Sunday, November 17, 2013

Exodus 2014: Is Hollywood stealing my story?

So last week, the TV and internet were full of broadcasts about the Ridley Scott Exodus movie that is scheduled for release on 12/12/2014.  Big news that Christian Bale was cast as Moses and that filming of the biblical extravaganza was already beginning at the remote location in Spain. Immediately, I got a funny feeling… something felt familiar. So I started a search.  From here to there, I discovered that more than one element echoed MY script, The Story of Times, which I wrote over 20 years ago. Digging a little further, I found that the production is heavily connected to talent represented by the one agency that had read my script in 1992.  At that time, I had received a rejection letter from Ronald Mardigian, Senior VP of the William Morris Agency, indicating that the script had made its way, over 5 months, from the mailroom to upper level management.  I NEVER RECEIVED THE COPY OF THE SCRIPT IN RETURN, only a letter from his associate.

Why, you may ask, do I think the current Exodus movie is based on my script? Without even discussing their script, based only upon their casting list, first you will notice that Joshua, not Moses, not Pharaoh, but Joshua, is given top billing, and number two, as you scroll down the list of characters, you will find among the Hebrews and ancient Egyptians, a scientist Joshua and science are the main ingredients that I exclusively added to the biblical story known as Exodus.

My script, The Story of Times, weaves two stories together: one set in the future, and the other, set in ancient Egypt during the time of the Pharaohs.  Two main characters, each born in a different era, are connected and responsible for the greatest story ever told.  Read the  treatment of my script to discover how Joshua, a character from a time of advanced technology, becomes Joshua of the biblical story.  I don’t just tell the well-known biblical story of the Exodus, but rather I build up an entirely unique view of another story that is interwoven with the story of Moses.

Now, the important thing is to get the word out that I am the person behind those original ideas.  I just want credit for being the one who brought this story to the world.