The ReWrite.

So, Elliot, we read your new draft.

Before we dive in, we just wanna know

how you're feeling about it?

Oh, me?

I mean, well, personally I feel really good about it.

Think it's some of my best work.

You know how they say write something

you would wanna watch?

Well, I think this would be my all time favorite movie

instant classic vibes.

I mean, "Friday" meets "Cooley High," you know,

four brothers just on the road bonding

and talking about life and we're just along for the ride.

Yeah. Well I love "Friday."

- Yeah, classic. - Oh.

I'm not sure that that was the takeaway for me personally,

but, you know, still my jam.

You know that other movie though that you mentioned?

I have actually never heard of it,

but I am gonna put it on the list.

Wait, you haven't seen "Cooley High?"

- Cooley High? - I mean,

you've gotta watch that

just so that we're speaking the same language.

- Sure. - That means none

of my Cochise references landed.

I guess not.

But now I'm gonna have to do a deep dive on Cochise.

Elliot, we love the concept.

Four young Black guys on a road trip heading back

to their HBCU Alma mater for their homecoming.

I mean, there's so much meat on the bone,

but the script, it just isn't quite hitting its stride.

- Its stride? - Yeah.

It's a little low energy.

And I think that these characters are like big energy guys.

I felt like you were hesitant

to let things get messy.

Messy? What kind of mess is it that you wanna see?

Frat guys, on the open road, you know,

we wanna see some shenanigans, you know,

I mean, where's the pull up to the strip joint?

And you gotta hit the Waffle House, right?

And I mean, come on, yeah, four young, you know, brothers

cruising through the South in a rented Scion.

I just kept on waiting for them

to get pulled over by the cops.

- Oh. - I mean,

they would, wouldn't they?

I mean, are we missing an opportunity here?

Is all I'm saying.

So, damn, y'all really don't like my script

'cause I don't do none of that trauma stuff.

I want these guys to be way more

unapologetically Black.

This is the time, this is the climate.

I wanna see these guys go crazy.

Go crazy?

Yeah, I feel like these guys

are just a little too buttoned up.

You know, just wanna see 'em get loose.

They're loose as fuck, like

- Are they though? - Yeah.

You know, I'm really starting to wonder

if I actually sent you the wrong draft,

like the earlier version.

You know, I think regardless of draft number,

that this is more of an overall tone issue.

I just keep on wondering if these guys

feel realistic enough, you know, authentic.

I mean, do guys like this really talk like that?

Look, I know the whole reason for me being here

is because y'all are trying to bring in

diverse new voices and perspectives,

but you have the diverse new voice

sitting right in front of you and you're telling me

what feels authentic about my culture?

Amen. Noted.

Maybe we just don't know any guys like this.

Well, maybe you should.

Yeah.

Respectfully.

The draft's not working for us, Elliot.

This just isn't what we had in mind.

But we wanna get it there.

We want this to work out,

but we need to get on the same page and fast.

Yo bro.

What the hell happened in the meeting today>

Bro, I don't even know where to start.

These people were on some bullshit, straight up outta line

indirectly saying, oh we need you to nigger this shit up.

Hell, they sent over the notes, man,

I don't see anything like that, okay?

They're just trying to make something

that people actually want to see

you trying to live out your August Wilson fantasies

in a college road trip comedy.

But you need to calm down, man, okay?

All of their notes are fixable.

Yeah, what they say?

Well, they think that the dialogue

could be more down to earth.

Yo, that means basic and more ignorant. Continue.

They think that the characters

could be a little more relatable.

You know, some more flaws might actually help with that.

And your jokes could be funnier.

The jokes are hell a funny

they just don't get the references.

Well pick different fucking references then

you always do this shit.

Do what?

Make everything harder than it has to be.

I'm starting to think you do this shit on purpose, man,

so you can feel like a tortured artist or something.

Listen man, those people were hell a fucking offensive

and you should be offended on my behalf.

Look El, I always got your back, man,

but it's also my job to keep it

all the way 100 with you, okay?

You need to deliver on this script.

We do not have room on the roster

for temperamental clients who don't make money.

Look, if this goes south, man, I cannot protect you.

Wait, what?

Do they even know that we cousins?

Hell no. They'll have the DEI fire my Black ass.

You know how hard I had to work

to earn these people's respect?

Last thing I need is for them thinking

I'm just trying to put my family on.

This whole town ain't nothing but nepo babies.

It me and you can't be cousins

that is straight up bullshit.

If you hate this shit so much, man,

what you doing it for?

What you mean? This is what I do.

But can I do it without shaming the culture?

It is really not that deep, man.

All of my clients, White, Brown, Yellow, Black,

all feel like they're just trying to create their art

and the powers that be are just trying

to dumb their shit down and make it more commercial.

This is not a Black issue.

Yo, sometimes I just don't see

how you can't see the writing on the wall.

I'm telling you exactly what you need to hear, okay?

You need to figure out how to give these people

what they are asking for.

I'm sending over the notes and I holler at you later.

And, Elliot, you need to get your head in the game.

You cannot afford to fuck this up.

We love the potential.

I wanna see some shenanigans.

I wanna see these guys go crazy.

Do guys like this really talk like that?

This is the time. This is the climate.

What's up bro?

Hell of a day, my dude.

Man, who are you telling?

I've been training back to back clients since 6:00 AM

it's my first break all day.

So now I'm just trying to soak up some of this vitamin D

and sipping on some of Mother Nature's breast milk

and chilling the fuck out.

We are electric melanated peoples, man.

This is how we revive ourselves.

What's good, Hollywood? What's the word from on high?

My shit crashed to burn, bro.

Ah, damn, again?

Yeah.

Babylon system strikes again, huh?

Shit, wow, man.

What'd your big head cousin have to say?

You know fake ass Jerry McGuire.

He just like, fuck principals, get money.

I don't even know why I asked, bro.

I'm not even surprised.

Hey, but you know what, man?

This might just be a test, you know?

I mean look, we all got blocks that we gotta get through.

This might just be one of yours.

Feels like a test to see if I'm down for the Okie Doke.

Whatever it is man, you got this, all right?

Because you know we don't play to lose.

No sir. We do not play to lose.

Bro, you wanna slow down on that a little bit, man?

Here, man, drink you some electrolytes instead, huh?

Ain't you off the clock?

There we go, two bills, one bill.

We trying to order some food.

- Yeah, I'm down. - Shoot.

What y'all wanna eat?

What about easy open?

Just think about this, the two areas

of entertainment that brothers dominant.

One being hip hop.

Obviously, yeah.