SYNOPSIS:

Teaser: https://youtube.com/shorts/sxs8t3Wgxao?si=sGvsoYIjHucQyHXl

Blacklist reader: DIAMONDFIRE delivers an entertaining and absurd crime comedy carried by the sly comedic chemistry between a colorful cast of desperate people. The banter between Five and Seven stands out in particular, capturing the 70s era and vibrant world.

The interactions are seamless on the page and will be even more engaging with the right comedic leads embodying these characters. The genre piece is elevated by sharp dialogue that establishes its wry tone and produces unexpected laughs from each bizarre criminal caper. Dana is an enigma, slightly off-kilter yet unassuming enough to drive the narrative forward with the audience’s trust. Seven grows into an unexpectedly sharp wing-woman, her underlying fierceness with a hint of compassion ignites a curious but magnetic attraction. Her sincerity grounds the story as the heightened action cruises out of control. The rapid-fire murders and criminal entities create the perfect unpredictability of a ticking time bomb, filled with increasingly bloody, violent visual spectacle and clear high stakes. The writer deftly juggles the interwoven storylines, allowing the audience to enjoy each of these ‘train wrecks’ as they intersect with barely controlled chaos.

An amusing, irreverent comedy with non-stop action should give DIAMONDFIRE good prospects as a mid-scale action comedy for indie producers and streamers alike. As mentioned above, there is some development work to be completed, but the premise and genre should garner attention even as that work is in progress. The leads are castable, and the writer could likely win commitments from actors and directors with the current draft. Top-tier talent may still be necessary to produce a recoupable film in the current marketplace. It would also come as no surprise were the screenplay to garner attention as a writing sample, as the draft is assured, and the writer is one to watch.

Synopsis: Set in 1975 Los Angeles, the film follows Dana Marigold fomerly known as "Six", a retired hitwoman living now as a suburban wife and stepmother. When her ungrateful stepson steals from a dangerous German named Wenzel who leads an elite team of hitmen, Dana is forced back into the violent world she swore off. The job reunites her with her rag tag hit crew — her unstable former protégée Seven, who still works for their calculating ex-boss Zero, and her stoic former partner Five, a man caught between professional loyalty, his secret relationship, and the judgment of his homophobic father. What begins as a desperate bid to save her new family spirals into a bloody reckoning between the people who once were her family — testing the limits of loyalty, forgiveness, and the myth of starting over.

The further: Diamondfire is a script written to be read not just a production blueprint but a story meant to live on the page. It’s my ode to Quentin Tarantino. The script helped me land my first contract offer as a sample, which left me wondering whether I’d just been lucky or if I might actually be good at this. Some readers have compared it to Pulp Fiction — a high honor that led me to describe it as Will & Grace meets Pulp Fiction: a darkly comic crime story about family, identity, and the strange tenderness hiding inside chaos. —————

In practical terms, Diamondfire could be shot economically — a handful of 1970s-style interiors, practical effects, and strong ensemble performances. Think Black Dynamite in scale, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in texture. It’s the one story I’d want to direct myself; every frame, cut, and music cue already exists in my mind. All poster credits and likenesses are used with permission — Ellen Barkin, who graciously allowed her name on the poster, was the inspiration for Zero and Lee for allowing his image, Roger, and Clem for technical help; and the art is by the legendary Colin Murdoch. The story stands on its own but could unfold into a trilogy, each entry building on the stylish, character-driven pulp spirit that made this one possible — a dream project that proves sometimes imitation can evolve into identity.

Similar films:

• • Pulp Fiction

• • Jackie Brown

• • Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2

• • Bound

• • Drive

• • Black Dynamite

• • The Nice Guys

• • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

• • True Romance

• • Reservoir Dogs

• • Atomic Blonde

• • Inherent Vice

DIAMONDFIRE