Heidi Hornbacher's Final Draft Big Break-winning Script Optioned, In Pre-production

Award-winning British director Natalie Simpkins (FATHER'S DAY BREAKFAST, THE TOKEN GROOMSMAN) has optioned IWC member Heidi Hornbacher’s family adventure comedy, GRISTLE: A very bad dog gets one more chance at life with the caveat he make a human love him but when he’s stuck with a rebellious teen and her sailor dad, their broken relationship makes it even harder for him to be a good dog. Fresh off winning the family category for Final Draft’s Big Break contest and a 2025 Cinequest Top Ten Finalist, the script had also landed on the Grey List twice, among other honors.

A lifelong dog lover, Hornbacher wrote the first draft in 2017 after a nightmare in which a storm separated her from her beloved rescue, Zora, and wondered how far Zora would go in real life to get home. Over the development of the script, Hornbacher was able to explore teen coming of age, father daughter relationships, and redemption for characters who’ve decided they’re unlovable which she feels has universal resonance. She envisions a social impact campaign around the film supporting dog shelters and foregrounding rescue dogs.

Simpkins is in talks with funders and has assembled a team of a DP and production designer. Hornbacher says, “When Natalie showed me their initial mock-ups for the climatic storm scene, I got choked up. It was wonderful to see someone believe in my vision so much and to see how much emotion was already on screen in just the mock-ups. I can’t wait for production to begin!” Production is currently putting together locations in coastal Georgia.

In addition to writing, Hornbacher is a screenwriting teacher and co-founder of the SLAMDANCE SCRIPT CLINIC and PAGECRAFT WRITING offering online classes and writing labs in Northern California and Italy. She’s been invited two years running by the government’s arts development association to lead programs in Moldova and is excited to return this fall. She’s represented by Zero Gravity.