Writing movies for stars

The Writers' Guild of America, west, has a full transcript of a panel discussion about how to write feature films for Hollywood stars.

Well, we can all dream.

Randall Wallace (Braveheart, We Were Soldiers)claims to have asked three stars what would make them pick a certain script.

Mel Gibson said, "It's when I know I have to be the one to do this thing." I think like in Braveheart, it was when he read the moment when they jerked the sharpened trees up and they stood against the charge of horses. From that moment on, he was already committed in his heart. There's a Persian proverb -- "when the heart is willing you'll find a thousand ways, and when it's unwilling it will find a thousand excuses." And I think that that's the symbol, and my credo is, you've got to get to the heart. And his heart was "yeah, I can feel that, I can do it."

Kevin Costner said, "It's when I read a line of dialogue and I say, 'I have to be the one who says these words.'" Then he'll read great lines...and say, "Yes, I want to say that."

And Arnold Schwarzenegger said, "I can see the poster."