EPISODE · Jul 27, 2026 · 48 MIN
Liz Hannah
from Blacklisted · host Chris Hill
Visit the new Stan Store @ stan.store/blacklistedSubscribe to our extended interviews on Spotify here.What does it look like when a spec script becomes a Spielberg film? Ask Liz Hannah.In 2016, Hannah — a first-time feature writer who'd spent four years in development before switching to the page — wrote a script about The Washington Post's decision to publish the Pentagon Papers. She wrote it because the story of Katharine Graham, the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, was one she couldn't shake. Her best-case scenario was getting an agent. Instead, the script placed second on the 2016 Black List, landed at Amy Pascal's desk, and sold the day after Pascal read it. Weeks later, Steven Spielberg called. Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks followed.We get into what drew her to Graham's story in the first place, how she found a personal way in to such a monumental piece of American history, and how she defied ‘one in a million’ odds to get her first movie made by Steven Spielberg.Guest: Liz Hannah on InstagramHost: Chris Hill on Instagram and BlueSkyVisit storyandplot.com/blacklisted for a 10% discount on Tom Vaughan's fantastic screenwriting courses.Useful links:The Making of The Post - YouTubeLiz's Writing Office Set-Up - VarietyEpisode Link - Post producer, Trevor WhiteEpisode Link - Post producer, Allan MandelbaumLiz Hannah Interview - The Washington PostOverall Deal with Sony TV - Deadline'The God of the Woods' - Mini-Series Press Release
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