Since 2005, David Farr has been pursuing his passion as a screenwriter. As a staff writer on shows like ‘MI-5’ and ‘Outcasts,’ the English writer’s work has entered more of a solo career with the 2011 film version of ‘Hanna,’ which starred Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, with Joe Wright in the director’s chair.

Since the theatrical version, Farr penned the series ‘The Night Manager,’ a movie called ‘The Man With the Iron Heart,’ and he has additional credits for ‘McMafia’ and ‘Troy: Fall of a City.’

Now, he’s working on the reboot, televised version of ‘Hanna’ for Amazon. This time, the 8-episode first season stars Esme Creed-Miles, Joel Kinnaman and Mireille Enos.

Essentially, the plot for the film and televised version “follows the journey of an extraordinary young girl raised in the forest, as she evades the relentless pursuit of an off-book CIA agent and tries to unearth the truth behind who she is…”

In this interview, Farr discusses his love for existential spies, journeys of identity within character, best practices for longevity in television, and why it’s important to always understand the essence of story as a storyteller.

The print version of this conversation is also available online at Creative Screenwriting. And, if you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5