Origin Stories James Vanderbilt on Nuremberg
Dec 5, 2025
James Vanderbilt, a screenwriter-producer-director known for Zodiac, discusses making Nuremberg. He talks about balancing heavy subject matter with moments of levity. He describes research-driven development, surprising character intros, structural rules worth breaking, and why timeless themes matter over topicality.
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Instant Yes To A Short Proposal
- James optioned Jack Elhie's five- or six-page book proposal almost immediately after reading it.
- He calls it the fastest yes he's ever given in his life.
Use Self-Funding To Buy Creative Time
- Avoid self-funding unless necessary, but use it when you need creative freedom to explore shape and tone.
- Self-funding let Vanderbilt experiment without external pressure and decide the film's form first.
Delay Structure; Start With Dreaming
- Vanderbilt delays formal structure to enter a 'dreaming phase' where he lists compelling moments and characters.
- Those moments then organically attach and dictate the eventual structure.
