Interview with author, filmmaker and director Rick E. Cutts
- Relatable Media Team
- Mar 2
- 6 min read
Hello Rick, welcome to The Relatable Voice magazine! Where are you from, and what do you like to do in your spare time?
Thank you for having me. I am originally from Chicago Illinois now I currently live in Florida. In my spare time I enjoy going to the gym with my wife and writing.
Stratagem has been such a success that it’s now becoming a movie. How does it feel to see your first book take on a new life on the big screen?
The success of stratagem and seeing it become a movie is absolutely amazing. To be able to see the words that you thought of being acted out by actors truly bringing the words to life is very humbling. I am in awe seeing it all in motion.
Can you tell us a little about the process of turning a book into a movie?
Absolutely, the process of turning the book into a movie starts with having a screenplay. After the screenplay you want to figure out where you want the film to take place at. Once you create an LLC for the movie you would need to map out the entire movie and most importantly set a date. Once you have completed those steps you want to have a casting all to get the talent to audition for parts.
What has been the most exciting part of production so far?
The most exciting part of production is watching the actors become the characters. To see the talented actors and actresses process the emotions of every character is magical. When all the costumes are on, and you see the set it becomes real right at that moment.
I heard there will be celebrity cameos in Stratagem. Can you give us any hints about who might appear?
Yes, we have a couple of celebrity cameos. One of the coolest ones to jump on the project to do a cameo is Mr. Layne Harper that happens to be in the F1 movie that is due to come out this summer. There are a couple others that I am fortunate to work with as well. We have been keeping some of the things close to the vest until it is a little closer for the trailer to come out.
Your new book, IciKILL, has such a unique and chilling concept. What inspired the idea of using an icicle as a murder weapon?
Yes, the new book iciKILL has the weapon being an icicle. I got the idea when something was on tv in the background, and it was talking about people that almost got away with a crime, but one thing had them get caught. It was either the weapon being found or a footprint. I thought to myself, "what if there were no footprints or no weapon then what would they do”? Thats when the idea of using the icicle was born where it would melt inside the person without leaving a weapon. Then I had the killer use a hand dryer to get rid of the footprints in the snow.
How do you balance creating twists that are surprising yet believable?
The balance of creating twists and turns that are surprising yet believable comes from research. I always want to make sure that things I write have a twist or a reason why something is happening. I always feel like if something has a reason behind why it is happening it is more believable. If someone uses a weapon to impose harm on someone, I want to know the reason why or what caused them to do it. It can’t just be someone off doing crazy things because then the reader will not know what to connect with.
Growing up, you mentioned that you often guessed story endings and wished for more unpredictable twists. How does that childhood experience influence your writing now?
I believe that when I was growing up and always guessed the endings of movies it became so frustrating because it seemed like it was the same formula that was used. With my writing I refuse to write things that are predictable, and I positively want to break the normal formula of writing to truly make people's mouth drop to the floor while reading.
Many of your stories are filled with psychological tension. How do you develop such intense and gripping narratives?
The way that I develop the intense narratives is by putting myself into the situations that I write then I think what would I do in this situation. After I come up with the plot then I build the story around it to see how many different directions I can make it go.
Your work often includes thought-provoking puzzles. Do you have a personal favorite puzzle or mystery from your own life?
My favorite mystery would have to be all of the Columbo series. I can watch Columbo over and over. Till this day I still watch the series and I am still amazed at how Columbo figures out who did it.
What has been the reaction to IciKILL so far? Any moments of feedback that have stood out to you?
The reaction to iciKILL has been amazing. The feedback that I have been getting is that they like iciKILL even more than Stratagem which is very encouraging because you always want to grow and be better with every new book/movie.
As a producer, director, author, and screenwriter, you wear many hats. How do these roles influence each other in your creative process?
Wearing all the different hats that I wear is very helpful because you truly know exactly what you want your project to look like from start to finish. It is an amazing amount of work but very rewarding as you go through and ultimately complete the project.
What’s next for you after Stratagem and IciKILL?
What’s next is a lot. I already have 3 other books I have written as well as another Movie. I have a project upcoming as well that will be later in the year where I will be directing a film out of the country. There are still a few moving parts in place but for now I have been putting most of the focus on the Stratagem movie. I have so many other projects that I am already working on. I will be busy with them until Fall of 2026, it is just awesome. Just knowing that a few years ago all of this was just a dream and now all of a sudden it really is happening. None of it just happened, it was truly an insane amount of work but very rewarding. Thank you so much for allowing me to share some of my journey with you. I am truly honored.
Rick E. Cutts was born in Chicago Illinois. As a young man Rick was challenged by his parents to think his way out of situations and often presented questions, scenarios and puzzles that encouraged thinking outside of the box. Rick often watched mystery movies with his family. Usually he would guess the endings of movies and constantly try to predict what would happen as soon as the movie started. Rick would think of his own stories and scenarios but never wrote any of them down. After listening to a documentary of a movie producer talking about how he dreamed one of his movies. Rick thought to himself “hey I’ve dreamed things before maybe I should write them down”. Rick ended up dreaming and writing one of his dreams that turned into his book stratagem that’s a thriller full of twist and turns that truly keeps everyone guessing. Now every time Rick has an idea, dream or thought he writes them down and build on them to make his own thought provoking stories. After writing stories Rick wanted more. That took him to LA to meet up with a Hollywood producer who helped Rick with becoming a screenwriter. After learning to write screenplays Rick ended up having a conversation with a director who asked Rick if he had ever thought about directing a movie? Rick replied he didn’t know if he was qualified because he never directed a movie. The director told Rick that the moment you think of directing a movie at that moment is when you have a movie in pre production and you’re a director. That was all the encouragement Rick needed to develop and create his own production company as well as direct his own movie. Rick has learned to continue working towards his dreams and lives by a statement that says “if it is to be it’s up to me”. Yes it is a very insane amount of work but totally worth it. Rick continues to write books and screenplays. Tune in to see what’s next…..
Website: https://www.icikill.com/
Contact number: 630-930-4314 (yes, I do pick up the phone!)
Email address: Rickecutts1@gmail.com
Cover story published in The Relatable Voice Magazine - March 2025. Downolad the full magazine at https://www.relatable-media.com/the-relatable-voice-magazine
Comments