Screen stories with two or more leads ask audiences to split their focus and sympathy, while following intertwined character arcs. But when done well, these stories offer the chance to maximise the drama on multiple levels.

Defining dual and multi-protagonist narratives

Also called two-handers or ensembles, these are stories where the role of protagonist is shared rather than centred on one character.

We’re used to talking about protagonists in the singular, focusing on their wants and needs and their character journey. Protagonists drive the narrative with the action flowing from their decisions, actions and relationships.

The majority of films are built around single protagonists. However, there are cases where splitting the role adds extra dimensions.

Here is an example of each type:

The Insider (1999): This true story of a dogged TV producer and a reluctant corporate whistleblower works as a dual protagonist narrative through sharp characterisation, balance and mutual interest. The characters need each other and carry equal dramatic weight. The story dynamics are constantly shifting with the drama heightening at each stage, forcing both characters into making hard decisions with clear implications. Their contrasting personalities, frailties, and differing priorities – as well as their growing friendship – ensure the scenes between them are infused with conflict.

Spotlight (2015): This multi-protagonist narrative follows a team of reporters and editors working for the Boston Globe as they investigate sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. This is a procedure-led story that illuminates the work of investigative reporters and challenges of going up against a powerful institution which is ingrained in the city’s fabric. While we spend most of the story with the investigation, each character’s home life offers a window into how they cope with the emotional toll. One has a young family, another lives alone among moving boxes, while a third cares for her devout mother.

Types of dual and multi-protagonist narratives

Two main groupings are:

1. Stories with a common goal, where two or more characters are in pursuit of a singular aim.

2. Stories with opposing goals, where the interest is in watching the characters clash.

More specifically, the types of stories which lend themselves to dual and multi-protagonists include:

Investigations & procedurals: These are often more process-led than character-driven, so the drama comes from watching how something unfolds and the fallout, more than how the characters arc. An example is All the President’s Men (1973), where Washington Post reporters Woodward and Bernstein delve into the Watergate break-in.

Team narratives: These are typically sports-based dramas, where we follow the key players through a tournament or season. For example, the John Sayles’ baseball film Eight Men Out (1988) about the notorious Chicago White Sox scandal, in which some players took bribes to throw the 1919 World Series.

Characters brought together through circumstance: These stories involve two very different people being thrown together for a shared purpose. For example, Ford vs Ferrari (or Le Mans ’66) (2019), which involves a laid-back Texan car designer and a down-to-earth Yorkshireman driver, who team up to win the high-profile 24-hour race.

Stories with distinct but intertwined threads: In these stories, both sides operate as counterweights to each other or offer different perspectives on the same issue. The Insider is an example of this, as is The Big Short (2015), where the ensemble cast brings to light the events around the 2007/8 financial crisis.

Narratives set within organisations: Here, we might follow a batch of new recruits or get taken into the inner sanctum of an organisation to watch the people tackle a joint problem. An example is Hidden Figures (2016) about three Black female mathematicians who played pivotal roles at NASA during the Space Race.

Fictional adaptations: Novels and plays are more likely to be two-handers or ensembles which balance the drama between all the leading characters. Awards-magnet Hamnet (2025) is an example, where Maggie O’Farrell’s novel becomes an emotive screen story in which Agnes and William Shakespeare struggle with the loss of their young son.

Interview-based stories: Two characters going at it with equal weight of argument can be compelling drama. Freud’s Last Session (2023) brings together the psychoanalyst with C.S. Lewis to debate heavy philosophical issues, including the existence of God.

Cat-and-mouse narratives: The interest here is watching both sides try to outwit each other and seeing who comes out on top. An example is Catch Me if You Can (2002), where we follow both the con-man and the FBI agent on his tail.

Buddy stories and romantic comedies: Less likely to be based on real events, these types of narratives are based on two mismatched characters coming together (usually to solve a crime) or two lost souls finding their way to love. Examples include The Nice Guys (2016) and When Harry Met Sally (1989).

Things to think about

The main question is: are you really writing a dual or multi-protagonist narrative?

Often, one character naturally rises to the top and assumes the main burden of the plot. They might dominate the action; have the most pronounced arc; disproportionately drive the story; or have the most emotionally compelling presence. You just might like them the best!

This generally comes to light in the early stages when you’re thinking about the story and developing a logline. If it starts with: ‘It’s about this person who…’ rather than ‘a group of people…’ then you might be writing a single protagonist narrative with supporting roles.

Other questions to ask yourself include:

1. Are the characters distinct from each other? Personality traits; personal lives; wants & needs; strengths and flaws – it’s important that your leads aren’t carbon copies of each other (even if they share an end goal).
2. Do all the characters go on their own journey? In other words, do they each have a defined arc that the audience will want to see wrapped up at the end?
3. Can you balance the storylines and characters? Dual and multi-protagonist narratives can become unfocussed and sprawling, taking us over that 110 to 120-page limit.
4. Would the story work better as a TV show? If you find that you have so many threads and characters that the confines of a feature screenplay are too limiting, it might be worth exploring the option of writing a pilot.
5. How well do the characters blend? Whether they’re together for the whole story or for one or two memorable scenes, it’s important the story strands feel connected and that you’re drawing on every source of conflict.
6. Are the characters each reliant on each other? The connection might be emotional, practical or a mix of the two – but unless the characters overlap in a meaningful way, maybe the material would work best as separate stories or incorporating a weaker strand as a subplot.
7. Is the drama suitably diverse? If the obstacles and conflict are similarly shared among all the main characters and they each react in a similar way, this risks becoming dull and repetitious – so it’s important to ensure each character experiences the drama in their own way.

When it comes to fact-based films, we’re guided by the true events which sometimes necessitate two or more leads. However, we also have that magic ingredient – dramatic license. This allows us to shape the real-life events and characters to make sure there is enough drama to go around.

Go further:

More examples of fact-based and original dual and multi-protagonist films include:

• Glass Onion (2022)
• Women Talking (2022)
• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
• Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
• The Departed (2006)
• Brokeback Mountain (2005)
• Crash (2004)
• The Hours (2002)
• Magnolia (1999)
• Heat (1995)
• Thelma & Louise (1991)
• Nashville (1975)
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)