A Few Thoughts on the Fate of 'Project Greenlight'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Yesterday, Variety dropped the news that after a single season revitalization of Project Greenlight, a show that was created with the intention of giving a young filmmaker their first real shot at the big time, the series would once again return to the abyss of cancellation and well, it's news that honestly doesn't sit well with me.  

Sure, the show faced plenty of criticism over the years. After all, every single movie made on this series never once became a blockbuster or ratings darling and well...the emphasis has always been on drama over the art. But hey, it's a reality television show and drama is what keeps us watching and I'm as guilty as anyone over that since season four was quite engrossing when it came to the battles between Jason Mann and his production team, but what really bothers me about this particular cancellation is that at its core, this is a show that stood for something more than drama and entertainment...it was a flat out beacon of hope.

I know that when this show first premiered in 2002, I was glued to it because of the fact, at that point in time I was just discovering my love of screenwriting and filmmaking, and to see an unknown get to put together a film with the support of two Hollywood players, well it absolutely invigorated me to pursue my dreams further. If this guy could get a break off his work alone, why couldn't I and I know I'm not alone in that. Project Greenlight served as an inspiration to so many burgeoning writers and directors, reminding them that they only need one good opportunity to prove themselves and one has to wonder how many people this show has directly influenced to pursue a career in filmmaking.

But more importantly, and all drama aside, this show really did provide people with an in depth and up close look about what it is like to make a motion picture. Over the years we've seen people pour themselves into these projects and dedicate themselves to an idea and that was damn inspirational to say the least. Not to mention, I for one applaud the fact that the films made on this show haven't been successful because learning about failure is a huge deal when it comes to the film business as well. This series really showed everyone how hard it is to put together a movie, and how not everything will always work or go smoothly and that putting together a true Hollywood blockbuster hit takes effort and care from every single person involved. 

Now there was some mention of the fact that perhaps Project Greenlight may eventually return on either Netflix or Amazon and I certainly hope it does. Because eventually, the series is going to get it right and a powerful story that everyone can love will come out of it and that will undoubtedly inspire another wave of filmmakers to do something fresh and original and that's what the movie business is always in need of, wonderful and powerful stories that are unlike anything we have ever seen before. But in the event another season of this show never sees the light of day, at least we have four incredible seasons of this show to celebrate those special moments when a handful of people were given their chance to chase their dreams.

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