The percentage of film options that get developed and then released is tiny. Rights being acquired doesn't mean much by itself, so I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for this movie to be made.
Yes, that's generally how options are used. They're cheap and grant you the development rights for a period of years. So, you block competitors from getting those rights, while having the option to develop them yourself.
Peter Riche tells us in an exclusive interview that compared to some of the previous movies that have profiled tech startups (i.e. The Social Network), he wanted to find a story where success in the entrepreneurial tech world has helped bring founder friendships closer (as opposed to spurring lawsuits).
After watching Social Network, I was kind of worried about starting a business with friends (or relatives) as co-founders. Is Facebook an outlier in this regard or is it the norm?
I have co-founded a business with one of my best friends and then someone we didn't know prior to getting started. Working with both has been an awesome experience. It really just comes down to picking the right people.
I recommend picking up a copy of the movie Startup.com, it wont assuage your concerns of going into business with family, but it paints a much easier to digest picture.
