Culture: Movie Spinoffs

Idea Prompt for 10/17/2009.

THE SOURCE: Can’t really tell you how I came up with this. It’s just something I’ve done most of my movie-going life.

WHAT WAS I THINKING… Next time you’re watching a beloved movie classic, think about minor characters and what their stories are. What happens to them after they leave the screen?

Why not make them major characters in their own story? I’m not talking about a prequel or sequel, as those words apply to the protagonist. What I’m talking about they do on TV all the time: a spinoff.

IMAGINE… giving your favorite supporting character a movie of their own.

… THE POSSIBILITIES:

Casablanca: After Bogart and Rains fled into exile,“Rick’s” was reopened under new management. Sydney Greenstreet now ran the place, with all the old familiar characters sticking around, including Sam the piano player. The time is just after the Allies land in Africa and the Germans are hurredly preparing to flee.

The Godfather: Tom Hagen has quite a colorful part to play in the Corleone saga. The horse’s head in the bed is worth a separate story all its own. His being the lone non-Italian non-Jew in the family makes him a unique character. You’ll want to fill in Hagen’s backstory when you research the real life mobster that Hagen is patterned after, Murray Humphreys.

Wizard of Oz. From Toto’s point of view. Seriously.

THE EXERCISE: Create a concept for a favorite character in a famous movie. Start with AFI’s Top 100, and look for characters whose stories haven’t yet been fully told.

NOTE: If you’d like to develop these Ideas further, just leave a Comment and share your work.