Luna | Sci-fi/fantasy, Romance/Drama Feature | New York, NY

“Luna” is a spin-off using the tale of Beauty & the Beast with an unprecedented role reversal between the two characters. Instead, a scientifically created girl-beast is awakened by her desire to find love when a good-looking young man separates from his group of hiking pals and inadvertently stumbles into her secret community deep in the Adirondack forests.

Beauty and the Beast has been one of my favorite stories since I was a young girl. Whether it was the Disney animated classic or some derivative version on TV or the movies, the timeless story of finding love by seeing what is inside a person rather than what is on the outside fascinated me. With time, this captivation with Beauty and the Beast only increased. As I entered relationships or listened to those of my friends, I certainly understood that relationships were not fairy tales and realized there was a lot to learn from the lessons of the story as an adult that I didn’t comprehend as a kid.

One day I had an idea: what if the story was reversed? What if the girl was the beast? This was a twist on a familiar story that hadn’t been explored yet. I envisioned it as a movie in modern times and the story of the young girl being a beast due to science rather than magic cemented the concept. Thus, Luna was born. I wrote a couple of screenplays to flesh out my idea and then turned it into a novel to give my story a new range of depth and emotion. Now, Luna is a solid story primarily told in the backdrop of the Adirondack forest in upstate New York. The central characters deal with love, fear, desire, friendship, prejudice, and alienation – just as we all do at one time or another. 

The appeal of a unique version of Beauty and the Beast is widespread. While the tale has always greatly catered to a female audience, having a woman “beast” will attract an even wider female audience. Especially with the current climate of women looking to have a bigger impact in the world, having a female lead as the beast will resonate with many viewers. While the story is a love story and a well-known fantasy, the lessons of finding acceptance in the world and realizing one’s strengths are something that an audience can identify within the character of Luna. 

Likewise, the role of James speaks to those on a path in their life that they might not want. This can include a career or a potential life partner, both of which this movie covers. Watching the struggle of James as he realizes that he is falling for the woman that first repelled him sets him on a journey of questioning his life choices, and then doing something about them. 

Men and women alike will find something appealing in this story. Coping with first love, or rethinking someone you believe you are in love with are deep life decisions that everyone can identify with. Women will see a strong female role model in Luna. Men can identify with the “knight on the white horse” that James becomes. 

Not only would this new twist on the conventional story be successful as a theatrical release, but the subsequent revenue realized by video sales and other related revenue has great potential. With the correct marketing approach during the filming and then the release of the movie, “Luna” has widespread earning potential. Furthermore, a concentrated marketing effort on the already published “Luna” novel will promote interest in the movie, and the subsequent release of the movie will help sales of the book. Told with heart, drama, and humor, Luna will entertain and make people think.

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