Screenwriter Simon Barry has come home to Canada. After a decade in L.A., the B.C. native has flown the lucrative Hollywood coop and is back in Vancouver, at work on deals with Universal Studios and DreamWorks.

"I was at a point where I wasn't progressing. I worked for others and not on my own writing. Not being in L.A. is better for my focus; it's no coincidence these two recent sales happened here. L.A. has so many opportunities you get distracted," says Barry. "And with today's technology, I realized I don't have to be in L.A."

Universal picked up Diamond Anniversary, a comedic heist thriller backed by producers Sean Furst and Bryan Furst (The Cooler, The Matador) and Toby Jaffe and Neil Moritz (Sweet Home Alabama, The Fast and the Furious). Richard Shepard (The Matador, The Hunting Party) is attached to direct.

The DreamWorks project, a sci-fi war tale, is backed Jason Hoffs (The Terminal), Erwin Stoff (Constantine, A Scanner Darkly) and Tom Lassally (Stay) of 3 Arts.

Barry is also hooking up with fellow UBC classmate, Brightlight Pictures' Stephen Hegyes, to develop ideas for U.S. and Canadian TV.

While in L.A., Simon spent most of his time rewriting films such as Deep Blue Sea, Formula 51 and The Art of War for companies like Warner Bros., Working Title Films, Fox Animation, Fox Television, USA Network, Columbia Pictures and CBS.

He originally headed south because "I knew I couldn't get my traction here, my writing was always more suited to large commercial Hollywood-style productions and budgets."