So on Rodger's useful links thread, Wes suggested a spec script tips link. I read through it nodding as I often will before I ran across this line: "If your script is over 125 pages, forget. Cut it down and try again." This is not the first time I've read something like this. Another went: If it's under 90 pages or over 120, then I don't want to see it, because it either needs to be fleshed out or cut down.

The jewel of my work is 139 pages. I've trimmed off 6 pages from its original version. There is a title page and info page that make of two of those, but beyond that, there's not a lot to cut and the length is a big reason the story ends where it does and actually concludes in part 2. It seems frustrating to me that someone would say no just because of the length.

Why the stigma on page length? Under 90, I could understand, but over 120? Sure, a page a minute, but the movie world is ripe with over 2 hour movies that are among the best of the best. Do we want to get started on Lord of the Rings? Bond fans regard On Her Majesty's Secret Service as one of the best Bond films made (it would have ranked higher among the non-loyalists had George Lazenby continued as Bond or Sean Connery done the film); it's also the longest topping out at just shy of 150 minutes. If it maintains your interest the whole way through, why scrap it?

My rant is over.

Generally, I agree. I don't think there's anything wrong with a script that's 140 pages, but it's probably not the ideal first spec screenplay to show if you're trying to get the attention of a reader or producer or whatever.

I wouldn't scrap it.

I agree George, your script works and Lord of the Rings goes well beyond this format and so does 12 Monkeys, Hellboy... and so on and so forth.

I don't think they're right here but I guess who are we to argue with them? Just do it your way and to hell with them and their rules because if somebody wants something they'll still want it as long as it's well written and doesn't drag.

Cut it into a TV series.  My serials are long movies cut into episodes.  The tricky part of cutting a long movie into a TV series, is arranging the first episode correctly.

A lot of produced scripts run for a lot longer than 120. I was recently reading a shooting script that enters production next month and it was a whopping 178 pages.

That said, producers can be put off by the sheer size of the script. I heard a rumor once about a producer who would check the weight and thickness of a spec script before deciding whether to read it.

My suggestion would be to send it out at 140 pages. If you get little or no response, see if you can shorten it to 120 but keep your original. The key is getting it read. If they like what they read, they'll be happy to see the uncut version

I think that most of the sepc script tips only really apply apply to new, or less well established, writers... Obviously if you've proved yourself then people will give you a lot more leeway with regards to trusting that you know how long your script needs to be.