A script doctor is an accomplished screenwriter hired to help a script overcome a few specific, nagging problems, usually just before the movie goes into production.
Script doctors almost never rewrite the entire movie, but instead just work on specific issues that need last-minute addressing.
Script doctors are not credited on films, and therefore do not receive [residuals](https://screenwriting.io/what-do-the-different-writer-credits-mean/), but they are paid large upfront fees for short — albeit intense and time constrained — periods of work.
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* [What is a script doctor?](http://johnaugust.com/2007/what-is-a-script-doctor “What is a script doctor?”)
* [Hiring a “script doctor”](http://johnaugust.com/2004/hiring-a-script-doctor “Hiring a “script doctor””)
* [Rewriting, but where’s the script?](http://johnaugust.com/2003/rewriting-but-wheres-the-script “Rewriting, but where’s the script?”)
* [What is a script doctor?](http://johnaugust.com/2007/what-is-a-script-doctor “What is a script doctor?”)
* [Hiring a “script doctor”](http://johnaugust.com/2004/hiring-a-script-doctor “Hiring a “script doctor””)
* [Rewriting, but where’s the script?](http://johnaugust.com/2003/rewriting-but-wheres-the-script “Rewriting, but where’s the script?”)