Script doctor
Screenwriter hired to rewrite an existing script / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A script doctor is a writer or playwright hired by a film, television, or theatre production company to rewrite an existing script or improve specific aspects of it, including structure, characterization, dialogue, pacing, themes, and other elements.[1]
Script doctors generally do their work uncredited for a variety of commercial and artistic reasons.[examples needed][1][2][3] They are usually brought in for scripts that have been almost "green-lit"[4] during the development and pre-production phases of a film to address specific issues with the script, as identified by the financiers, production team, and cast.[5]
To receive credit, the Writers Guild of America screenwriting credit system requires a second screenwriter to contribute more than 50 percent of an original screenplay or 33 percent of an adaptation.[5] Uncredited screenwriters are not eligible to win the Academy Award or the Writers Guild of America Award.