The Script Lab Podcast with MURDER MYSTERY Screenwriter James Vanderbilt

On today’s podcast, I sit down with screenwriter James Vanderbilt to chat about his new Netflix movie Murder Mystery. This hilarious action-comedy is about Nick, played by Adam Sandler, a New York cop who takes his wife Audrey, played by Jennifer Anniston, on a European vacation to reinvigorate the spark in their marriage. It has been wildly successful amongst the streaming community and was viewed by over 30,000,000 accounts in just three days — the biggest opening weekend for any Netflix film.

Luke Evans plays a mysterious billionaire who invites Nick and Audrey on his yacht where the blue-collar couple unwittingly get framed for murder. 

James Vanderbilt makes this pivot to comedy after writing such great action films like Independence Day: Resurgence, The Amazing Spiderman and Zodiac, directed by David Fincher (more on Fincher in the interview). 

James and I also discuss crafting a satisfying mystery, the one book he thinks every screenwriter needs to read and why you should channel Ernest Hemmingway when you write dialogue. 

 Murder Mystery is currently streaming on Netflix. 

Listen to the podcast below.

Download the script for Zodiac here for free.

Read More: Murder Mysteries to Study to Sharpen Your Cinematic Sleuthing Skills

Shanee Edwards graduated from UCLA Film School with an MFA in Screenwriting and is currently the film critic for SheKnows.com. She recently won the Next MacGyver television writing competition to create a TV show about a female engineer. Her pilot, Ada and the Machine, is currently in development with America Ferrera’s Take Fountain Productions. You can follow her on Twitter: @ShaneeEdwards

Photo credit: Netflix

For all the latest from The Script Lab, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.