Title: Sink Hole! (aka “Frack Me”)
Genre: Action / Disaster
Dramatic Question: What if a fracker dumping chemical sludge causes a 100 mile blow hole to swallow Los Angeles?
Tagline: How low can you go?
Premise: Blind trust leads to destruction
Logline: Witherspoon is a paralegal paraplegic who became wheel chair bound after a fracking accident and is accompanied by a helping hands monkey helper. Her accident was caused by a fast-talking, charming and irrevocably corrupt oil man, Depp, whose latest project is causing a hundred mile oil and chemical sludge blob beneath Los Angeles in the La Brea (tar) pits. Depp is under investigation by the nerdy but committed EPA investigator, Johnson, who convinces Witherspoon to join him in his cause to uncover Depp’s latest monstrosity and subterranean threat from destroying the entire city. Depp is ultimately brought to justice after the monkey slips women’s viagra into his beverage and he decides to tell all and help them stop the calamity.
Character pitch: Witherspoon’s character was once serious (and a lawyer, after all) but after having her life turned upside-down by her accident she has made lemons into lemonade and decided to live life to the fullest. The law is for suckers! This contrasts with Johnson who must follow rules and do everything by the book, which has held him back. However, she is a rule-breaker and this is exactly what he needs to do whatever it takes to crack the case even if it causes him tremendous anxiety. Both characters must learn to be flexible against their own natures. For Johnson, this means not trusting in the law so absolutely that he loses all creativity; for Witherspoon, this means learning to use the system (that she doesn’t trust) and not always trying to game the system.
Gansamacher Game cards:
Star: Reese Witherspoon - Bounder (char archetype)
Co-Star: Dwayne Johnson - Investigator (char archetype)
Antagonist: Johnny Dep
Genre: Action
Cause: Helping Hands Monkey Helpers
Set Piece: Giant Oil Blob
Product Placement: Womens Viagra