“Frankly, I’m puzzled at you wanting to do a story about a 40-year-old, brief spat of screenwriting sales – a sort of temporary uptick or phenomenon – which had a bunch of nerds sitting around in a building.”

I sat on a call with Shane Black, the creator of “Lethal Weapon” – and one of the best-paid screenwriters in Hollywood. I had tracked him down as part of my fascination with the “Pad O’ Guys,” an innocuous West Los Angeles bachelor pad that was allegedly once home to Hollywood’s greatest screenwriting talents. There were a few things wrong with what he just said.

For one, the inhabitants were far more than random film nerds. Among them were David Silverman, the original lead animator and director of “The Simpsons,” Fred Dekker, writer of “Night of the Creeps,” and Jim Herzfeld, writer of the billion-dollar “Meet The Parents” franchise. Throw in Dave Arnott, co-writer of “Last Action Hero,” and together, they’re responsible for franchises that have collectively ranked billions in box office sales, redefining the Hollywood landscape.