![]() ![]() Not only are newer writers less likely to get staffed in a mini room, but even if they do, they will only make scale. The issues with both scenarios, however, are significantly more pronounced for newer writers. “We’ve had situations with mini rooms where they have given us a lot of great information, and we’ve had other situations where the pilot script has been great but the other two scripts have not been great and the shows have hung themselves, basically, by requesting a mini room,” an exec says. Even if the series does get ordered, the mini room writers often will not continue with the show, especially if the total episode order is 10 or less. But in both cases - if the show doesn’t get a greenlight or renewal - it can tie up writers for as long as eight to 10 weeks, during which time they can’t take other jobs. Those who spoke with Variety said they do not see as many issues with the first scenario as with the second. A network or streaming platform may then establish a mini room to write a few scripts to help it decide if the show should be renewed. Meanwhile, the other mini room scenario comes into play for a series that has been picked up or has aired a full season. Therefore, Hulu is looking for more material to evaluate beyond the pilot script, show bible and book series by Maas. That show is envisioned as a high fantasy/epic romance and would be a significant financial commitment - which means a pilot would be tough to amortize if the show didn’t go to series. The model has been used for the development of such AMC series as “Mayfair Witches” and “Kevin Can F**k Himself.” A more recent example would be Hulu’s adaptation of the series “A Court of Thorns and Roses” from writers Ronald D. ![]() The mini room route to birthing a series was pioneered a decade ago by AMC Network, a smaller cabler that works with limited budgets. In some cases, showrunners themselves will request a mini room setup. In this case, the writer - typically an established showrunner - will hire a handful of writers to work on the scripts over a few weeks, with everyone being paid at scale rates. ![]() In lieu of a pilot, the outlet will want to see two or three more scripts to determine the show’s potential before formally ordering it to series. The first is a development mini room, in which a writer has sold a pitch or a pilot script to a particular platform. Multiple literary agents, execs and scribes who spoke with Variety identified two scenarios that most often lead a production entity to establish a mini room. ![]()
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