Pat Casey and Josh Miller first met in junior high detention in Minnesota, forming a creative partnership that began with a local late-night cable variety show and the ultra-low-budget film HEY STOP STABBING ME!

Today, they’re best known as the writers of the blockbuster SONIC THE HEDGEHOG franchise for Paramount Pictures, including the latest film, SONIC 3, which introduces Shadow, voiced by Keanu Reeves.

In this interview, we talk about the development of their writing partnership, their work on the SONIC THE HEDGEHOG films, the process of writing for Jim Carrey, pop culture references in their work, and much more.

Want more? Steal my first book, INK BY THE BARREL - SECRETS FROM PROLIFIC WRITERS right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Jordan Weiss is the writer behind Hulu’s hit series DOLLFACE, a comedy about female friendships starring Kat Dennings, Brenda Song, Shay Mitchell, and Esther Povitsky. She also penned the script for Disney’s highly anticipated FREAKIER FRIDAY, the sequel to the iconic FREAKY FRIDAY.

Jordan’s feature directorial debut, SWEETHEARTS, a coming-of-age comedy starring Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga, follows two college freshmen who pull a "Turkey Dump" and break up with their high school sweethearts over "Drunksgiving" - the one chaotic night before Thanksgiving in their hometown that puts their codependent friendship to the test.

In this interview, we talk about her experience working for Greg Daniels, landing her first staff writing job on HARLEY QUINN, developing and selling DOLLFACE, crafting unique and attention-grabbing writing samples, and her latest film SWEETHEARTS.

As a special note, this was part of our new LIVE interview series in partnership with Buzztown, a community for serious screenwriters, where students also participated in this interview. You can learn more or join the waitlist here:

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If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Morgan Sackett is an accomplished television and film producer known for his work on critically acclaimed and beloved comedies such as PARKS AND RECREATION, THE GOOD PLACE, and VEEP. His projects have garnered multiple Emmy Awards and nominations, solidifying his reputation as a powerhouse in the entertainment industry.

His latest show, A MAN ON THE INSIDE, follows Charles, a retired man, who gets a new lease on life when he answers an ad from a private investigator and becomes a mole in a secret investigation in a nursing home.

In this interview, we talk about his career path and transition to producing, the shift from traditional network television to streaming, his newest show A MAN ON THE INSIDE, and advice for aspiring producers.

Want more? Steal my first book, INK BY THE BARREL - SECRETS FROM PROLIFIC WRITERS right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Bruce Campbell is an actor and producer widely celebrated for his role as Ash Williams in the cult-classic EVIL DEAD film series and the hit TV show ASH VS. EVIL DEAD. Renowned for his charismatic performances and deadpan humor, Campbell has become an icon in the horror and sci-fi genres.

His latest show, HYSTERIA!, follows a struggling high school heavy metal band of outcasts who use the town's sudden interest in the occult to start a reputation as a Satanic metal band, until a strange series of events triggers a witch hunt that leads back to them.

In this interview, we talk about the early days of EVIL DEAD, the importance of collaboration between actors and writers, the dangers of excessive studio interference, the value of producing your own work, and much more.

Want more? Steal my first book, INK BY THE BARREL - SECRETS FROM PROLIFIC WRITERS right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Blake is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter. He is the author of a dozen novels, most recently, DARK MATTER, RECURSION, and UPGRADE, for which he is also writing the movie for Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners.

His international bestselling WAYWARD PINES trilogy was adapted into a television series for FOX and his novel, RECURSION, is currently being developed as a Netflix series by Shonda Rhimes and Matt Reeves.

The nine-episode adaptation of his novel DARK MATTER follows a man who’s abducted into an alternate version of his life. Amid the mind-bending landscape of lives he could've lived, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from a terrifying foe: himself.

In this interview, we talk about his early career break into screenwriting with WAYWARD PINES, the challenges and benefits of writer's rooms, the role of showrunners, his series DARK MATTER, and much more.

Want more? Steal my first book, INK BY THE BARREL - SECRETS FROM PROLIFIC WRITERS right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Halina Reijn is a writer, director, and actress known for her debut feature INSTINCT and the Gen-Z horror-comedy BODIES BODIES BODIES (A24), which earned her a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Director.

Her latest film, BABYGIRL (A24), set to release on December 25th, premiered at the 2024 Venice Film Festival to widespread acclaim. The film, an original erotic thriller, follows Nicole Kidman as a high-powered CEO who puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern.

In this interview, we talk about her unconventional upbringing, her early writing and acting career, the inspiration and themes behind BABYGIRL, working with Nicole Kidman, the influence of theater on her screenwriting and directing, and much more.

Want more? Steal my first book, INK BY THE BARREL - SECRETS FROM PROLIFIC WRITERS right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay have been writing together for nearly 25 years, collaborating on over 20 screenplays, including STAR TREK BEYOND for J.J. Abrams, JUNGLE CRUISE for Disney, and their 2017 Blacklist script ESCAPE.

In season two of their show, THE RINGS OF POWER, Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will.

Building on season one’s epic scope and ambition, the new season plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity.

In this interview, we talk about their collaborative partnership, the process of pitching the LORD OF THE RINGS series, their approach to adapting Tolkien's work, and balancing the needs of both die-hard fans and new viewers.

Want more? Steal my first book, INK BY THE BARREL - SECRETS FROM PROLIFIC WRITERS right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

James Mangold is an Oscar-nominated writer-director known for film like GIRL INTERRUPTED, WALK THE LINE, LOGAN, COP LAND, and FORD V FERRARI — the latter earning a Best Picture Oscar nomination.

Most recently, Mangold directed A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, where at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, a young Bob Dylan shook up his act on the folk music scene by going electric and siring rock as the voice of a generation, defining one of the most transformative moments in 20th-century music.

In this interview, we talk about the fundamental role of writing in filmmaking, the challenges and realities of the film industry, the challenges of adapting a real-life figure like Bob Dylan, and much more.

Want more? Steal my first book, INK BY THE BARREL - SECRETS FROM PROLIFIC WRITERS right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Jon Spaihts is a screenwriter known for his work in the sci-fi and fantasy genres. He gained visibility with his script for PROMETHEUS, a prequel to the Alien series directed by Ridley Scott. Spaihts also co-wrote DOCTOR STRANGE, introducing Marvel audiences to the mystical side of the MCU, and contributed to the screenplay for DUNE, Denis Villeneuve’s epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel.

DUNE: PART TWO follows Paul Atreides who unites with the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, he endures to prevent a terrible future.

In this interview, we talk about working with Ridley Scott and PROMETHEUS, the importance of perseverance and assertiveness, working with Denis Villeneuve to adapt DUNE, future plans, and much more.

Want more? Steal my first book, INK BY THE BARREL - SECRETS FROM PROLIFIC WRITERS right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Jack Huston has established himself as a versatile talent in film, television, and theater, excelling both in front of and behind the camera. He’s been in shows and films like BEN-HUR, BOARDWALK EMPIRE, and AMERICAN HUSTLE.

His directorial debut, DAY OF THE FIGHT, which he also wrote and co-produced, stars Michael Pitt, Ron Perlman, Steve Buscemi, and Joe Pesci. The film explores a boxer’s journey through his past and present on the day of his comeback fight. It debuted at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, earning Huston the “Breakthrough Director Award” from Variety and the Golden Globes.

In this interview, we talk about the inspiration and creation of the film, the challenges of making the film, the importance of creating a space for actors to explore and elevate their performances, and the significance of side characters.

Want more? Steal my first book, INK BY THE BARREL - SECRETS FROM PROLIFIC WRITERS right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!