• Don Janus

  • Emil Gabriel
  • Unrepped
  • Available
  • Comedy
  • Drama
  • Scouted
  • 71.8
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A struggling screenwriter, desperate to have a breakthrough, takes on the identity of his friend's dead, agoraphobic neighbor. This piques the interest of literary agents and industry folks, and soon the writer grows famous and successful under this false persona.
A conceited but failing screenwriter submits his work under the false persona of his recently deceased, agoraphobic neighbor. He finds rapid success with his enigmatic new persona but struggles to retain his artistic integrity
A struggling writer decides to take on the identity of his dead, agoraphobic neighbor so that he might create an intriguing and mysterious personality that he could use to market his work.
Film
Mainstream (studio), Comedy, Drama, Con, Movie Business, Art, Social Commentary, Agent, Fame, Father, Father/Son, Filmmaker/Filmmaking, Friends/Friendship, Identity, Journalism, Media, Secret Identity, Secrets, Siblings, Transformation
86
R
Low
M
Unspecified
28
Average
Adaptation, The Scapegoat, American Fiction, Bojack Horseman (TV), American Fiction, The Kindergarten Teacher
Contemporary, 5 Year Period
Apartments, Writing Class, Office Buildings, Restaurants, Bars, Beach House, Roads, Residential Homes
In contemporary Los Angeles, young screenwriter RICHARD HENRY (20s) struggles to sell his scripts. He gets combative on a date with GABRIELA (20s), who critiques the problematic concept of one of his scripts. He tries to help his artist friend ALEX (20s) sell his paintings. Alex tells him about his deceased neighbor, who was an agoraphobe who never left his apartment. Richard works tirelessly as the assistant for his ruthless agent boss ELAINE PAINE (40s). Richard attends one of Alex’s open-house exhibitions. While there, he witnesses LAKSHMI (20s) captivate viewers with her story about finding spiritual and artistic connection while traveling in India. Afterward, Lakshmi explains to Richard that she was just embellishing to sell herself as an artist. Richard is skeptical of the tactic, believing art should stand on its own. Lakshmi points out that commercial success as an artist is predicated more on marketing than anything. Sometime afterward, Richard floats the idea of submitting his scripts as Don Janus, who has a much more enigmatic life. Alex dislikes the idea. Richard convinces Elaine to read one of his screenplays by spinning a story about Don Janus writing it as a reclusive agoraphobe.

Richard eats with his parents...