
June 17th of this year he approached the producer of Heartland who took a keen interest in being involved in the production of the series. With his response he produced a marketing poster featuring Ian Tracy and Art and was dumbstruck by the uncanny similarity. (Ian had read the pilot and expressed an interest in playing Art Williams)
Since the 17th, both John Cassini and his brother Frank have expressed an interest in playing a part, along with three of the primary actors from Heartland, Graham Wardle, Chris Potter and Kerry James, and last but definitely not least Chelsey Reist of “The 100” wants to play Art’s girlfriend Shirley Ferguson.
Having learnt my lesson and now become so amazingly humble, I acknowledge this industry moves slowly even with the likes of David Langlois, so while I am encouraged, nothing is likely going to happen until the coming of the next Ice Age.