My past two posts touched on the disappearance of Robert Hurley and his relationship to the adaptation. However, they failed to touch on the grim and confusing details that transpired after he vanished without any warning. 

During the production of Notes From the New World, based on Dostoyevsky’s Notes From Underground and second in VMP’s ambitious Dostoyevsky Project, Robert Hurley acquired the only copy of a hand-written shooting script, a vital piece of the production puzzle. Writer, Director, and Producer, Vitaly Sumin was distraught to find that, after he trusted Hurley with this script, Hurley vanished. He gathered his crew members, so they could begin to work together to find Robert Hurley, but instead they found a mystery, one that put the production in jeoprody.

Additionally, VMP hired a camera crew to capture behind the scenes footage of the creation of Notes From a New World, with no preconception of what was about to happen. Through meticulous editing, we have put together this footage, in an attempt to solve the mystery: What happened to Robert Hurley? 

Life’s Own Mysteries

In the past decade true crime has blown up as a genre. Streaming services, influencers, and podcasters alike dove into topics of murder, kidnapping, and mysterious disappearances much to the appeal of wide, general audiences. But what drew them to this topic in the first place? 

Some say it’s the ease. The content is everywhere, on every platform, so it’s not hard to find a retelling of a real-life thriller story. Yet, I think this might be a chicken/egg situation, because if not for the popularity, then I don’t think producers would invest in these projects. 

More likely the draw of this genre is the thrilling window into someone’s story/psyche; one completely different than the viewer’s own, sort of like people watching. The story has a very clearly defined hero and villain. It’s a dramatic story that explores unique motives with a guaranteed answer at the end. 

It plays into the natural curiosities of the audience and can also justify the traumas experienced by the audience members. In my research about the true crime genre, I began to draw many comparisons to the very popular, and much older genre of Film Noir.

The Thrill of the Chase

Film Noir was popularized in the 1940s after the rise of crime thriller novels in the 1930s. Known for its melodrama, dramatic lighting, and archetypal characters, the genre emphasizes cynical attitudes and motivations through crime drama storylines.

Similar to true crime, Film Noir exhibits risqué dialogue and behavior for the time, and contrasting to true crime, it has less heroic protagonists than seen in other traditional cinema. The story prioritizes the way the audience connects with the protagonist and the way the audience expects the story to follow.  It’s gritty and real, exploring darker themes seen in humanity.

Robert Hurley’s story is a mixture of both. It’s entirely true, with nefarious characters and mysterious threats. The VMP crew examines the intense mystery surrounding his disappearance like the protagonists of Film Noir, and the situation plays out chronologically, just like true crime.

The Missing Screenwriter

The date of birth of Robert Hurley’s and his past in general is unclear, some sources saying he grew up in an orphanage, but according to his own blogs, Hurley mentions his parents and their influence on his collegiate education. 

In college, Hurley got a Computer Science degree and later landed a stable job in that field. But his love of writing continued to haunt him. So Hurley attended many playhouses, eventually meeting our own Vitaly Sumin through the New Playrights Foundation. They worked together on the script for Notes From the New World, then during production Robert Hurley vanished.

Rumors spread about the script. Crew members left the production after being threatened. Hurley wrote about everything online.

Cults. Prostitutes. The Mafia. Mysterious and strange emails. This story has them all.

And it’s coming out soon on Amazon Prime and the other distributors.

Check it out!

The Strange Case of Robert Hurley & The Missing Screenplay

Because of the strange occurrences that happened on the set of Notes From a New World, we over at VMP have put together a documentary with all the details included. Furthermore, it explores a cult’s potential involvement with his disappearance, and the alleged dubious connection to the mafia.

The film comes out soon, but you still have a chance to be a part of it! Click the photo or this link for more information on how you can start your filmmaking career.

Also featured here is our free E-book with detailed information about Robert Hurley and his disappearance. Check it out here.

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