ANONYMOUS

LegalDispatch 153

Apr 03, 2026

Happy Easter. Happy Passover.

Greetings from Encino, where I am chopping away at the screenplay for Last Flight Out, which I’m hoping to deliver to the producers by month’s end. I also completed a rewrite of a law show pilot that a friend of mine is developing to direct. It’s always nice to return to the legal arena and I wish there was more of a market for law shows these days.

Today, I received notes on the story area for PROJECT STRING THEORY (NBC pilot) and PROJECT SPECTRE (prose novel).

PROJECT VISTA is moving along swimmingly. This week, I finished revisions on Episodes 107 and 108 and we screened the animatic of Ep. 102 for the studio. Animated or live action, second episodes are notoriously challenging but I’m very pleased with how this one’s coming along.

And in between all this, I continue work on the next next novel (PROJECT DECADE) despite actual deadlines because I’m just having too much fun with it. It’s a sci-fi book but it speaks to our present moment and writing it is a lot like therapy.

FEEBACK

William N. Fordes writes:

There is an old Sicilian saying, “two people can keep a secret, if one of them is dead….”

Ah yes! THAT’s where it comes from!

[The Epstein Files] will out, eventually, because a DEM House and maybe Senate and maybe POTUS is coming, and then there will be FBI agents and clerks, and DOJ Asst’s and clerks, and Trump Admin Asst’s and clerks who will prefer not to go to jail for obstruction or other crimes, and they will talk. And eventually, the second part of the Jack Smith report will come out, no matter what [Judge] Aileen “Loose” Cannon does. And eventually, Trump will resign or die or be 25’d out. But my point is this: “…murder will out….” IF a vibrant, vigorous, aggressive group of DEMS take action now and post-midterms. And by “vibrant, vigorous and aggressive,’ I do NOT mean Chuck “Miffed Max” Schumer or Hakeem “Give ‘em agita, ‘Keem” Jeffries or any of the other passive-not-aggressive DEM leaders. Somebody with backbone and chutzpah and balls, maybe a little Brooklyn or Chicago in the blood, needs to be at the helm and appoint special counsel who will not stop — Jack Smith, redux, anybody; if Rip van Garland had not snoozed through the first two years of his tenure, and maybe appointed Smith earlier, we would not be in Iran……….

Simply put, from your post to God’s ears. And I heartily agree with your assessments of Schumer, Jeffries, and Garland. I vacillate over whether they’re incompetent, self-interested, or beholden to an outdated form of governance. Probably some combination of all three. Regardless of the rationale or explanation, the Dems are no opposition party.

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Don’t Bother Reading writes:

Can’t wait for Firefly!-- GENIUS!

Thank you. We start pitching next week.

Re: Epstein Conspiracy. But was his behavior hidden? No. This is, it seems to me, more a case of powerful men thinking, hey no big deal.

Not to sound Clintonian, but it really depends on your definition of “hidden.” I’m speaking mostly with regard to Trump and some form of smoking gun evidence.

Cameron writes:

Strong take, not only because it feels true, but because it's not being expressed anywhere else I look.

Thank you! (And I hadn’t made the connection that you were this Cameron until our dinner earlier this week.

AN INNOCENT GIRL

Production on An Innocent Girl began earlier this week and I’m very thrilled and excited. This is the first thing I’ve been involved in that’s gone into production since the ill-fated LA Law pilot in 2022. After two decades of working in network television, going four years between shoots is something that would have seemed unthinkable to younger me.

APRIL FOOLS’ DAY

Believe it or not, there’s an un-produced episode of the Batman (1966) TV series where the villain of the week was Two Face. I don’t know why the episode was never filmed, but in my travels I got myself a copy of the script.

During, I think, Season 2 of Arrow I got an idea for an April Fools’ prank to play on production: I would take that original Batman script, have my assistant change all the character names, and “publish” it as the next to-be-shot episode of Arrow.

That year, April 1st fell right in the middle of shooting an episode, so production’s first reaction was panic: How were they supposed to start shooting a new episode while one was being shot? To this day, I think they missed the point…

At any rate, if you’d care to read that fake script, you can do so by clicking here.

SHOOTING MY MOUTH OFF: WGA EDITION

April 1st also saw publication of an article on Deadline about the WGA’s staff recent strike against the WGA is “expos[ing] writers’ growing frustrations with the Guild.” Readers of this newsletter know that my own frustrations are both numerous and long-held. I was quoted a couple of times in the article which you can read here.

I’ve since gotten a lot of positive feedback from people who appreciated what I had to say. At the same time, many expressed surprise that I’d be willing to go on the record. As it stands, I’m only one of two Guild members who did so for this article. There’s also a perception that I’m one of the only people Hollywood reporters talk to about such matters.

Perhaps my all-time favorite comment on Deadline.com

The truth of the matter is that I’m — obviously — not the only writer reporters are talking to. I do, however, seem to be one of the few who’s willing to speak on the record (i.e., with my name attributed to the quote). Some people have described this as “brave” but I don’t look at it that way. Rather, when I express an opinion publicly, my default is to do so using my name. That’s not bravery; it’s being upfront and forthright. It’s being willing to stand behind my statements/opinions.

To be clear: This is no slight on those who choose to speak on background. In the case of the WGA, I have firsthand experience with what the Guild leadership — and membership — is capable of when you speak out against leadership. I also know that there are many writers who believe that leadership controls the hiring and firing of writers, so they don’t want to bite the hand that feeds them. (BTW, while I sympathize with this fear, I don’t agree with its premise.) In fact, I know many writers who won’t even speak to reporters at all.

The reason I mention all this is that I have a tendency — right or wrong — to view what goes on within the WGA as a microcosm of what’s happening in America. As such, I have to wonder if our present circumstances might be at least slightly improved if there were more people willing to speak out and do so from outside a shield of confidentiality. Whether we’re talking about the Writers Guild of America or just America, more voices need to be heard.

Be good to each other.

Best,

Marc

Encino, California

4.3.26

COMING ATTRACTIONS

A regularly-updated list of upcoming releases and events:

STAR WARS: JEDI KNIGHTS Vol. 2: A Higher Path (April 14, 2026)

THE WHISPER WAR #3 (April 14, 2026)

STAR WARS: DARK DROIDS OMNIBUS (April 18, 2026)

THE WHISPER WAR #4 (May 12, 2026)

BRING ON THE BAD GUYS TPB (May 27, 2026)