Movie script on Ebay

[Dax101]

I just noticed someone is selling the 2 versions of the movie script on eBay.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324629554666?hash=item4b956de5ea:g:2SkAAOSwy71gosNy

In a sense, i don’t think anyone wants to spoil it for themselves until Doug decides what he wants to do with it. but its crazy to think its out there to read.

Topic

[Warbodog]

Their limited eBay history and looking up their name doesn’t give any clues. Without authentication, you could try your luck selling your own fanfic and pretending, I suppose.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

I’ve messaged them asking for how they came to own them and if there is any way they can authenticate. So we’ll see. I’m definitely a bit skeptical.

[Moonlight]

The preview bit of script reads very weirdly with no context and isn’t much to go on.

[GlenTokyo]

The text underneath looks a bit weird.

Lister: “Boy friends?”

Kryten: “I’m single at the moment”

What?

[Dax101]

Its something like

Lister: Boyfriend?
Kryten I’m single at the moment, sir (some other stuff i can’t read)
Lister: … Has she got a bf?
Kryten: Oh i see. (some other stuff i can’t read

[GlenTokyo]

Its something like

Lister: Boyfriend?
Kryten I’m single at the moment, sir (some other stuff i can’t read)
Lister: … Has she got a bf?
Kryten: Oh i see. (some other stuff i can’t read

Yeah it’s boyfriend but there’s definitely a space between boy and friend for some reason.

Then “[something] doesn’t seem much point – it’s wet rust to my circuits”

Which doesn’t really make much sense.

Also I just feel like Doug wouldn’t say “space craft”, he’d call it what it was, or at least “spacecraft”.

Weird spaces for no reason and poor flow, I’m calling bullshit.

[Warbodog]

Bidding’s started anyway.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

All this person had to say was “ I was working in the film industry at the time”

Which means absolutely nothing really and doesn’t even attempt to answer my question on authenticity.

[Dave]

Yeah it’s boyfriend but there’s definitely a space between boy and friend for some reason.

Then “[something] doesn’t seem much point – it’s wet rust to my circuits”

Which doesn’t really make much sense.

Also I just feel like Doug wouldn’t say “space craft”, he’d call it what it was, or at least “spacecraft”.

Weird spaces for no reason and poor flow, I’m calling bullshit.

After spitonawrist we can’t be certain of anything.

[Jenuall]

Best guess it’s a fake sir, and not a very good one.

[Flap Jack]

I was about to point out the obvious fakeness, but then I checked the posting and realised that Dax was the one who abbreviated “boy-friend” to “bf”, not Doug.

For a glorious moment I was imagining a full Red Dwarf movie where all of the characters spoke like millennial teens.

[Jenuall]

Doug does love a good acronym/initialism mind!

[Ridley]

All this person had to say was “ I was working in the film industry at the time”

Which means absolutely nothing really and doesn’t even attempt to answer my question on authenticity.

You’ve eliminated the possibility of it being Cate Blanchett though.

[International Debris]

The preview section feels very broad and not very funny.
As a follow-up to VIII, pretty convincing.

A simple tweet asking Doug should clear it up, surely?

[Dax101]

The scene described actually makes me think of one of the concept art images.

I dunno whether Doug would be that happy to tell fans his movie script is on Ebay. Whether its fake or not i can’t see him being happy to validate it if it isn’t fake.

[Warbodog]

I dunno whether Doug would be that happy to tell fans his movie script is on Ebay. Whether its fake or not i can’t see him being happy to validate it if it isn’t fake.

That’s what I was thinking. If this is considered to be some sort of crisis, Doug/GNP could take control of the leak and curb other people’s profits from their intellectual property by posting the scripts to the website for all to read.

(Go on).

[Warbodog]

Or their formidable lawyers might be able to persuade eBay to take down the listing, but then I don’t get to compare series X situations to their source material without paying a shady eBayer.

[Dax101]

Well many people involved in the production likely had a script. So there are probably alot of Red Dwarf movie scripts around. Unless Doug took every script back. So i kinda imagine that 20 years on you can not really do much if a script gets out. Thats just my guess.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

How many people “working in the film industry at the time” would have had access to two versions of the script outside of people working at GNP and the cast, maybe the model/effects units?

The film never went into production so it’s not as though there would have been versions of the script circulated throughout numerous crew and production people etc to the point that some random could grab a copy walking through the set.

Perhaps someone working at a studio that received the script in a bid to get funding etc. But you’d have to assume anyone with access to the scripts in those situations has to have basic industry discretion / sign NDAs etc etc

I know stuff gets out and leaked all the time but … it does seem odd that this guy, with 7 Ebay reviews who makes it sound like his job was painting set has had in their possession for 20 years, two versions of a script that never got made.

Perhaps Doug would want to know about it as it does seems something of an infringement on his intellectual property.

edit: written at the same time of Dax’s post and we both seem to have come at it from a different angle. I really would have thought it’d be much more limited.

[Dax101]

Well if you look at worthpoint. which is a site of old ebay listings that get archived. there apparently has been a movie script (or 2 versions listed) sold in the past. i think its a listing from quite a few years ago though.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/red-dwarf-film-script-1774337055

[Jenuall]

How far did Doug ever actually get with this, I’m sure I read about it getting in to pre-production at one point before funding issues closed things down again? It’s conceivable that a reasonably number of scripts would have been handed out to people involved, but at the same time I would expect them to be pretty tightly controlled

[Dax101]

Well presumably Doug was at this most confident the movie was getting off the ground in 2001. they were getting roberts mask ready. they were doing read-throughs and concept art. it seems like it was after that in which things halted.

[Warbodog]

The previous seller had more brazen cheek than this one to include the disclaimer in full view:

Since they know the film wasn’t made and reflect this rarity in the listing price, it’s just obviously not on, whatever they did or didn’t sign. At the very least you make it a charity auction to be less of a twat.

[Warbodog]

^ Even html knows it shouldn’t be posting this content.

[Dave]

A simple tweet asking Doug should clear it up, surely?

I’ve asked.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

On that WorthPoint link, what I want to know is what could possibly be on the front page that they don’t want people to see that they’ve covered with a post-it note.

[GlenTokyo]

On that WorthPoint link, what I want to know is what could possibly be on the front page that they don’t want people to see that they’ve covered with a post-it note.

Probably the name of who’s script it is, or what department it belonged to.

[RunawayTrain]

Anyone tempted to ask for further photos (as offered in the description) to see if it’s remotely plausible, while we await Doug’s response?

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

Anyone tempted to ask for further photos (as offered in the description) to see if it’s remotely plausible, while we await Doug’s response?

I tried. I asked how they came by the script and if they could offer anything in the way of authenticity (expecting photos that clearly indicated they were legit in someway – i.e. the title page)

And all I got back was “I worked in the film industry”, no attempt to authenticate or sell me on the fact they’re genuine.

I replied that if they cannot provide any authenticity then I wouldn’t be interested.

Not heard from them since.

[Spaceworm Jim]

It’s listed as ‘used’ which is ironic in a sad way.

[Dax101]

Well i asked if i could see some more pages and got this reply

“I am afraid not. The page you see is from the script. There is no point sending any more pages.”

[Spaceworm Jim]

This is a somewhat niche con, but I’m confident it is one. The sample should be proof enough.

Clarification: I mean I’m confident that this is bollocks.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

Well i asked if i could see some more pages and got this reply

“I am afraid not. The page you see is from the script. There is no point sending any more pages.”

wow … well fuck him them jeez. Clearly trying to have some people on if he won’t provide further proof.

I’m torn between reporting it or just fucking with him. Put in some insanely high bids then refuse to pay when it wins.

[Dax101]

It could still be real. the person isn’t compliant but i feel like the only way to find out is if Doug Validates it. otherwise, the person who does buy it is either gonna have a real script or they won’t. there is no real way to tell.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

You’re right, it could be. But given two people have asked in two different ways for further proof and they’ve not been able provided any reassurances, you’d have to suspect something is up

[Jenuall]

Is Doug likely to validate it even if it is real though? Has he got anything to gain by confirming either way? If he says it is real then it probably has knock on effects to his desire to do anything with the ideas in the future (which by all accounts he still wants to do) not to mention the fact that when it gets out in the open it will invite critique with online warriors coming out to brand it shit as regardless of the actual quality of it reading a plain script devoid of any performance does not encourage a positive view of things

[RunawayTrain]

Well that inspires confidence, showing straight away they’ve lied in the description about being willing to share further photos(!)

I don’t think there’s any way of messing with them without eBay giving one a strike as well, for being a non-paying bidder. The only possible way would be if someone bid highly and then eBay pulled the listing from a report, but I don’t have quite that much confidence in eBay when it’s not indisputably conclusive such as a prohibited item might be. I don’t quite know whether to feel sorry for the sap that’s already bid or not.

If Doug does deny its authenticity I guess that might help the case against the listing but I still don’t have much confidence that eBay would act quickly enough.

[Flap Jack]

What would be worse: if we came so close to getting implicitly bisexual Kryten and missed out, or if implicitly bisexual Kryten was never even in consideration?

[Dax101]

Doug likely wrote the movie script close to Series 8. so he probably considered it.

[International Debris]

Well i asked if i could see some more pages and got this reply

“I am afraid not. The page you see is from the script. There is no point sending any more pages.”

Probably worth replying telling him the listing says “I am happy to send partial photos of the dialogue” and thus it’s very clear from his response that this is a bogus item and that you’re going to report him to eBay.

Just to see how he replies.

[Pete Part Three]

It ended with zero bids. Was it pulled?

Just entertaining the thought for a second that these are genuine scripts; the seller has offered nothing to assure bidders that they are originals (and not reproductions). I think I’d have pulled at that thread and seen what they said.

Anyway, seems like someone was trying to make a fast buck under a throwaway.

[Warbodog]

The bid was auto cancelled at the same time the listing was cancelled, 3:11am. Maybe that’s the time overseas eBay staff got around to it, or the seller literally wasn’t able to sleep at night and changed their ways.

[Dave]

So ends the ballad of raven “script faker” jagg.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

The bid was auto cancelled at the same time the listing was cancelled, 3:11am. Maybe that’s the time overseas eBay staff got around to it, or the seller literally wasn’t able to sleep at night and changed their ways.

Maybe he was getting sick of being asked to provide proof so gave up trying.

Maybe someone did actually report it. I had a look and it’s fairly straight forward to submit a copyright infringement and a authenticity claim against an item.

Either way, gave us some entertainment for a couple of days.

[RunawayTrain]

Good.

The Powers That Be could well have contacted eBay to get it pulled for being fake, given that Doug certainly had the link from Dave’s tweet.

Whatever happened, I’m glad the scammer didn’t get away with it!

[Dax101]

Doug could have done something to get it taken down. truth is that if it was real. Doug probably doesn’t want it getting out and getting online. Doug clearly hasn’t decided what he wants to do with the movie script yet.

[Flap Jack]

I think Doug could still get it taken down if it was fake. It’s obviously not good if someone is trying to scam fans of his by selling something they’re pretending was written by him.

You might argue Doug would be more motivated to do that if it were real, but at the same time, if it were real there wouldn’t be as legitimate a justification for reporting it (unless it was literally stolen property).

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

You can report an item that infringes upon copyright, which this clearly would. Someone has Doug’s intellectual property in their possession that, even if obtained legitimately at the time, they don’t have the permission to resell.

[GlenTokyo]

I bet it was made with that ScatterPatter incorrect quote generator or something.

From what’s readable, it’s clear why it didn’t get made if it’s real haha

[Warbodog]

The movie scraps would make a great follow-up to the series VIII book. Type up Doug’s anecdotes about the whole development hell, then print the script/s in full, illustrated with concept art, read-through photos and whatever else.

Or have Chris Barrie read the script over some drawings like the other lost stories.

[Author]

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