If I were writing the screenplay, I think I would make the “tempted human” and his/her life the main plot, with Screwtape and Wormwood in another dimension right beside them, like Passion of the Christ when Satan kept walking around wherever Jesus was, but no one could see Satan (except Jesus). The plot of the movie would involve something in the life of the humans, maybe nothing real exciting (no jumping out of burning buildings and fighting off mutants), but enough so that we are actually interested in how everything turns out for the human. And of course, Wormwood and Screwtape are extremely interested, too!
This is kind of the same approach as the famous play, “Strange Interlude.”
Another approach that would be quirky is to have Screwtape and Wormwood look like normal human beings here on this earth, like a real uncle and nephew, perhaps living next door to the humans and seeing them everyday and even waving hello, but the humans little suspects that they are really DEMONS out to destroy their souls! Gradually throughout the screenplay it becomes clear that these two are NOT very nice at all. (This is the same idea as Bruce Almighty, where God is an elderly black man.)
I truly think the movie would do well to add some humor–it would make the two demons look even more evil. For example, it would be fun to see Screwtape cheering for the Duke Blue Devils at a basketball game and occasionally sending his demons out with a flick of his finger to tempt the other team members and coaches and possibly the referees to do bad things. And of course he would smile approvingly at all the “nastiness” in the audience from fans.
It would be cute to see Wormwood making sandwiches for him and Uncle Screwtape out of Underwood Deviled Ham. (I know, OLD joke!!) (Not sure if the Underwood Deviled Ham people would want a piece of this or not!)
I would love to hear what some of the rest of you think.
And someone mentioned a play. How is that set up? Is it more like a Readers’ Theatre?
This would be a fascinating English assignment for high school or college creative writing students! Even if they didn’t write the whole screenplay, it would be interesting to read how different people would set it up.
