 The book was written by both Kaufman and screenwriter James Gunn; they had previously collaborated on the 1996 film "Tromeo and Juliet".Gunn went on to more mainstream prominence as the writer of "Dawn of the Dead" (2004) and the writer-director of "Slither" (2006) and the Marvel Studios 2014 film "Guardians of the Galaxy".The book was written by Gunn after having numerous long interviews with Kaufman about his life.