Yesterday, we had news of a six-figure spec sale for a screenplay titled Earth vs. Moon; today, we have Smash, a teen demolition derby drama from newcomer Aaron Philson Brown. And as far as New Regency Productions is concerned, it’s a six-figure idea, too. We’re that much closer to Ass, folks!
Barry Josephson (of the similarly-themed Enchanted) is on board to produce this chamber piece about a recalcitrant teen who moves to a small midwestern town where demolition derbies are all the rage. Desperate to fit in, the kid succumbs to the temptation of “smashing up fast cars with a fast crowd” – which makes it sound like Footloose with a concussion or just a bad Happy Days episode. Either way, there’s got to be a role for Lucas Black somewhere in here.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Aaron Philson Brown is segueing from a career in advertising, which makes sense since Smash sounds like the unholy spawn of market research (“Demolition Derby is the fastest growing sport amongst functionally illiterate males aged 15-34!). If this kicks off a trend of high-concept screenplays based on bad sitcom plots, I can only hope that we soon have a subgenre of films centered on kids faking terminal illnesses to meet famous athletes.