Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski

3.1. The "Anti-Biopic" Approach

Dissatisfied with the trajectory of their careers, Alexander and Karaszewski decided in 1992 to write a biopic about Edward D. Wood, Jr.. Rather than mock him, they identified with the struggles of the obscure filmmaker. This project marked the genesis of their unique "anti-biopic" style, a term they introduced to describe their focus on individuals not traditionally considered worthy of biographical films. Unlike conventional biopics that often highlight "great men," their work gravitates towards unconventional or controversial figures, frequently exploring lesser-known personalities within American pop culture. This approach allows them to delve into the complexities of human nature and societal perception from an alternative viewpoint. They wrote the screenplay for Ed Wood in just six weeks.

3.2. Feature Film Screenplays

Their filmography includes a series of acclaimed biographical films that exemplify their "anti-biopic" approach, alongside other notable contributions to feature film screenwriting.

After the success of Ed Wood, which won two Academy Awards and was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, they undertook uncredited rewrites for Tim Burton's subsequent film, Mars Attacks!, where they famously invented the Martian language of "Ack Ack Ack."

The critical acclaim for Ed Wood paved the way for a succession of other offbeat biopics. They wrote The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) and Man on the Moon (1999), a film about the brief life of comedian Andy Kaufman. Both films were directed by Miloš Forman. Alexander and Karaszewski won the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay for The People vs. Larry Flynt, which also received the top award at the 1997 Berlin International Film Festival. For his portrayal of Andy Kaufman, Jim Carrey won the Best Actor Golden Globe for Man on the Moon.

In 2014, the duo wrote and produced Tim Burton's film Big Eyes, a biographical drama about the painter Margaret Keane. The film was a passion project that took them eleven years to bring to the screen. Initially, they were slated to direct the film themselves but later stepped down. Amy Adams earned the Best Actress Golden Globe for her performance as Keane in Big Eyes.

Their 2019 biopic, Dolemite Is My Name, marked a significant return to the big screen for Eddie Murphy. The film garnered critical acclaim, holding a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and received nominations for Best Picture and Best Actor at the 2020 Golden Globes.

Beyond biopics, their other screenwriting credits include That Darn Cat (1997), Agent Cody Banks (2003), and 1408 (2007), an adaptation of a Stephen King short story. They also received a story credit for the 2015 film Goosebumps.

3.3. Television Series

Alexander and Karaszewski expanded their creative work into television, notably as creators and executive producers of the critically acclaimed series American Crime Story. This true crime anthology drama, which debuted in 2016, features seasons based on infamous real-life events. The first season, The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, focused on the O. J. Simpson trial. It was a major ratings success for FX, becoming cable television's most-watched new show in 2016. The season earned nine Primetime Emmy Awards, and Alexander and Karaszewski personally received an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a Writers Guild of America Award, and a Producers Guild of America Award for their work on the miniseries, in addition to an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special. The second season, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, also garnered significant awards, including Primetime Emmys and Golden Globes.

Earlier in their careers, they were also involved with the television adaptation of their film, Problem Child, which aired from 1993 to 1994, where they served as creators and executive producers.

3.4. Directorial and Producing Credits

In 2000, Alexander and Karaszewski made their directorial debut with the film Screwed. The hit Bollywood musical De Dana Dan is an unauthorized remake of Screwed.

They also expanded their involvement in film production. In 2002, they served as producers for the Paul Schrader film Auto Focus, which chronicled the downfall and subsequent murder of Hogan's Heroes star Bob Crane. As mentioned, they also produced Big Eyes in 2014, in addition to writing the screenplay.

4.1. Unproduced Projects

The duo has developed a number of screenplays and projects that, despite their creative input and collaborations with prominent figures, ultimately went unproduced. These include biopics on:

• Howard Hughes, which was slated for Miloš Forman to direct.
• The Marx Brothers.
• Robert Ripley of Ripley's Believe It or Not! fame, intended for Tim Burton to direct.
• Patty Hearst, with James Mangold set to direct.
• The iconic band Grateful Dead, planned for Martin Scorsese to direct.

Additionally, they were the initial writers for a planned 1996 live-action film adaptation of the cartoon series The Jetsons, a project that was halted during pre-production due to budget constraints. They also wrote an unproduced draft of the 2003 film Hulk for Jonathan Hensleigh. Furthermore, they were hired to write a screenplay based on the popular board game Monopoly for Ridley Scott. Their unproduced works also include adaptations of Nike founder Phil Knight's autobiography Shoe Dog and King of the Jungle, a film about tech maverick John McAfee.

4.2. Industry Involvement and Advocacy

Alexander and Karaszewski are active within the film community. They frequently host screenings of classic films for the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles, demonstrating their deep appreciation for cinematic history. They are also regular guests on various film-related podcasts, including Maltin on Movies, Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast, The Movies That Made Me, The Pure Cinema Podcast, The Dana Gould Hour, The Marx Brothers Council Podcast, The Big Picture, The Treatment, The Film Scene with Illeana Douglas, The Adam Corolla Show, Post Mortem with Mick Garris, The Cannon with Amy Nicholson, and The Empire Film Podcast. Larry Karaszewski's extensive film commentaries can be found on the website Trailers from Hell.

In 1999, both Alexander and Karaszewski served as advisors to the Sundance Institute Screenwriting Labs, contributing their expertise to emerging screenwriters. Karaszewski has held significant governance roles within the film industry. He served six years as a Governor for the Writers Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where he also served as Vice President of History and Preservation for the Academy. He has participated as a juror for various film festivals, including the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2010, the Independent Spirit Awards in 2011, and the Indie Memphis Film Festival in 2022. From 2018 to 2020, he co-chaired the Oscar's International Executive Committee, playing a key role in the decision to change the category name from Best Foreign Language Film to Best International Feature. Currently, Karaszewski serves on the board of directors of the National Film Preservation Foundation. Scott Alexander was elected to his fourth term on the Board of Directors for the Writers Guild of America West in 2023, showcasing their consistent engagement in industry governance.

The duo was featured in the 2007 documentary Dreams on Spec, which explored the Hollywood creative process from the perspective of writers. Karaszewski also appeared as a guest host with Ben Mankiewicz on Turner Classic Movies for a series titled Reframed, which highlighted groundbreaking and controversial films.

5.1. Awards Received by Alexander and Karaszewski

The duo has been recognized with several prestigious awards for their screenwriting and producing contributions:

• For The People vs. Larry Flynt, they won the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay and the Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay. They also received the Writers Guild of America Paul Selvin Award.
• Their work on American Crime Story brought them widespread recognition. For the first season, The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, they won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series (2016), the Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film (2017), the Producers Guild of America Award for Best Long-Form Television (2017), and the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Long Form - Adapted. The second season, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, also earned them the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series (2018), the Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film (2019), and the Producers Guild of America Award for Best Limited Series Television (2019). They were also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special.
• They received nominations for the Saturn Award for Best Writing and the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay for Ed Wood.
• For Big Eyes, they were nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay.
• In 2023, Alexander and Karaszewski were honored with the Bill Wittliff Award for Screenwriting at the 30th annual Austin Film Festival.

5.2. Accolades for Their Works and Collaborators

Their films and television series have garnered numerous accolades, and several actors performing in their projects have received major awards:

• For Ed Wood, Martin Landau won the Oscar, Golden Globe, SAG, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics, Los Angeles Film Critics, and Chicago Film Critics awards.
• In The People vs. Larry Flynt, Woody Harrelson was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe, while Courtney Love was nominated for a Golden Globe and won the New York Film Critics Circle award.
• Jim Carrey won the Best Actor Golden Globe for his role in Man on the Moon.
• Amy Adams won the Best Actress Golden Globe for her portrayal of Margaret Keane in Big Eyes.
• The cast of The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story received widespread acclaim. Sarah Paulson won the Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and Critics Choice awards. Both Sterling K. Brown and Courtney B. Vance won Emmys and Critics Choice awards.
• Dolemite Is My Name received nominations for Best Picture and Best Actor at the 2020 Golden Globes.

5.3. Legacy and Tributes

Alexander and Karaszewski's lasting impact on cinema has been recognized through various tributes and exhibits:

• The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles has highlighted their career with several exhibits. These include a display of "scene cards" from the third act of The People vs. Larry Flynt and the original Kaypro computer that the team used to write Ed Wood. A quote from Larry Karaszewski, "The Future of Cinema is in your hands," serves as a motto for the museum.
• The Writers Guild of America magazine "Written By" featured Alexander and Karaszewski on the cover of its January 2015 issue, depicted in a painting by artist Drew Friedman.
• In 2022, they were inducted into the Final Draft Screenwriter Hall of Fame, joining other notable screenwriters such as Quentin Tarantino and Robert Towne.
• Also in 2022, Film Forum screened a week-long retrospective of their biographical films, celebrating their unique contributions to the genre.

6.1. Film

6.2. Television