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GALLAGHER LITERARY
Literary Management ►
Development ►
Producing ►
Packaging ►
Financing ►
Production ►
Distribution
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Discovering exceptional stories. Developing extraordinary projects. Bringing films to screens.
© 2018
► PLEASE PITCH ME YOUR SCRIPT VIA THIS LINK
Chapter 1: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD…
Long, long ago, in a land far, far away, Gallagher Literary made its mark on Hollywood, enjoying decades of success, some spectacular challenges, and more than our share of good old-fashioned luck.
My career took me through nearly every corner of the entertainment industry, from literary representation and talent management to studio development, packaging, production, international film finance, and worldwide distribution.
Along the way, I worked with extraordinary creative talent, negotiated hundreds of entertainment deals, and helped bring some of Hollywood’s most recognizable motion pictures to audiences around the world.
There were remarkable successes, spectacular disappointments, unforgettable personalities, and enough Hollywood stories to fill several books. And like all good stories, eventually it was time for a change of scenery.
After more than three decades in Los Angeles, I traded the studio lots, endless traffic, and spectacular smog-enhanced sunsets for the towering evergreens and tranquil shores of a small island in the Pacific Northwest.
The scenery changed. The business didn’t.
Today, Gallagher Literary is a boutique literary management and production company focused on discovering exceptional screenplays and intellectual property, developing promising projects, and bringing together the creative and financial elements necessary to get films made.
I continue to work with writers, producers, financiers, and production partners, developing and packaging projects for the professional marketplace. My interests range from compelling independent films to commercially ambitious productions, provided there’s a great story worth telling.
I’m particularly drawn to intelligent, emotionally compelling, character-driven stories, whether they come from established professionals or entirely new voices.
And yes, after all these years, I still get excited when I discover a wonderful screenplay.
Chapter 2: A LIFETIME IN THE BUSINESS
One of the great pleasures of spending decades in Hollywood is watching how the business evolves, and how the people you once knew as assistants eventually become the people running the studios.
My career has taken me through nearly every corner of the entertainment industry, from entertainment law and literary representation to studio development, talent management, packaging, production, international film finance, and worldwide distribution.
Along the way, I’ve had the privilege of working with an extraordinary range of creative talent, including Stan Lee, Dan O’Bannon, Kevin Williamson, Bob Cochran, Tim Allen, Drew Carey, Johnny Cash, Janeane Garofalo, Luke Perry, and Aidan Gallagher.
Representing Stan Lee was a particular privilege. His extraordinary imagination helped create some of the most recognizable characters in entertainment history, and having him as a marquee client opened doors throughout Hollywood and established relationships that would prove invaluable throughout my career.
I was recruited by Messina Baker, one of Hollywood’s leading management agencies, to establish and oversee its literary department. The company represented television’s biggest stars of the time, including Tim Allen and Drew Carey, and wanted to expand into developing and packaging projects for its clients and in-house production.
It was an extraordinary opportunity to work at the intersection of talent representation, literary development, packaging, and production.
My career later took me to Japan, where I was recruited to serve as Executive Vice President of GAGA, then the world’s leading international film finance and distribution corporation.
The position placed me on the other side of the negotiating table, working directly with major studios, talent agencies, producers, and financiers to structure and negotiate motion picture financing, acquisition, and distribution agreements.
I traveled extensively, attended international film markets, and negotiated transactions involving Hollywood’s most recognizable and successful motion pictures.
Among the films I’ve worked on throughout my career are; What Women Want, Hannibal, Rush Hour 2, Chicago, Van Helsing, The Green Mile, Enemy of the State, Scary Movie 3, The Others, Gangs of New York, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, The Mexican, The Notebook, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Blow, and A Man Apart, among many others.
Over the course of my career, I’ve worked on hundreds of motion picture transactions involving films that collectively generated more than $8 billion at the worldwide box office, including numerous Academy Awards.
My involvement has ranged from literary representation and development to packaging, financing, production, and international distribution. Each project presented different challenges, and each contributed to my understanding of how films actually get made.
Of course, the films that reached theaters represent only part of the story. I’ve also spent an extraordinary amount of time developing, negotiating, financing, and packaging projects that never made it into production.
As anyone who’s spent time in this business knows, getting a movie made is considerably more difficult than getting a movie deal. While, making a good deal is important, making the right deal is what gets remembered.
What all these experiences gave me was an unusually broad perspective on how the entertainment business actually works. I’ve seen filmmaking from the writer’s side, the agent’s, the studio’s, the producer’s, and the international financier’s and distributor’s.
I learned that recognizing a great screenplay is only the beginning. Understanding how to get it made is another matter entirely.
Chapter 3: SO, WHAT AM I DOING TODAY?
I’m still doing what I’ve always loved: trying to discover unique and fresh material, doing my best to develop promising projects, bringing talented people together when possible, negotiating deals worth doing, and finding ways to get movies made in the chaos of it all.
The difference is that after decades in the entertainment industry, I have the freedom to be considerably more selective about the projects I pursue.
Today, Gallagher Literary operates as a boutique literary management and production company, combining decades of experience and professional relationships with the technology and flexibility of a modern independent operation.
I’m developing select motion picture projects that I intend to package and produce. I’m also continuing to discover new material, evaluate promising screenplays, and explore opportunities with writers, producers, financiers, and production partners.
My focus is on identifying exceptional screenplays and intellectual property with the creative and commercial potential to become successful motion pictures.
For the right writer and project, my involvement can extend beyond simply shopping a screenplay. I can develop the material, identify its commercial potential, formulate a packaging strategy, approach appropriate talent and production partners, and navigate the complicated business of getting a film financed, produced, and distributed.
Having worked on both sides of the negotiating table, I understand that different projects require different approaches. Some need additional development. Others need the right director, cast, producer, or financing structure. Almost never does a screenplay arrive that’s ready to go straight to market. The challenge is knowing the difference.
I’m particularly interested in working with talented screenwriters who have compelling stories to tell, whether they’re established professionals or entirely new voices. For some writers, that relationship may develop into ongoing literary management. For others, it may be a collaboration on a single project. I’m not interested in accumulating a large roster of clients like my old agency days. I just want to find material I genuinely believe I can help move forward.
I also recognize that the entertainment industry has changed dramatically since I began my career. New studios, production companies, streaming platforms, financing models, and distribution opportunities have transformed how films are developed and brought to audiences.
But the key things haven’t changed. A great screenplay still needs someone who recognizes its potential. A promising project still needs the right people, the right strategy, and the right team. And getting a film made still requires persistence, creativity, relationships, and a staggering amount of luck.
My objective is simple: Find extraordinary material, bring together the people and resources it needs, and give it the best possible opportunity to become an extraordinary film.
Chapter 4: WHAT I BRING TO THE TABLE
After decades working in literary representation, development, production, international film finance, and worldwide distribution, I’ve learned that getting a movie made requires considerably more than a great screenplay and a little enthusiasm.
It requires understanding the creative process, the commercial marketplace, the people making the decisions, and the financial realities that ultimately determine whether a project moves forward.
I’ve had the unusual opportunity to experience these challenges from multiple perspectives, representing writers and talent, developing and packaging projects, negotiating with studios, working with producers and financiers, and structuring international distribution agreements.
Today, I bring that experience to the projects and people I choose to work with.
LITERARY MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT
Discovering promising writers and exceptional material, developing screenplays, and helping shape projects for the professional marketplace. I work with both established and emerging writers, with an emphasis on compelling storytelling, memorable characters, and material with genuine creative and commercial potential.
PACKAGING & PRODUCING
Bringing together the creative elements necessary to move a project toward production, including writers, directors, actors, producers, financiers, and production partners. Every project has different requirements, and successful packaging begins with understanding what makes a particular story worth telling and who is best suited to tell it.
FILM FINANCE & INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION
Understanding the financial structures, international markets, distribution strategies, and commercial considerations that influence whether films get made. My experience negotiating motion picture financing and distribution transactions provides a practical perspective on how projects are evaluated, financed, sold, and ultimately brought to audiences.
STUDIO, NETWORK & INDUSTRY RELATIONSHIPS
Decades of firsthand experience working with major studios, talent agencies, networks, producers, financiers, and distributors. Relationships are important in Hollywood, but understanding how to approach the right people with the right material at the right time is just as important.
TALENT & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT
Identifying and developing creative talent, original property, and entertainment IP with the potential to reach audiences across platforms. Sometimes the opportunity is a single motion picture. Other times, a compelling character, story, or creative voice offers possibilities extending well beyond one project.
CROSS-PLATFORM OPPORTUNITIES
Exploring opportunities across film, television, streaming, music, publishing, merchandise, and other forms of entertainment. The boundaries between these businesses have become increasingly fluid, creating new possibilities for writers, creators, and IP holders who understand how to develop and position their creative.
STRATEGIC CONSULTING & DEAL STRUCTURING
Helping writers, producers, and IP holders evaluate opportunities, navigate negotiations, identify business partners, and structure relationships that support both their creative ambitions and commercial interests.
I’ve spent much of my career sitting on both sides of the negotiating table. I’ve represented the people selling projects, worked with the companies buying them, and negotiated with the financiers and distributors whose participation can determine whether a film actually gets made.
That experience has taught me that there is rarely just one way to put a movie together. Sometimes the obvious deal isn’t the best deal. Sometimes the most promising opportunity comes from an unexpected direction. And sometimes the difference between a project that gets made and one that spends years in development is simply timing and luck.
Making a good deal is important. Knowing how to put the right deal together is even importanter.
Chapter 5: BEFORE HOLLYWOOD, I WAS…
My life didn’t begin in entertainment. In fact, Hollywood was probably one of the last places anyone would have expected me to end up.
Long before I found myself dining at Spago in hand sewn suits, I ate in crappy mess halls while serving in military intelligence. Following a Senatorial nomination to the United States Military Academy at West Point, I went on to serve in military intelligence, earning decorations for my service, and my career involved national security, intelligence operations, and a few experiences that were far more interesting than anything I could put on a résumé.
I later became involved in international trade and technology, working with companies and executives on projects that crossed borders, industries, and occasionally bureaucratic minefields.
I was assigned a board seat on the Japan-America Society and led a partnership between Japanese conglomerate Itochu and U.S. Sprint involving undersea fiber-optic communications carrying highly confidential communications. It was highly insightful to work at the intersection of international business, emerging technology, and extremely large corporate interests. This was the high tech of my day.
My introduction to Hollywood came through an assignment to do consulting work involving the NSA and the film Enemy of the State, starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman. The film involved government surveillance, intelligence gathering, and national security. My involvement helped inform the film’s portrayal of the intelligence community and the realities of government surveillance.
It was an unexpected introduction to the entertainment business. I found the personalities fascinating, the negotiations hilarious, the financial stakes surprising, and the number of things that had to go right for a movie to get made absolutely comical.
And I discovered something else. Despite the obvious differences between intelligence work, international business, and Hollywood, the underlying skills weren’t all that different. Research mattered. Relationships mattered. Negotiation mattered. Knowing whom to trust mattered. And understanding what motivated the people made all the difference.
Of course, Hollywood has its own peculiar way of doing things. In intelligence work, people generally tried to keep secrets. In Hollywood, everyone seemed determined to tell you theirs. I was hooked. And somehow, what began as an unexpected detour became a career spanning decades. Funny how life works.
Chapter 6: AHEAD OF THE CURVE - SOME OF THE TIME…
I’ve always been something of a technology nerd. Long before the internet transformed the entertainment industry, I recognized that it could change how writers connected with Hollywood.
Back in the early days of the interwebs, when most literary agencies still insisted that screenwriters submit their work through paper channels, I became the first Hollywood agent to openly accept screenplay pitches online through an internet screenwriting community.
At the time, this was considered a rather unconventional idea. Few people thought it was revolutionary. Others thought I’d lost my mind. I took a ton of flak for it from both sides including the writers I was helping the most.
But I believed that talented writers shouldn’t need to live in Los Angeles, know somebody at a studio, or have an uncle who played golf with an agent just to get their work considered. The internet offered something Hollywood had never been particularly enthusiastic about: opening gates.
I subsequently pioneered online discussion groups connecting literary reps and development execs, creating opportunities to exchange information, discuss projects, and collaborate more efficiently. I was later involved in the development of online screenplay coverage pools. That particular innovation, in hindsight, was a massive mistake.
Some technological advances improve an industry. Others simply make it easier for everyone to read the same bad coverage. But I never stopped believing that technology can open doors for talented people who might otherwise never have an opportunity.
Today, we’re witnessing another extraordinary transformation. Streaming platforms have reshaped the entertainment marketplace. Digital production and distribution have created opportunities that were unimaginable when I began my career. And artificial intelligence is introducing tools that will fundamentally change how films are produced, and audiences discover entertainment.
Hollywood is still trying to figure it out. It’s always been an industry in constant turmoil. I find it part fascinating and part maddening. I’ve always believed that technology is valuable only when it helps creative people accomplish things that previously seemed impossible. The tools can change, but a brilliant story still begins in someone’s imagination.
So if ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI, or some other digital oracle directed you to Gallagher Literary… Welcome. You’re in the right place.
Chapter 7: THE STORIES THAT MOVE ME
I’ve always been drawn to intelligent, emotionally compelling, character-driven stories. Films that stay with you long after the credits roll. I love movies that make me think, and leave me sitting in the theater long after everyone else has gone.
They don’t require enormous budgets, elaborate visuals, or even superheroes saving the universe. They require something considerably harder to find: a fresh story, unforgettable characters, and something meaningful to say.
Over the years, I’ve discovered that some of my most memorable films are also among the simplest. A unique character, an unexpected relationship, an impossible choice, or an ordinary person confronting extraordinary circumstances can be far more powerful than a ton of visual effects.
Here are some examples of the films I admire:
* Once
* Lost in Translation
* Blue Valentine
* Whiplash
* Bend It Like Beckham
* Call Me by Your Name
* Little Miss Sunshine
* Manchester by the Sea
* An Education
* The Spectacular Now
* La La Land
* Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
* Silver Linings Playbook
* The English Patient
* Lady Bird
* Brooklyn
* Atonement
What these films share isn’t a particular genre, budget, or commercial formula. It’s the ability to connect with the audience through characters, emotional authenticity, and storytelling that feels genuine.
Some are intimate independent productions. Others are ambitious, beautifully crafted studio films. Some were commercial successes. Others found smaller but deeply appreciative audiences. I admire all of them for different reasons.
While these examples reflect my personal tastes, they don’t represent the limits of what I’m interested in developing or producing. A great thriller, comedy, romance, mystery, or adventure can be every bit as compelling when the writing is exceptional.
I’m interested in stories that have something to say, characters worth caring about, and the potential to become films that audiences will remember. If your screenplay belongs in the company of these titles, you’ll probably get my attention.
Chapter 8: HAVE A GREAT SCRIPT? LET’S TALK.
I welcome screenplay pitches from both established and emerging screenwriters. You don’t need an agent, manager, entertainment attorney, or industry connection to approach me. You simply need a compelling story and a completed screenplay worth considering. No pitches please!
Throughout my career, one of my greatest pleasures has been discovering talented writers and helping them navigate an industry that can be extraordinarily difficult to enter. I know how frustrating Hollywood can be for a screenwriter. Getting someone to read your work is difficult enough. Finding someone who understands its potential, believes in it, and knows how to move it forward can be considerably harder.
That’s one of the reasons I began accepting screenplay pitches online long before it became commonplace. I believed then, as I do now, that a wonderful screenplay can come from anywhere. You don’t need to live in Los Angeles. You don’t need to have attended film school. You just need to write something extraordinary.
I can’t promise that every screenplay will find a home. What I can offer is decades of experience evaluating, developing, packaging, financing, and positioning motion picture projects for the professional marketplace. I’m selective about the projects I pursue because I prefer to become involved in their development and packaging.
I’m not interested in accumulating an inventory of screenplays that sit on a shelf, gathering dust while their writers wonder whether anyone remembers they exist. I champion a handful of projects I genuinely believe in.
For the right writer and project, my involvement may extend beyond simply shopping a screenplay. I may help develop the material, identify appropriate packaging, explore financing and production opportunities, and work toward bringing the project to the screen.
For some writers, the relationship may develop into ongoing literary management. For most, it will be a collaboration on a single project. What matters is the material, the people involved, and whether I believe I can make a meaningful contribution to getting the project made.
If you’re looking for someone who will simply forward your screenplay to a few producers and hope for the best, I’m definitely not that guy.
I apologize in advance for how selective I am with my time, but I will also respect yours.
READY TO PITCH?
► PLEASE PITCH ME YOUR SCRIPT VIA THIS LINK
I accept unsolicited screenplay pitches ONLY through the submission form linked above. This is the only way to manage the volume of material I receive and ensure that submissions are handled consistently.
Please do not email or mail unsolicited screenplays. And please understand that submitting a pitch does not guarantee a response, but I do promise I will read your pitch as soon as I can.
Chapter 9: AND I LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER…
After decades in Hollywood, I’ve learned that nobody has all the answers. I certainly do not. I’ve seen brilliant projects fail, questionable projects become enormous successes, and extraordinary talent struggle for years to find the recognition it deserves.
I’ve watched studios spend fortunes developing films that never got made, while modest little productions nobody expected much from went on to win Academy Awards and capture the hearts of audiences around the world.
I’ve seen deals fall apart over the most ridiculous disagreements, only to watch those same projects come together years later under entirely different circumstances. And I’ve learned that Hollywood has an extraordinary ability to convince everyone that whatever worked yesterday will always work again tomorrow. Until, of course, it does not.
Through it all, a few things have remained remarkably consistent. Talent matters. Relationships matter. Timing matters. And despite all the planning, packaging, negotiating, and strategery… lady luck still plays the most important role.
My job has always been to help create the circumstances in which that luck has a chance to happen. I can’t guarantee a screenplay will become a movie. Nobody can. I can recognize promising material, help develop its potential, bring together talented people, and draw upon decades of experience to give a worthwhile project its best possible opportunity.
And after all these years, I still find that process enormously satisfying. I still enjoy reading a wonderful story. I still enjoy putting together a complicated deal. And I still get satisfaction from watching something that began as an idea on a page eventually appear on a screen.
These days, I pursue these opportunities from a beautiful little island in the Pacific Northwest, surrounded by towering evergreens, fresh air, and the occasional bald eagle circling overhead.
It’s a 3 hour flight from the studio lots, the crowded restaurants, and the endless fires and smoke of Los Angeles. But thanks to modern technology, a few decades of relationships, and the magic of facetime, Hollywood is no longer far away for anyone.
THE FINE PRINT:
Gallagher Literary is actively seeking screenplays and original properties for producing, potential management, and possible development, or packaging, financing, and production.
Rob Gallagher is a literary manager and producer with decades of experience in talent representation, motion picture development, international film finance, and worldwide distribution.
Submissions are welcome from both established and emerging screenwriters. You do not need an agent, manager, entertainment attorney, or industry referral to submit a pitch.
Gallagher Literary accepts unsolicited screenplay pitches exclusively through its online submission form. Please do not email or mail unsolicited screenplays, treatments, or other creative materials.
Submission of a pitch does not establish a representation relationship or guarantee a response, review, development agreement, or production commitment.
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