Root For The Villain
by Max Rissman
Root For The Villain
by Max Rissman
We are fascinated with the mythology of comic books and superhero movies, but we were getting tired of black and white narratives about good guys saving the world from bad guys. We want to tell a fresh story about people living in the superhero universe who are just struggling to get by.
We are fascinated with the mythology of comic books and superhero movies, but we were getting tired of black and white narratives about good guys saving the world from bad guys. We want to tell a fresh story about people living in the superhero universe who are just struggling to get by.
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Story
About The Project
In a world where 1% of the population has super powers, famous superheroes and super-villains clash over the fate of civilization and dominate the news headlines. What doesn’t make the papers, however, are the thousands of nonviolent criminals with not-so-useful powers, who commit petty crimes and get locked up in Valentine Correctional Facility for a stint in the slammer. When they are let out on parole, they need help readjusting to society.
That’s where Lana comes in. She’s a young parole officer specializing in super-villain ex-cons, and she busts her ass every day to keep them out of prison and help them get back on their feet. She is particularly well suited for the job, considering her late father was once one of the city’s most notorious super-villains, and she has a super power of her own – the ability to literally smell bullshit. But as a single female cop in her late twenties, she has a whole host of personal problems to deal with.
Though useful for her job, her human lie detector abilities are horrible when it comes to dating, and she finds it tough to relate to ordinary people having grown up in her father’s secret underground lair for most of her childhood. Her identity is in flux, as she is torn between her duty as a police officer and her loyalty to her super-villain family. And to make matters worse, her recently paroled super-villain uncle decides Lana’s couch is the perfect place to crash while he gets his act together.
I and my producing team are graduate filmmaking students at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and have been making films together for the past three years under the teutelage and guidance of independent film ledgends such as Spike Lee. I came up with the idea for this project as my capstone thesis because I am fascinated with the mythology and world of comic books and superhero movies, but I was tired of seeing black and white narratives about good guys saving the world from bad guys. I wanted to see a story about people living in the superhero world who were struggling to just get by, and the notion of delving into the life of someone who works with super-villains to try and rehabilitate them captivated me. In addition, though it takes place in the superhero universe, this story deals with real world issues such as criminal justice reform and police brutality that are relevant to our current society.
Come join us on this incredible journey, and together let’s create something that we can all be truly proud of.
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About This Team
We are graduate filmmaking students at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and have been making films together for the past three years under the teutelage and guidance of independent film ledgends such as Spike Lee. As we each prepare to crack through the protective shell of film school and venture out into the chaotic world of indie filmmaking, we do so knowing that we are part of a community of fearless artists who have our backs just as we have theirs.
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