Interview - Screenwriter Pierre Robinson

Pierre Robinson is the writer of Action competition winning screenplay, HOSTILE TAKEOVER: After a controversial LAPD shooting ignites racial unrest across Los Angeles, a by-the-book FBI agent and a disgraced ex-cop turned vigilante are forced into an uneasy alliance when they uncover a terrorist cell embedded within the police—racing to stop a coordinated attack that could level the city and assassinate a presidential candidate.

After the competition win, we spoke with Pierre about the story and the journey to this win.

How did you first become interested in a career in screenwriting?
I’ve always had an overactive imagination. As a kid, I was obsessed with comic books and movies— especially anything from the Criterion Collection—so I’d write little stories just to get the worlds in my head onto paper. But everything shifted once I grew older and started paying attention to how stories worked: plot, character psychology, why certain moments land so hard. That’s when screenwriting took hold.
I actually started writing scripts while I was in the Air Force, moving from Germany to Colorado Springs. I had all these ideas typed up that felt like they could be movies, so I dug into screenplay format. Then I discovered screenwriting software, and once I didn’t have to worry about formatting, I was free to just chase the story. From there, I was off to the races. Screenwriting became the perfect outlet. It lets me take these big ideas and this wild imagination and express them with precision—sometimes in just a few words. That ability to hit emotion with minimal language is what hooked me. It still does.

Who or what inspired you to write this particular story?
This story began the way a lot of my ideas do—with my imagination running wild. The original concept was strictly LAPD vs. LAPD, and I even called the first draft “COPS.” Then I set it aside… and the world changed.
Suddenly, the national conversation was dominated by the shootings of Black men. There were protests, counter-protests, tension everywhere. The country felt like it was splitting open, and from the outside looking in, America seemed more vulnerable than ever. That pulled me right back to that old script.
I started blending everything swirling in the real world: the internal police conflict, the rising outrage, the Christopher Dorner situation in Los Angeles, the complicated perception of the LAPD, and this broader feeling that the U.S. could be shaken from the inside. I asked myself, What if the conspiracy theories people whisper about were actually true? That question became the foundation for a world where our worst fears collide.
But I didn’t want it to be all darkness. I wanted to show the other side too—our resilience, our refusal to let chaos define us. That strength is just as real.
That’s how “COPS” evolved into "Hostile Takeover."

What movies or filmmakers would you consider your greatest influences as a screenwriter?
I’m drawn to action films where everyday-looking cops in street clothes take on impossible odds. Movies like “Die Hard,” “Bad Boys,” “Lethal Weapon,” “Heat,” and “The Raid” shaped the way I think about tension, pace, and character under pressure.
Michael Mann is a huge influence—Heat is practically a religion for me and one of my best friends; we quote it nonstop. Early James Cameron taught me how to craft action that feels big but emotionally grounded. Martin Campbell’s work on GoldenEye and Casino Royale showed me how raw, grounded action can completely refresh a franchise.
And then there’s Christopher Nolan. His storytelling always gets me—bold ideas, tight structure, real emotional weight. Every film of his reminds me what’s possible on the page.

How much planning and outlining went into your process of writing this script?
A lot. “Hostile Takeover” required more planning and outlining than anything else I’ve written. With so many moving parts—social tension, police dynamics, conspiracy elements, character arcs—I needed a clear roadmap to keep everything cohesive.
I probably outlined this script more than all my others combined. I wanted every thread to connect, every setup to pay off, nothing left dangling. The notebook I kept for this project was massive. I practically slept with it—partly to keep the ideas close, partly to let the story sink into my mind before writing each day.
Looking back, it was intense… but honestly, it was a blast.

What advice would you give to aspiring screenwriters who are working their first script?
The biggest piece of advice I can give is this: stop trying to write the perfect first draft. It doesn’t exist. That’s why it’s called a draft.
A lot of new writers freeze because they’re chasing perfection from page one. I’ve never written a flawless first draft—not once. I’ve written good ones that had the core of the story, but they still needed work. That’s normal. That’s the job.
People get so caught up in the dream of seeing their script produced that they overlook where the real magic happens: rewriting. When you’re writing your first script—or your tenth—dump every idea you have onto the page. Dialogue, character beats, wild thoughts, things you aren’t even sure will work. You can only fix what exists.
Once you finish that messy first draft, you get that incredible high. Then, after stepping away and coming back fresh, you finally see what the story is truly about at its core.
So don’t chase perfection. Chase completion. Greatness shows up in the rewrites.