What does it take to write one of the biggest movies in Netflix history — from scratch?

This week, we sit down with screenwriter T.J. Fixman, the man behind Carry-On — the Christmas action thriller that broke Netflix records, racked up over 149 million views, and sparked a genuine cultural debate: is this the new Die Hard?

Before he was writing Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman into one of the most-watched original films on the planet, Fixman was crafting narratives for video games — most notably the beloved Ratchet & Clank franchise. So how does a game writer crack Hollywood's most coveted genre: the contained, high-concept, race-against-the-clock thriller?

We also talk about the Die Hard question, building a villain you never quite see, writing Christmas into the DNA of an action film without making it a gimmick — and what's coming next with his new project The Seventh Man.

If you've ever stared at a blank page wondering how a single high-concept idea becomes a global phenomenon, this one's for you.

Useful Links:

Carry-On on Netflix

Most Popular Movies on Netflix - Carry-On at #3

Seventh Man sells to United Artists - Variety

In this bonus episode, host Chris Hill sits down with David Boxerbaum, partner at Verve Talent & Literary Agency and one of the most respected literary agents working in the spec script market today. Named to The Hollywood Reporter's "Next Generation 35 Under 35" at just 26 years old, Boxerbaum has built his reputation on landing six-and seven-figure spec sales for his clients — and he's not done yet.

Useful Links:

'Don't Go In The Water' sells to Universal - Deadline

Chris Pine to star in Netflix survival thriller 'Yeti'

Python Thriller Spec 'Crush' sells to 20th - Deadline

Skydance buys short story 'Drift' for $2M+

'Cola Wars' Pitch sells to Sony - Deadline

Apatow and Spielberg attached to 'Cola Wars' - Deadline

Veteran lit agent joins Verve - Variety

In 2022, the script that rose to the very top of the Black List was Pure, a psychological horror-thriller about a woman whose obsession with food purity unravels into madness at her sister's destination wedding. The writer was Catherine Schetina, best known for her work on the acclaimed Hulu drama The Bear.

The manager behind her? Jon Hersh.

Jon founded Night Drive Management in 2017 with one clear mission: find bold voices with incendiary material.

Since then, he's built a roster of writers and writer-directors whose work has landed at Universal, Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount Players, AMC, and beyond — and whose scripts have become a regular fixture on the Black List year after year.

In this episode, Jon pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to compete at the highest level of the spec market.

Jon also reflects on his path from story analyst at CAA to development executive at Broad Green Pictures before ultimately founding his own company, and what each stop taught him about the business of discovering and developing great writers.

Useful links:

"Pure" tops the Black List in 2022.

Night Drive Management Website.

Yoko Ono Biopic, "Oh Yoko!", lands on Black List 2025.

Short Story "Carrier" Sells to New Regency.