It's the time of year when major Hollywood studios are thirsty for new screenplays that are sure to be the next big summer blockbuster. Screenwriters — who often work in teams — desperately try to get their foot in the door, to arrange a meeting with a powerful film director. There are so many screenwriters knocking on the door, but major breakthroughs are one in a million.
Million Dollar Script is set in a lavish Hollywood office. Through extensive market research, the studio has identified the perfect hero, as well as an equally perfect villain counterpart to make millions. But other than that, these bigwigs don't take any risks; they will follow that tried and tested structure of almost every record-breaking blockbuster of the past forty years. This film will be one of the greats such as Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, The Avengers and Titanic.
Two writing teams are invited to pitch their best and foremost ideas to a studio executive, also known as "the Exec." During the meeting, both teams work on the same film, pitching their ideas for each of the five traditional story events. Each round, the Exec chooses the pitch they prefer, which then becomes part of the shared storyline. The losing field is thrown away and treated as if it never existed, just like what should have happened with Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000.
Each team of screenwriters tries to worm their way into the Exec's good graces by winning the majority of the five rounds and scoring points to secure the profitable writing deal for themselves.