DEAD EAST "Nippon Flight 319
Status: Commercial Rights Available for Acquisition
The Accolade: "A strong, entertaining pilot with a marketable high-concept hook... visceral and cinematic." — Scriptapalooza (Strong Recommend)
The Elevator Pitch
While the world looks to the stars to cheer a dazzling meteor shower, the passengers of Nippon Flight 319 are unknowingly transported to the end of days. Dead East is a visceral, high-altitude thriller that blends the "no-exit" survival horror of Blood Red Sky with the kinetic energy of 28 Days Later. When a "red-eye" honeymoon flight out of a collapsing California becomes the birthplace of a global plague, a haunted veteran must fight to survive a pressurized death trap at 30,000 feet. The crew’s "miraculous" emergency landing in Honolulu doesn't bring safety—it delivers the apocalypse to the last untouched paradise on Earth.
A sudden, violent transformation in the cabin turns a routine honeymoon flight into a nightmare at altitude. As the crew and passengers battle an escalating threat they don't yet understand, they must execute a miraculous emergency landing. But safety is an illusion; the flight is a Trojan Horse, delivering the very infection that will dismantle paradise and civilization from within.
ON CHARACTER: "Megan's psychological inner monologue is the standout... it shows real literary ambition. The staging of the cabin chaos is visceral and cinematic." — Scriptapalooza Coverage
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Paul Alan GoberWriterDead East (Pilot)
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Project Type:Screenplay, Short Script, Television Script
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Number of Pages:30
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Language:English
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First-time Screenwriter:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Toronto International Short Film AwardsToronto, Ontario Canada
March 29, 2026
Nominee -
Golden State Film FestivalTLC Chinese Theater, Holly Wood CA
March 6, 2026
Best TV Screenplay Horror -
Oxford Script AwardsOxford OX1 1BS United Kingdom
April 3, 2026
Finalist -
Indie Vegas Film FestivalLas Vegas, NV United States
May 3, 2026
GRAND PRIZE TV SCREENPLAY -
Best Script Award - London97 Sclater Street London E1 6HR United States
April 6, 2026
Semi-Finalist -
Scriptapalooza Screenplay CompetitionLos Angeles California
April 9, 2026
Strong Recommend (Professional Coverage)"A strong, entertaining pilot with a marketable high-concept hook and genuinely impressive character writing... this could be a very compelling pitch." -
Los Angeles Film & Script FestivalLos Angeles Film & Script Festival 21781 Ventura Blvd. #624 Los Angeles, CA 91364
April 15, 2026
Best Script - Horror -
Art Giraffe International Film Festival4 Rue de Rivoli Nice 06000 France
December 28, 2026
Selected for Best Television Screenplay -
Frights! Camera! Action! Horror Screenplay ContestEngland
April 21, 2026
Honorable Mention -
Blue Bird Film FestivalKolkata, west Bengal 700125
April 20, 2026
Honorable Mention -
Cannes World Film FestivalCannes World Film Festival 45 Boulevard De La Croisette CANNES, French Riviera 06400
May 7, 2026
Official Selection -
Cannes Art FestCannes, France
May 30, 2026
Nominee
Paul Alan Gober | Architect of the Dead East Universe
Paul Alan Gober is an award-winning screenwriter and author dedicated to the "architecture of dread." Known for crafting grounded, visceral horror that tests the limits of the human spirit within high-concept settings, Paul is the creator of the Dead East multi-platform franchise, which launched with his gripping novel, Dead East: Devil May Replace Me.
In 2026, Paul’s television pilot "Nippon Flight 319" became a definitive breakout on the international circuit. The project earned the title of Best Television Horror Screenplay at the prestigious Golden State Film Festival (TCL Chinese Theatre) and secured a Best Script Nomination at the Toronto International Short Film Awards.
A prolific creator with a disciplined "showrunner" mindset, Paul doesn't just write pilots; he builds worlds. He has already completed the full 10-episode inaugural season for the Dead East series, offering a rare "ready-to-shoot" package to the industry. His work is defined by intense, high-altitude tension and a relentless focus on the human heartbeat at the center of the nightmare.
A frequent fixture in the national horror community, Paul is a featured vendor at premier genre conventions nationwide, where he continues to expand the borders of the Dead East legacy.
ON DIALOGUE: "The dialogue feels lived-in and specific... the Pradip/Rossi exchange has real moral weight."— Scriptapalooza (Strong Recommend)
The Architecture of Dread
I don’t write horror to show people how to die; I write it to explore the visceral, desperate ways we fight to stay alive.
The Dead East universe, beginning with Nippon Flight 319, was born from a singular obsession: the "claustrophobia of the inevitable." My background as an author taught me that true terror isn't found in the shadows, but in the person sitting next to you when the world stops making sense. By stripping away the "safety" of a modern honeymoon flight and replacing it with a cosmic, undead trigger, I wanted to force a conversation about human entropy at 30,000 feet.
As a creator, I operate with a "Showrunner" mindset. I believe a pilot is a promise, not a stand-alone event. This is why I have meticulously mapped the Dead East franchise through a completed 10-episode inaugural season. I build "ready-to-shoot" worlds where the science is grounded, the corporate warfare is cold, and the horror is relentlessly human.
Winning at the Golden State Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theatre validated a core belief of mine: that international audiences are hungry for "elevated genre"—stories that marry the grit of 28 Days Later with the cinematic soul of Children of Men. I am not just writing a nightmare; I am architecting a survival guide for the end of the world.
ON COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL: "A genuinely compelling premise with obvious serialization potential and real commercial energy."— Scriptapalooza (Strong Recommend)
