How 'Snakes on a Plane' is challenging (and changing) Hollywood

In a summer film season chock full of stale television remakes, tired sequels with running gags long past their due, and predictable teen comedies, audiences should regard the little-known writing team of John Heffernan and Sebastian Gutierrez, whose highly anticipated Snakes on a Plane hits theaters August 18, as a breath of fresh air.

Studio executive Pekkle Duck lauds the work of these two relatively unknown screenwriters. "Movie-goers are looking for originality, a story that's never been told. Look at March of the Penguins or Napoleon Dynamite," he said, referencing recent summer sleeper hits. "You can't just bank on a franchise anymore. Mission: Impossible III didn't break even domestically. Audiences are more fickle."

Acclaimed filmmaker David R. Ellis, whose past hits include the enormously successful Final Destination 2 and Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco, directs a diverse cast led by Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson as tortured F.B.I. agent Nelville Flynn in a story about snakes. On a plane.

Veteran film critic Keroppi Frog of the Donut Pond Times notes the critical difference between this snake film and others. "In movies like Anaconda or Aladdin, the snake is always a very one-dimensional villain," Mr. Frog explained. "You don't get a chance to get to know him or why he's trying to kill people. Here, you really get to see these characters ask themselves, 'What makes me slither? Why was I unleashed on this plane?' Whether you grew up in Manhattan, Kansas, or Manhattan, New York, everyone can relate to these issues, and that's really appealing to a mass audience."

Unfortunately, casting proved a bit more rocky. After the title roles were filled in a surprisingly quick series of auditions, casting agent Spottie Dottie found herself at a common fork in the road that many in her line of work encounter. Unlike her peers, however, Ms. Dottie took the film's message of equal opportunity to heart in what she describes as "a life-changing reality check."

"Normally I try to cast mostly skinny white girls and maybe one black guy. I felt like people just liked it better that way. But David really sold me his vision of a multi-cultural cast that reflects today's airline passengers," Ms. Dottie recalled, smiling at the memory. "We got Negroes, chinks, Cher Horowitz, fatties, Canadians, and a guy with funky-tasting spunk. In real life, snakes don't discriminate. And we shouldn't either."

Despite the fact that the film has yet to open, Oscar buzz is already starting to generate. Mr. Heffernan and Mr. Gutierrez are tapped as shoo-ins for a Best Original Screenplay nomination, as are Mr. Jackson and Mr. Ellis for their acting and directing. A source on the set dismisses the speculation with a wave of his hand. "David doesn't give a damn about accolades. He just cares about touching people's hearts. And this film is going to do exactly that."

With only a few precious weeks of summer left, Hollywood insiders and film buffs anticipate a record-breaking opening weekend at the box office. "The diversity, the storytelling... this is going to blow everything out of the water," Mr. Duck predicted. "The success of this picture is going to force Hollywood to really evaluate the quality of movies that's being produced. Mark my words, fifty years down the road, pop-culture fanatics are going to be quoting Sam Jackson's 'I've had it with these motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking plane' in the same breath as Brando and Bogart."