Running with Jack Scissors
American Hometown Entertainment Fund / The Slate
Feature film · In development
Learning to run, love,
and live with hope.
A grieving young runner. An unexpected friendship. A summer that challenges Megan Turner to open her heart and find her way forward.
The story
You can’t outrun the past.
But you can find a way forward.
Family drama / Coming of age
Based on the novel by DJ Hellman
Sixteen-year-old Megan Turner used to face life with a smile. Since her father’s death, she has withdrawn from the world. Running offers an escape, but the hurt follows her—onto the track, along the trail, and into the home she shares with her grieving mother.
Then Jack Scissors runs into her life. With his red headband, long tube socks, and devotion to 1970s running legend Steve Prefontaine, Jack is unlike anyone Megan has ever met. When a teammate’s bullying pushes her to take on the end-of-summer 5K, she reluctantly lets him train her.
What begins as a challenge on the trail becomes something far more personal. Through hard miles, unexpected laughter, and a growing connection, Megan begins to find the courage to face her loss—and the possibility that love, forgiveness, and hope are still ahead.
“Some things have to be believed to be seen.”
— Jack Scissors
The characters
The people who shape her journey.
A girl finding her courage. A boy who runs on hope. A mother carrying her own grief. And a father whose love is never far away.
Finding her stride
Megan Turner
A young runner carrying grief and self-blame, Megan has learned to keep the world at a distance. One summer challenges her to believe in herself—and let others back in.
Running on hope
Jack Scissors
Unapologetically odd and endlessly encouraging, Jack brings a 1970s look and an all-heart attitude to the trail. His unlikely friendship with Megan becomes much more than a training partnership.
Finding a way back
Amy Turner
Widowed and struggling with her own loss, Amy feels her daughter slipping away. Beneath the silence and hurt is a mother who must find a way to reach her again.
A love that stays
Megan’s Father
Remembered in small moments of joy and the running they once shared, Megan’s father remains at the heart of her story. Learning to carry his memory is part of learning to live again.
Character images are illustrative concept artwork, not cast announcements.
The filmmakers
From the page. To the screen.
Meet the storytellers behind Running with Jack Scissors.
Writer & creator / Storypop Studios
Dan Hellman
Writing as DJ Hellman, Dan is the author of Running with Jack Scissors and the writer of its screenplay. His work includes young-adult and children’s books, with Storypop Studios providing a home for bringing those stories to the screen.
He founded Storypop to create films that uplift, inspire, and bring people together—inviting audiences to be part of the journey from the beginning.
Directors
The Boylan Sisters
Alexandra Boylan & Andrea Polnaszek
The Boylan Sisters bring a background in producing independent features for young-adult audiences. Their experience in young-adult storytelling connects with the emotional journey at the center of Running with Jack Scissors.
Their selected work includes Catching Faith, Catching Faith 2, Wish for Christmas, Switched, The Greatest Inheritance, and Identity Crisis.
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Connect with the American Hometown Entertainment Guild, or explore the Fund to learn about the broader slate of films and series.
Guild membership and Fund investment are separate.