PEOPLE & NEWS
The Buzz
Debra Hill and an update on the Rounders lawsuit.

Anatomy of a Spec Sale
Stephen Belber's questions about faith led him to The Power of Duff and a $900,000 payday.

Production Co. Spotlight
Lost Scenes
George Lucas found his protagonist and lost a few story-stopping scenes on the way to creating his empire with the original Star Wars.

Why I Write
Steve Rudnick & Leo Benvenuti go Kicking & Screaming into summer.

People
Teri Schwartz, Bragi Schut

Breaking In
Tim Rollins, Nathan Smith Jones

The Final Scene
Batman Begins
By Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer

Coming Soon...
Batman Begins
How do you make people take Batman seriously again? Two words: David Goyer. By Yon Motskin

Kingdom of Heaven
How William Monahan became the one and only writer on Ridley Scott's new summer Crusades epic. By Peter N. Chumo II

Lords of Dogtown
Skateboarding pioneer Stacy Peralta's screenwriting career is ramping up. By Nancy Hendrickson

Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Simon Kinberg's stellar rise, and how that resulted in three major summer movies. By Jeff Goldsmith

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Hired to rewrite Douglas Adams's script, Karey Kirkpatrick took a page from the late novelist's work: don't panic. By Jeff Goldsmith

The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D
Robert Rodriguez on his two writing partners: seven-year-old son Racer (also interviewed) and comics legend Frank Miller. By Christian Divine

Brothers
What happens when a man falls in love with his brother's widow -- and then the brother turns up alive? By Jeff Goldsmith

Columns
The Busine$$ of Screenwriting
Adapting Your Own Screenplay
Can't sell that original screenplay? There's more than one way to skin a cat. By Ron Suppa

Writer Beware!
You Gotta Fight for Your Rights
This writer was convinced the movie on TV was stolen from his own work -- but how? By Steve Ryfle

Agent's Hot Sheet
The Eyes and Ears of Hollywood
You may not know much about Hollywood's assistants, but you should: without them, this town would grind to a halt. By Jim Cirile

Belly of the Beast
Last Call
In his final column, Michael Lent shares the four most important lessons he has learned at CS. By Michael Lent

Our Craft
Crafting Emotional Impact
Our new craft columnist on the three types of writers and how to WOW your reader. By Karl Iglesias

The Contest Beat
Leaning to the Left (Coast)
You don't have to live in Hollywood to enter these California screenplay contests. By Patricia B. Smith

You've Got to Produce
What's Your Brand?
How branded entertainment can help you profit from your script. By Catherine Clinch

Features
Watch the Skies: David Koepp on War of the Worlds
When Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise decided to make H.G. Wells's novel into a summer blockbuster, they called David Koepp. Now the writer talks about collaborating with Spielberg, writing to subvert your movie star's persona, and keeping your metaphors to yourself. By Peter N. Chumo II

Steven Spielberg on David Koepp's War
The celebrated director takes time out from the editing suite to tell you why he keeps coming back to one of his favorite screenwriters, and how he and Koepp worked together on War of the Worlds. By Peter N. Chumo II

Business Who??
Why does it take so long to get your check once the deal is done? Paperwork, of course. We follow the paper trail through Business Affairs to tell you what happens, when it happens, and what you need to know about your own deal. By Sean Kennelly

Hollywood Roundtable: The New Face of Urban Films
With the successes of Are We There Yet?, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, and the major acquisition of Hustle & Flow at Sundance, the urban market has been ""rediscovered"" once again. Here the experts and filmmakers behind those movies to explain what the urban film market is, and what you need to access it with your writing. By Josh Spector

The Hero's Journey to Hollywood: An Industry Legend
The phenomenon that inspired George Lucas to create Star Wars, the top-grossing franchise in film history, also spawned one of the all-time best-selling screenwriting books. And it all started with a man who didn't like movies. By Nancy Hendrickson

The Craft of Writing the Four Quadrant Film
The most in-demand genre is also the trickiest to tackle. But if you can master it, you'll reap great rewards. We talk to the experts at Disney, Pixar -- and let's not forget the screenwriters who think up these films -- to get the inside story on how you can create the next all-ages blockbuster. By Josh Spector