Guest Posts

FIRST MAN's Josh Singer on the screenwriter's responsibility in tackling historical pieces

FIRST MAN's Josh Singer on the screenwriter's responsibility in tackling historical pieces

A few Fridays ago, I went to the Smithsonian.  There was a gathering of space historians and I wanted to chat with them, find out how we did.  Damien [Chazelle] and I were scrupulous in our attempts to realistically capture space flight and Neil Armstrong's eight-year journey to the moon.  I was so obsessed with it, I wrote a book—an annotated screenplay—to give historical context and to be transparent about the few places the movie takes license.  Beyond 'showing my homework’, I wanted to start a conversation about the responsibility of screenwriters in tackling historical pieces.