Dino Pirates

Black List Evaluation (8 out of 10 score): "Every character exudes likability and originality, especially Gertrude... The concept is epic in scope, the highest of high concept, and despite its obvious absurdities, is based in logic and treated as tongue-in-cheek - just as it should." SYNOPSIS A 17th century pirate ship appears in modern Los Angeles; dead fishermen, beachgoers and even a drum circle attract the attention of the authorities. Elsewhere, a dinosaur skeleton is unearthed with a leather riding saddle. Paleontologist DR. GERTRUDE SCHMETTERLING – or Gerdi, as she hates to be called – is pulled into the investigation by her mansplaining boss PROFESSOR CURTIS. Summoned to the Mayor's office, Gerdi and Curtis team up with ERIC ORMAN, C.P.A. and DR. SKITLISH, both of whom work for Time Wave Technologies, the company responsible for this mess. Combining their knowledge of dinosaurs with Eric’s math skills (except for Geometry, which he calls ‘stupid shapes’) and Dr. Skitlish’s knowledge of their company’s erratic Time Tunnel device that creates wormholes, they must stop the dino pirates from destroying Los Angeles! The carnage reaches Santa Monica where Gerdi’s estranged father, surly British actor REED STERLING, is called to action by the chaos. He summons his swordplay training from his days playing a Pirate on BBC to defend the helpless citizens around him. Naturally, the team could use someone with pirate knowledge, so the aging actor joins them as they’re flown to a nearby military base to meet GENERAL TURKEN, a gruff man with an itchy trigger finger. They determine the dino pirates’ obvious destination: the Queen Mary! With such a vast, historic ship, the pirates will rule the seven seas in no time! Gerdi and the team head to Time Wave Technologies to find a prototype device to track the open wormholes. The plan goes awry and they lose Professor Curtis, but they eventually manage to close the wormholes. General Turken’s men track the dino pirates to Long Beach, where an epic battle ensues (with a talented flash mob caught in the middle of the action). Turken underestimates his foes and is forced to retreat. The pirates take command of the Queen Mary, and Gerdi sneaks aboard and discovers their ultimate plan - to create a TIME SHIP! If they can get their hands on the original time tunnel device from Catalina Island, they can send the Queen Mary back to their own time and take over the world! The remaining team has until dawn before the ship reaches Catalina's shores. They decide the best way to kill dinosaurs is… of course! A comet! They commit to opening a tiny wormhole to shave a sliver off a comet, opening the other end above Catalina. Reed and Eric mount a daring rescue of Gerdi using Reed’s speedboat skills from a TV guest spot. Reed defeats the Pirate Captain in an epic sword fight, and they race toward LA with Gerdi, just in time, as the comet destroys the dino pirates! On the beach afterwards, Gerdi and Eric share an epic kiss, and Reed repairs his relationship with his daughter. But there’s one problem none of them are aware of – the time tunnel has nudged the comet into a collision course with Earth!