Who says Hollywood is out of creativity? There are still plenty of bad ideas for movies out there!

I frequently have people reacting in a confused fashion about some of the things I concern myself with the entertainment complex. An affection for bad movies is explained easily enough, but on the business side and marketing I also have an affinity for the odd decisions, curious partnerships, and inexplicable tie-products that occasionally spring out of the marketing of some films. (As an example, here is my thread about delving into the gastronomic atrocity of the food related to “The Grinch”.)

Hollywood does not always subscribe to basic rules of commerce and economics, which makes for some fun coverage at times. If not an original script usually you would expect a film to have a foundation in some form of legitimate source material; novels, stage plays, or television. At times productions have been inspired to commission a script based on a hit song. Then, in a bout of true artistic exploration, about a generation ago more unconventional outlets were mined for content.

Toys were looked at as inspiration, and movies based on G. I. Joe, and The Smurfs popped up. The Walt Disney company has frequently looked inward for “fresh” ideas, and thus we have been give movies based on its theme park rides. (The Rock is making a “Jungle Cruise” movie at the moment.) The success of the Transformers films meant toy maker Hasbro has developed its own production offices, and has even made films based on its board games “Battleship”, and “Ouija”.

And now, with an eye towards that kind of development bonanza, we received notice there could be a new player in the creative cinematic universe: General Mills Cereals. The company has made a rather bold pronouncement that they are very interested in courting Hollywood creative minds to develop properties for the line of Monster-themed breakfast products — Count Chocula, Frankenberry, and Boo Berry.

The cereal maker has set up a website where they have reached out for any creative minds in the entertainment industry to contact them with concepts for potential future products.

We’re calling all filmmakers, actors, agents, writers, producers, animators, tastemakers, dealmakers, movers and shakers. We want to work with you to bring great stories to life. From mythical fables to magical journeys. Fairy tales to folk tales. Cliffhangers to nail-biters. Heroic sagas to cosmic battles. Binge-worthy dramas to historical epics. Blockbusters to indies. Serials to sequels.

Together, let’s captivate the hearts and minds of teens and adults. This isn’t a contest. This isn’t a pitch for free ideas. We humbly submit this brief to you, Hollywood.

The process, as they have laid it out, is to submit your professional bona fides to them, and after you are checked out they will notify you have been worthy of courting them. Next, after you sign their waiver agreements, you will pitch your idea, and if your dreams come to fruition you can work on fabricating a script for their characters.

There is nothing concrete just yet — the format has not even been nailed down. But the very fact that they are exploring this is indicative a company feels as if there is fertile ground for content. After all, they have employed the lawyers already. If anything can be produced from this it will be considered a win, as the ensuing property, regardless of the format and genre, will become a defacto advertisement for the General Mills labels.

No matter what product gets developed, it will be used to move more product. So get your creative side flowing, like so much milk!