2025
A Filmmaker's Journal
When I look back, 2025 may seem like the year when everything started to tip over. I’ve worked on several screenplays throughout this year that may, potentially, really move in 2026. The main one, an original revenge thriller I’ve co-written with Ashley Price, seems to have a lot of promise. Its director, Isher Sahota, and producer, Issy Carr, are pushing for a major production. BBC Films, FilmFour, and Netflix have all expressed interest, and some major talent have been approached. That’s all I can say, really, but it’s next-level stuff. If it goes, it will change everything.
I hope.
That aside, there are the scripts I’ve co-written with and for indie filmmaker Rick Roberts - Improper Bastards, Zero Hour, and the western, Deadman Falls. I hope they see production in 2026. Especially Improper, which, along with having a great title, has a great cast attached, and I think it’s a really fun script. I see a low-level franchise there. I think Rick’s thinking the same, because look! There’s a poster for the as-yet-unwritten sequel already! I came up with the title of this one. Some of my best work, I reckon.
The other feature script I co-wrote this year was a big-budget action film set in the US. I wrote it with my regular writing partner, Matthew Waldram, and it was a hell of a lot of fun. I think it’s a great script, and if the Isher Sahota film goes, and I get in some serious rooms, it’s gonna be good to have this action film in my back pocket. Some strategic thinking going on there.
I also wrote several short stories - one of which I’ll be releasing on this Sustack at Christmas - and saw the completion of The Wilding and The House on Lidderman Street. Both of which will see the light of day in 2026.
Lidderman’s post-production was tough, but we got there. Somehow. We’ve just got to see how it goes out into the world now.
I think it’s because of Lidderman that I now feel such complete burnout. The writing side of things has been very exciting and fulfilling this year; the directing side, not so much. The Unknown Refugee aside, anyway.
Maybe that’s telling me something.
On the book side, my short ghost story, ‘Christopher’, appeared in the collection Spirit Season, edited by Alex Davis, and the 10th anniversary edition of Dead Leaves was released, complete with an all-new Introduction by horror legend, Simon Clark, plus a new short story - ‘Kim Basinger’ - and an essay by me. It’s a great edition, if I do say so myself. Certainly my preferred edition.
In fact, a production company has expressed interest in both ‘Christopher’ and ‘Kim Basinger’ to be adapted into short films, but that’s still playing out. We’ll see what happens.
So, lots of stuff done, and loads of groundwork laid for next year, but for now, as winter stretches out before us, I think I need to slow right down. I need to recharge. For the first time all year, I haven’t currently got a writing project on, and I think I need to keep it that way. I had been thinking about trying my hand at writing a play this winter (the one art form I haven’t yet tried!), but I think I just need to stop for a while.
Let’s be honest, shall we? All this work has made me about eight grand this year. That’s it. More pending next year if some of this work actually goes, but if things don’t change soon, I can’t go this hard for much longer. That’s just the harsh reality of things. It isn’t money that motivates me, but it would certainly help with continuing on. Plus, it would be nice to have some kind of validation after all these years and all this work.
Just putting that out into the universe…
Until next time, folks. Please buy my BOOK!
