Listen "Finestkind, with Brian Helgeland"
Episode Synopsis
This week on On Story, a conversation with Brian Helgeland, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter who penned acclaimed movies including L.A. Confidential and Mystic River, and the director who brought to life beloved films such as A Knight's Tale and 42. He lends a behind the scenes look at the making of Finestkind, a film mined from his relationship with his father and their experiences as deep sea fishermen. The film, set in Helgeland's own hometown of New Bedford, Massachusetts, tells the story of two estranged brothers' navigating a splintered relationship in the high-stakes world of commercial fishing and drug dealing. Helgeland discusses grounding the story in setting, crafting character backgrounds with Tommy Lee Jones (who plays the boys' father) and imbuing the film with his personal touch. Finestkind is now streaming on Paramount Plus. Finestkind clips courtesy of Paramount Plus.
More episodes of the podcast Austin Film Festival's On Story
The Screenwriter's Guide to Adapting IP
05/11/2025
A Conversation with Rian Johnson
22/10/2025
On Writing YA, with Julie Plec
01/10/2025
The Last Showgirl Q&A with Gia Coppola
17/09/2025
Script to Screen: Twisters
03/09/2025
On Writing Vida, with Tanya Saracho
20/08/2025
Script to Screen: American Psycho
28/05/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.