I have several takeaways from reading the script to Flight, but I want to zero in on one point: Write characters which name actors want to play. I would imagine Denzel Washington has dozens of play-or-pay offers, stacks of virtual scripts in his office. Why does an A-list actor like Washington commit to a project like Flight as opposed to something else? I have to think one big reason is the complexity of Whip's character. As an actor, this role provides him an opportunity to explore an individual who is deep into Disunity, then struggles to get his act together, all with a ticking clock of the impending hearing about the crash. Compelling. Multidimensional. Flawed. Transformation. All of those at play in a significant way with Whip's character. Those traits resonate with an actor. And in a story like Flight which is at its core a character study, it is CRITICAL for the writer to deliver those goods. So do that: Deliver the goods. Create compelling characters. Hopefully key actors will commit to your project based on your creative instincts / writing.