What if you were talking to a charming stranger, while the rest of your family were being murdered close by? What if you were so wrapped up in yourself, you had no clue what was happening until it was too late?
This was my Eureka moment. I’d been searching for an idea for ages, a low-budget idea; something that could be shot outside, in any isolated area, during the day. After months of posting scripts on websites, entering competitions and film festivals, I’d come to the conclusion the only way I was going to get the ball rolling was to produce something myself.
I started writing No More Tomorrows. The first draft was all around a broken down car at the roadside next to a cornfield. It ended with the main character dying, which just felt empty and disappointing. So I added a Final Destination element to it, gave her a second chance. Oh boy did she take it! Testicles were kicked in and a shoot-out ensued with bullets and gore flying in the wind lol! It was a big Tarantino tone shift but I really liked it.
I’m a big fan of dialogue that is utilised as a tool to entertain, rather than just to inform the audience about the plot. I loved True Detective; the dialogue is so rich, diverse and provocative. Influenced by this I gave the characters a southern American twang and wrote dialogue that (I hoped) was funny, philosophical and meaningful.
I’m friends with the producer Tom Hoover. He read the script and loved it, put me in touch with the director Chris. He also liked the script but suggested I go for a more realistic third act, something which wasn’t so….extreme lol. I agreed, especially as a non-violent resolution brought the costs down!
I’m glad I did, the way it ends now feels more natural and it provides the audience with food for thought. There are several different ways the ending can be interpreted, without causing confusion and I believe there’s lessons in this story most people will identify with.
Written by Mark Renshaw, Writer/Exec Producer of No More Tomorrows.