Rollerball by D. W. Stewart | Script Revolution

Rollerball

In a dystopian future where evil corporations have become too big, powerful, and woke, one man fights to survive a death sport, Rollerball, in order to speak out against them.

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Page Count: 
141pp

Genre:

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Age Rating:

Based On: 
Rollerball (1975) by William Harrison
Synopsis/Details: 

Corporations have usurped governments and all other institutions to rule the world. They have rewritten history, and they have undermined traditional values and traditional relationships like marriage by operating businesses that provide long-term sexual companions.

To maintain their control of the masses, corporations supply narcotics, provide all of life's necessities with AI controlled technologies that can be cut off when someone's social credit score is deemed too low, and distract and entertain with the high-speed, dangerous sport of rollerball.

Jonathan E is a shy and unassuming everyman. He is also the greatest rollerballer of all time. Jonathan E loves playing rollerball with his best friend and teammate, the charismatic Moonpie, and he misses the love of his life, the adorable Ella, who was lured away by corporations into their sex companion business.

Bartholomew is the leader of the corporation that owns Jonathan E's rollerball team. Jonathan E runs afoul of Bartholomew and his cabal of corporate leaders by succeeding in the sport designed by corporations to illustrate the futility of individual effort. The matter is exacerbated by Jonathan E when he fails to properly parrot the corporations' Orwellian messaging campaigns.

When Bartholomew insists that Jonathan E retire, and Jonathan E resists, Bartholomew uses the persuasion of paid sexual companions, social credit score manipulation, and, ultimately, alterations to the rules of rollerball, to ensure that Jonathan E either retires or dies.

Jonathan E attempts to learn the truth about history, and when he is informed by his friend, mentor, and corporate insider, Cletus, that Moonpie has died not from a rollerball injury, but by a murder ordered by the corporation, Jonathan E becomes distraught. He realizes that Ella, who has returned to him, is just acting on behalf of the corporations.

Jonathan E decides to rebel. Assisted by old-school technology and his coach, Rusty, who he unknowingly inspires to aid him, Jonathan E plays in the championship rollerball game in order to speak out against the evil corporations and their messaging.

Submitted: August 31, 2024
Last Updated: January 23, 2025

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The Writer: D. W. Stewart

I am creating this profile on Script Revolution so that I can present to you my reimagining of a 1975 classic, Rollerball. The script recasts the evil corporations in ways that were unthinkable decades ago, and I believe there is a large, untapped audience primed to consume its anti-totalitarianism message. I hope that you will enjoy reading it. Go to bio