In 1989, both Steven Soderbergh and “Presence” screenwriter David Koepp had movies at the Sundance Film Festival. While the two didn’t meet that year — Koepp was not in attendance for his “Bad Influence,” the lowkey thriller by future “L.A. Confidential” filmmaker Curtis Hanson, as Soderbergh took his “Sex, Lies and Videotape” into the history books of American independent cinema — their professional lives would continue to cross.

Koepp at one point tried to get Soderbergh to direct “Death Becomes Her,” a project Soderbergh said would be “too hard.” Then, after Koepp had subsequently become one of the most prolific and profitable screenwriters in Hollywood history with “Jurassic Park,” “Mission: Impossible” and more, the pair met for a drink.

Koepp presented an idea he had about an agoraphobic young woman whose job is to listen to recordings and one day – surprise! – she hears a murder. Soderbergh encouraged Koepp to write it, and every six months or so,...