In truth, it was the idle creation of a “” who wanted to read some good scripts, and so emailed other Hollywood executives to ask for suggestions. “It became a thing very quickly,” that executive, Franklin Leonard,: He created the first such list in 2005, and it was in EW by March of the following year. But because the scripts on the list had not yet become movies—and some were not even terribly close to doing so—when the list reached the general public, it had the feel of privileged information (aided, perhaps, by the clever name: The scripts have not, in fact, been blacklisted in any fashion). Really, though? The list is voted on by Hollywood development executives, and for a script to top that list, it needs to have been read by many of those people.
In other words, these are screenplays that are already making the Hollywood rounds. And while, as a rule, they have not yet been produced, many of them are already in production. In 2009, the year after The Beaver was #1, the second-most popular script on the Black List was The Social Network, by an up-and-coming scribe named Aaron Sorkin, who was hired to write the screenplay by Scott Rudin, only one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood.
The movie was a Best Picture contender one year later. Of course, we now play it so well that, if you follow the right blogs, you not only know the Black List is coming, you know what’s likely to be on it. The Playlist, a blog on the website IndieWire, that, “as was widely expected,” the most popular script on this year’s list is The Imitation Game, a biopic of Alan Turing, “the mathemetician and computer pioneer who helped to crack codes during World War Two, but found himself ostracized afterwards for his homosexuality”—which could be great, but doesn’t sound much different from other prestige pictures that come out every year. (The Black List: Read about tomorrow’s J. Which will Leonardo DiCaprio again!) Warner Brothers bought the script months ago for “a whopping seven figure sum.”. Other scripts on the list not only sound familiar, but downright depressing.
Like Dirty Grandpa, for instance, in which a “horny grandfather” shows a young man “how to take life by the balls and lead with his heart.” Or Guys Night: “Sick of brunches, bosses, and light beer, four co-workers set out on the mother of all guys nights in an attempt to rediscover their manhood.” I have already sighed multiple times today while reading those sentences. There are even remakes on the list, including yet another Pinnochio and a new version of Soapdish centered on a telenovela. Sadly, the Playlist Chewie may get held up by “rights issues,” just as 2009’s top script, The Muppet Man, a biopic about Jim Henson, did. Both those winners suggest there is a considerable appetite among Hollywood executives for behind-the-scenes stuff. Also on the list this year are scripts about Bob Hope in Korea and Grace Kelly in Monaco. I guess if we’re all interested in how the sausage gets made—as the whole Black List phenomenon suggests—we shouldn’t be surprised that executives in Hollywood want to put that on screen.
The Black List is a list of the most liked, yet unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. You want to pay attention to the Black List because:. It’s a barometer of what stories are resonating in the marketplace.
It provides a list of agents and managers with clout. It showcases many fresh, newly discovered writers. In this post I’m going to explain what you need to know about the Black List, post the complete list, and make one tiny suggestion for how the Black List could be improved. How are scripts selected? The voters are 250 anonymous film executives (I voted when I was at MGM).
This includes people who are currently employed at production companies and studios as Creative Executives, Directors of Development, Vice Presidents of Development and Production. According to the Black List, this list is not a “best of,” but rather a “most liked.” There are definitely other scripts that could have been listed and likely some made the list because executives voted as a favor to their representative friends.
However, in my experience, if you read the Black List scripts from any of the past few years, the top scripts are consistently excellent. Over 225 Black List screenplays have been produced, they have been nominated for 171 Academy Awards, including Best Pictures Slumdog Millionaire, The King’s Speech, and Argo. That is why the list has credibility and why Hollywood decision-makers pay attention each year when the list is published. What are the benefits of being on the Black List?
The Black List provides credibility. For this reason, if your script is on the Black List:. Development executives are expected to read your script.
Your script is more likely to get optioned or purchased. If the script is in development, it can get additional financing and attachments. You are more likely to get hired for jobs. On this last point, the Black List is used as a reference when development executives are looking for writers to hire for rewrites. It’s much more likely that an executive will read a writer’s script and hire that writer simply because they’ve made the Black List.
I asked Isaac Adamson, writer of the script Bubbles that topped the Black List this year, about what’s happened this week: “My reps are definitely getting a lot of calls, both congratulatory and to set up meetings in the new year. And I think the Black List placement has given the project has a little more urgency in some peoples’ minds now. For any script to make the Black List, it already has to have a lot of exposure, but landing on the list can potentially make people take a second look at your script and think, ‘Everybody likes this thing. Let’s find a way to make this movie happen before someone else does.’ Are these all new, undiscovered writers? Unproduced does not mean undiscovered.
Most of these screenwriters are represented at the major agencies and many have had other scripts purchased and produced. However, some of the writers are fresh, newly discovered talent.
How do I get on the Black List? The barrier to entry to the Black List is high. You need an outstanding script and representation who pushes your script wide so that lots of executives read it. Bonus points if the script has sold and has major cast attachments. It probably also helps a little bit if your reps send out the script close to the Black List voting period. What’s the difference between the Black List and the Black List Script Database? The Black List is a list of the most liked, yet unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.
The Black List Script Database is a service where any screenwriter can pay to list their scripts in an online database. (And in my opinion, paying to list your script is unlikely to improve the odds of your script getting voted onto the Black List). Here is an excerpt from the Black List that explains the evolution: “In 2005, Franklin Leonard surveyed almost 100 film industry development executives about their favorite scripts from that year that had not been made as feature films. That first list – many of which have been made since – can be viewed. In October 2012, we extended our mission by allowing screenwriters from the world to, for a small fee, upload their scripts to our database, have them evaluated by professional script readers, and subject to that evaluation and our recommendation algorithm, sent to our – at present – over 1000 film industry professionals.” I don’t have an agent or a manager, but I want one.
How can I tell if an agent on the Black List is legitimate? If a representative is listed on the Black List, they have proven that they have enough clout to get development executives to read a script. That may seem simple, but the pool of representatives who can achieve this is a surprisingly small. Take the list of all the managers and agents included on the Black List, add any representatives who are on the that focuses on spec screenplays, and you have a pretty good sense of who can get executives to read scripts.
Why are so many true stories on the Black List? In this interview on KPCC, Black List said, “True stories and biopics in particular tend to be things that people respond to. If I had to guess, I think that’s probably both a supply-and-demand issue, in that a lot of writers are writing stuff that is based on true stories because of this sort of pre-sold phenomenon in the industry.” Should I focus on trends and write a true story about an athlete-spy who lives on Martha’s Vineyard and was involved in the making of The Godfather? You should focus on your best and most authentic ideas.
However, if one of your top ideas is a true story you might dust it off, and if you just happened to have a script about the making of The Godfather, you should probably put that on the shelf for a while and work on something else. Where can I read these scripts? It’s my policy to only share produced screenplays, but with some clever sleuthing on the internet, you may be able to find the scripts. What is that number after the title? Each entry on the Blacklist starts like this: Title, by Writer – #Votes The first entry is the script that received the most votes, i.e., Bubbles, by Isaac Adamson, received 44 executive votes. Even the scripts at the end of the list received more than five votes and that is a mark of success.
Some of these loglines are terrible. I wouldn’t want to see these movies, and I don’t understand how they got on this list. The Black List 2015 selection is based on the completed screenplays, not on the loglines. Loglines can be written by the writers, their representatives, or readers. Sometimes loglines do not effectively communicate what is strong about a script. With that in mind, here’s my suggestion for how to improve the Black List. What would make the Black List better?
The piece of information that I wish was included for each script is the genre. Genre gives context that is necessary to understand the story that follows. Without knowing the genre, it’s easy to make incorrect assumptions about the story.
For example, if a writer tells me that he’s got a story about the CIA, I could assume:. It’s a thriller like Three Days of the Condor.
It’s really a drama like The Good Shepherd. It’s actually a comedy like Spy. Apologia chemistry 2nd edition schedule.
That’s why I give the following advice to screenwriters: Whether you are pitching verbally or in writing, lead with genre. I wish that the Black List included a line for the genre to make it easier to identify projects and writers to read on the Black List. Thanks to Franklin Leonard and his team for compiling the list and CONGRATS TO EVERYONE ON THE BLACK LIST 2015!
Black List 2015 Scripts Full List BUBBLES by Isaac Adamson- 44 A baby chimp is adopted by the Pop star Michael Jackson. Narrating his own story, Bubbles the Chimp details his life within The King of Pop’s inner circle through the scandals that later rocked Jackson’s life and eventually led to Bubbles’ release. AGENCY: CAA AGENT: Joe Mann MANAGEMENT: Lee Stobby Entertainment MANAGER: Lee Stobby STRONGER by John Pollono, Scott Silver- 40 The true story of Jeff Bauman, who after losing his legs in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, was an integral part of helping police to locate the suspects.
AGENCY: CAA AGENTS: Joe Mann, Ali Trustman MANAGEMENT: Underground MANAGER: Noah Rothman PRODUCERS: Mandeville, Scott Silver FINANCIER: Lionsgate THE LIBERTINE by Ben Kopit- 37 After the Head of the French National Assembly is placed under house arrest for accusations of sexual assault, he must live in a guarded apartment with his estranged wife until the case comes to a close. AGENCY: WME AGENTS: Roger Green, Sarah Self MANAGEMENT: Mindframe Films & Management MANAGER: Jesse Silver PRODUCER: Whalerock Industries FINANCIER: Warner Bros ROCKET.
by Jeffrey Gelber, Ryan Belenzon- 37 Roger “The Rocket” Clemens, one of the greatest pitchers of all time, has 4672 strikeouts, 354 wins and a record 7 Cy Young awards. This is the story of why he is not in the Hall of Fame.
AGENCY: CAA AGENTS: Craig Brody, Ida Ziniti MANAGEMENT: Grandview MANAGER: Jeff Silver PRODUCER: Black Bear Pictures FINANCIER: Black Bear CRATER by John J. Griffin- 34 On the moon, five teens take an unauthorized and adventure-filled road trip, just before one of them is to be sent away on a seventy-five-year journey to another planet, leaving behind his best friends. AGENCY: WME AGENTS: Holly Jeter, Chris Slager MANAGEMENT: Kevin Donahue Literary Management MANAGERS: Kevin Donahue PRODUCERS: 1821 Pictures, Mayhem Pictures MISS SLOANE by Jonathan “Jonny” Perera- 31 A powerful lobbyist sacrifices her career on Capitol Hill so she can push through an amendment enforcing stricter federal laws regulating guns. AGENCY: UTA AGENTS: Peter Dodd, Carolyn Sivitz MANAGEMENT: Management SGC MANAGERS: Scott Carr PRODUCERS: FilmNation FINANCIER: EuropaCorp TRUE FAN by John Whittington- 28 After interfering with a foul ball during a Chicago Cubs playoff game, Steve Bartman was tortured and stalked by die hard Cub fans for potentially costing them their first National League pennant since 1945. Years later, in a new town with a new identity—but depressed, overweight and working a dead-end job—Steve meets a woman who gives him a new lease on life and reason to live. AGENCY: Verve AGENTS: Pamela Goldstein, Adam Weinstein MANAGEMENT: MXN Entertainment MANAGERS: Michelle Knudsen PALE BLUE DOT by Brian C Brown, Elliot DiGuisseppi- 26 Twelve months after returning from a space mission, decorated astronaut Laura Pepper is arrested for the attempted murder of a fellow astronaut.
AGENCY: CAA AGENTS: Craig Brody, Matt Martin MANAGEMENT: Industry Entertainment MANAGERS: Dianne Fraser PRODUCER: Pacific Standard FINANCIER: Fox Searchlight REAGAN by Mike Rosolio- 25 When Ronald Reagan falls into dementia at the start of his second term, an ambitious intern is tasked with convincing the commander in chief that he is an actor playing the president in a movie. How to install gprof on ubuntu. AGENCY: Kaplan Stahler Agency AGENTS: Shan Ray MANAGEMENT: Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment MANAGERS: Aaron Kaplan, Michael Wilson BUMP by Ori Guendelman, Rob McClelland- 21 After an accidental hit and run, a young lawyer’s entire life unravels over the span of one night as he attempts to dispose of a corpse that turns out to be much more than an innocent victim.
AGENCY: Paradigm AGENT: Chris Smith MANAGEMENT: 3 Arts Entertainment MANAGERS: Ari Lubet, Will Rowbotham ELI by David Chirchirillo- 21 Having moved into a “clean house” to treat his auto-immune disorder, eleven year old Eli begins to believe that the house is haunted. Unable to leave, he soon realizes that the house, and the doctor who runs it, are more sinister than they appear. AGENCY: APA AGENTS: Adam Perry, Sheryl Petersen MANAGEMENT: Bellvue Productions MANAGERS: John Zaozirny PRODUCERS: Bellvue Productions FINANCIERS: Broad Green Pictures SEPTILLION TO ONE by Adam Perlman, Graham Sack- 20 While a former FBI agent is working in the fraud unit of the Texas State Lottery investigating a woman who has mysteriously hit the lottery jackpot three times, he falls in love. AGENCY: Gersh AGENTS: Eric Garfinkel, Jeff Greenberg MANAGEMENT: Apostle Pictures MANAGER: George Heller PRODUCERS: Oddlot Entertainment, MC2 Entertainment, Marquee Entertainment FINANCIERS: Oddlot Entertainment WHITE BOY RICK by Logan Miller, Noah Miller- 20 True story of Richard Wershe Jr., the only successful white boy gangster/drug kingpin in an African American dominated 1980s Detroit ghetto.
AGENCY: UTA AGENTS: Peter Dodd, Charlie Ferraro, Rames Ishak, Tim Phillips, Michael Sheresky MANAGEMENT: Thruline Entertainment MANAGERS: Josh Kesselman, Danny Sherman PRODUCERS: LBI Entertainment, Protozoa Pictures FINANCIERS: Studio 8 BOOMTOWN by Matt King- 18 A slick corporate investigator with a closely guarded secret discovers a sinister criminal conspiracy in North Dakota oil boom country. AGENCY: Paradigm AGENTS: Robert Bookman, David Boxerbaum MANAGEMENT: Bellvue Productions MANAGERS: John Zaozirny PRODUCERS: Marc Platt Productions FINANCIERS: Focus Features DREAMLAND by Nicolaas Zwart- 18 With his family’s farm on the precipice of foreclosure, fifteen-year-old Eugene Evans is determined to capture a fugitive bank robber and collect the bounty on her head. Against all odds, he beats out the FBI and the local police to capture her, only to discover that all may not be what it seems. AGENCY: WME AGENTS: Daniel Cohan, Tanya Cohen, Danny Greenberg MANAGEMENT: The Mission Entertainment MANAGERS: Corrine Aquino, Andrew Coles THE FISHERMAN by Will Dunn- 18 A fisherman sails out of Martha’s Vineyard in search of the shark that killed his fellow sailors while they were stranded in the water for four days after their ship was attacked by a Japanese submarine. AGENCY: CAA AGENTS: Trevor Astbury, Jon Cassir MANAGEMENT: Think Tank Management and Production MANAGERS: Tom Drumm THE WATER MAN by Emma Needell- 18 A young boy tries to save his mother from terminal cancer by seeking out the town’s bogeyman, The Water Man, who is fabled to have conquered death. AGENCY: WME AGENTS: Joe Austin, Sarah Self MANAGEMENT: Anonymous Content MANAGERS: Charlie Scully, Tariq Merhab PRODUCERS: Harpo Studios, Yoruba Saxon Productions FINANCIERS: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD- 17 by David Scarpa The story of Getty kidnapping crisis encompassing the Red Brigades, the Italian tabloids and the Vatican.
AGENCY: Gersh AGENTS: Bob Hohman, Bayard Maybank PRODuCERS: Chris Clark, Quentin Curtis FINANCIERS: TriStar Productions BOY by Mattson Tomlin- 17 A teenage boy is born with special abilities and spends his childhood switching names and cities so as to keep his identity hidden. When he loses control and accidentally kills his father, he and his mother have to go on the run.
AGENCY: CAA AGENTS: Jay Baker, Pete Stein, Ida Ziniti MANAGEMENT: Grandview MANAGERS: Zac Frognowski THE SHAVE by Thomas White, Miles Hubley- 17 A dirty cop, exonerated in the murder of a high school honor student, visits the boy’s father at his barbershop, and while receiving a straight razor shave, listens to him recount the story of his son’s life. AGENCY: WME AGENTS: Stuart Manashil, Solco Schuit MANAGEMENT: MXN Entertainment MANAGER: Michelle Knudsen PRODUCERS: Chris Columbus, Maiden Voyage Films FINANCIERS: Lost City, Route One Entertainment DO NO HARM by Julia Cox- 16 An ambitious surgeon’s life takes a dangerous turn when she indulges in an affair with a doctor whose god complex challenges her own. AGENCY: APA AGENTS: Adam Perry, Sheryl Peterson MANAGEMENT: Project D Media MANAGER: Allison Doyle HAMMERSPACE by Mike Van Waes- 16 A terminally ill teenager looking for answers about his missing father finds a key that unlocks an opening to an alternate animated dimension and a new friend who helps him repair his broken family.
AGENCY: CAA AGENTS: Trevor Astbury, Joe Mann MANAGEMENT: Grandview MANAGERS: Zac Frognowski PRODUCER: Lin Pictures FINANCIER: Warner Bros THE WRETCHED EMILY DERRINGER by Chris Thomas Devlin- 16 Gleefully terrifying her small town as a serial killer known as “The Misfit Butcher,” 13-year-old Emily Derringer becomes annoyed when a new killer comes to town and residents begin attributing his sloppy murders to the Misfit Butcher. In a macabre coming of age story, Emily must deal with her competition while also taking on the other trials and tribulations of junior high school life. AGENCY: UTA AGENTS: Charles Ferraro, Aaron Hart, Jenny Maryasis MANAGEMENT: Bellvue Productions MANAGERS: Jeff Portnoy, John Zaozirny PANDEMONIUM, SPLENDIDLY MANAGED by Brett Conrad- 15 A local Phoenix newscaster at the pinnacle of local celebrity slowly descends into the depths of madness as he sees his world around him start to crumble piece by piece all while trying to become a game show host in Los Angeles. AGENCY: CAA AGENTS: Matt Martin MANAGEMENT: Magnet Management MANAGERS: Bob Sobhani PRODUCER: Michael De Luca Productions THE VIRGINIAN by Michael Russell Gunn- 15 Based on the novel by Owen Wister, a young, down-and-out George Washington, desperate to join the British Army, accepts a dangerous mission to conquer a French fort and save the American colonies. AGENCY: Paradigm AGENTS: David Boxerbaum MANAGEMENT: Principato-Young Management MANAGERS: David Gardner PRODUCERS: De Line Pictures FINANCIERS: New Line CASTLE DRIVE by Matthew Scott Weiner- 14 Based on real events, the story of the writing of Fatal Vision, the 1983 bestselling true crime classic that chronicles the summer journalist Joe McGinness spent with “Green Beret Killer” Jeffrey McDonald while he was on trial for the brutal murder of his wife and children. AGENCY: WME AGENTS: Ryan Feldman, Meyash Prabhu MANAGEMENT: Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment MANAGERS: Michael Wilson PRODUCER: Treehouse Pictures FINANCIER: Treehouse Pictures CUT AND RUN by Zoe McCarthy- 14 A female urologist and a retired hooker form an unlikely friendship when they team up to take down a notorious sex trafficker in Miami. MANAGEMENT: 3 Arts Entertainment MANAGERS: Olivia Gerke, Ari Lubet THE BURNING WOMAN by Brad Ingelsby- 13 A reckless, fun-loving young woman confronts the dark side of life after losing her daughter.
AGENCY: CAA AGENTS: Jon Cassir, Maha Dakhil, Scott Greeenberg MANAGEMENT: Energy Entertainment MANAGER: Brooklyn Weaver PRODUCER: Ridley Scott Films MAYDAY 109 by Samuel V. Franco, Evan Kilgore- 13 Based on actual events, a young John F. Kennedy struggles to save the crew of his PT Boat after it is sunk by a Japanese warship during World War II. AGENCY: ICM Partners AGENTS: Bryan Diperstein, Rich Green, Kathleen Remington MANAGEMENT: Bellvue Productions, Brio Entertainment MANAGERS: Mia Chang, Jeff Portnoy PRODUCERS: Thunder Road Pictures, Flynn Picture Co.
MORNINGSTAR by David Birke- 13 The war is over. A bitter and uneasy truce has been reached with an invading alien race, and a new cold war has begun.
Fueled by suspicions of an alien spy in their ranks, the United Nations Intelligence Division entrusts their top agent, Martin Webber, with finding the mole. AGENCY: Paradigm AGENTS: Scott Henderson, Valarie Phillips MANAGEMENT: Madhouse Entertainment MANAGERS: Ryan Cunningham, Robyn Meisinger PRODUCERS: Quadrant Pictures, Madhouse Entertainment FINANCIERS: Warner Bros MOVE THAT BODY by Lucia Aniello, Paul W Downs- 13 Five friends rent a beach house in Miami for a bachelorette weekend and accidentally kill a male stripper. AGENCY: UTA AGENTS: Ali Benmohamed, Jay Gassner, Carolyn Sivitz, Jo Yao MANAGEMENT: 3 Arts Entertainment MANAGERS: Dave Becky FINANCIERS: Sony NYAD by Robert Specland- 13 Based on the true story of marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, who in 2013, after 4 failed attempts and at the age of 64, became the first person ever to open-swim from Cuba to Florida (55 hours non-stop) overcoming impossible odds, personal tragedy, and 103 miles of open ocean. AGENCY: UTA AGENTS: David Park, Amanda Hymson, Carolyn Sivitz MANAGEMENT: Pacific View Management MANAGERS: Peter Dealbert QUEEN OF THE AIR- 13 by Cat Vasko Based on the book Queen of the Air written by Dean N. Essential jazz lines in the style of clifford brown pdf files. The story of famed trapeze artist Lillian Leitzel and her relationship with fellow trapeze artist Alfredo Codona, who were two of the most famous entertainers of the world during their time.
AGENCY: WME AGENTS: Simon Faber, Solco Schuit MANAGEMENT: Grandview MANAGERS: Zac Frognowski, Matt Rosen PRODUCERS: Mad Chance Productions FINANCIERS: Warner Bros SPRING OFFENSIVE by Matthew McInerney-Lacombe- 13 Dr. Liz Scott, a British epidemiologist with the World Health Organization, fights to contain an outbreak of Ebola in Afghanistan’s war-torn Helmand province as the Taliban’s assault on allied forces threatens to turn the localized outbreak into a global catastrophe. AGENCY: UTA AGENTS: Jacob Epstein MANAGEMENT: LBI Entertainment MANAGERS: Harry Lengsfield, Sam Warren PRODUCERS: 6th & Idaho FINANCIERS: Fox BLACKFRIARS by Chris Bremner- 12 Set around the Blackfriars massacre of 1978, the true story of a Boston police officer and a con man-turned-witness, who become unlikely friends hiding out in Bermuda, ultimately perpetrating a con on the Boston DA they’re tasked to serve. AGENCY: UTA AGENTS: Emerson Davis, Carolyn Sivitz MANAGEMENT: MGMT Entertainment MANAGERS: Dianne McGunigle PRODUCER: Hasbro Inc. FINANCIER: Lakeshore Entertainment CIRCLE OF TREASON by Anna Waterhouse, Joe Shrapnel- 12 Based on the book Circle of Treason: A CIA Account of Traitor Aldrich Ames and The Men He Betrayed written by Sandra Grimes & Jeanne Vertefeuille. When two women in the CIA suspect there is a mole working there, they have to overcome the institution’s hierarchy and chauvinism to bring down the traitor.
AGENCY: CAACircle Of Treason script Black List 2015 AGENTS: Jon Cassir, Rob Hertig, Fred Spektor MANAGEMENT: Grandview, Curtis Brown Group Ltd MANAGER: Jeff Silver (Grandview); Nick Marston, Camilla Young (Curtis Brown) PRODUCER: Josephson Entertainment FINANCIER: Focus Features STAR ONE by David Coggeshall- 12 Two CIA agents must overcome their opposing worldviews to evade the Soviet and Chinese armies during a dangerous mission to Tibet in 1950. The true story of the first CIA agent ever to die in the line of duty; the “first star’ on the CIA Memorial Wall. AGENCY: Paradigm AGENTS: David Boxerbaum, Scott Henderson, Chris Smith MANAGEMENT: Writ Large MANAGER: Noah Rosen PRODUCER: Mythology Entertainment THE SET UP by Kari Granlund- 12 Two co-dependent female best friends’s friendship is put through the wringer after a blind date gone awry sends them on a dangerous, all-in-one-night adventure with a drug dealer. AGENCY: VERVE AGENTS: Chris Noriega, Melissa Solomon, Bill Weinstein MANAGEMENT: Industry Entertainment MANAGER: Sarah Dodge BARE KNUCKLE by Dave Matillo- 11 New York City 1862: The bare-knuckle boxing champion, Bad Jack, develops a crush on a common French girl and uses his political influence to send her Irish lumberman husband off to the Civil War so he can take her for his own.
Unfortunately for Bad Jack, the Irishman doesn’t die in the war and t comes back a killer looking to exact revenge on the pugilist and his entire corrupt entourage. AGENCY: WME AGENTS: Ryan Feldman, Solco Schuit MANAGEMENT: Madhouse Entertainment MANAGERS: Adam Kolbrenner, Kendrick Tan PRODUCERS: Hollywood Gang CHAPPAQUIDDICK by Taylor Allen, Andrew Logan- 11 A historically factual look at what really happened when Ted Kennedy drove off the road into a Martha’s Vineyard bay with Mary Jo Kopechne in the car. MANAGEMENT: DMG Entertainment MANAGER: Chris Fenton PRODUCER: Apex Entertainment FINANCIER: Apex Entertainment GREAT FALLS by Andy Friedhof- 11 After negligently killing a hunter with their patrol car, an alcoholic Sheriff’s Deputy and her superior officer must decide what to do with the only witness to their crime – a death row inmate only days from execution. AGENCY: Equitable Stewardship for Artists AGENTS: Antoni Kaczmarek, Varun Monga MANAGEMENT: Circle of Confusion MANAGER: Jairo Alvarado HUNTING EICHMANN by Matthew Orton- 11 The thrilling capture of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann by a secret Mossad team in South America. AGENCY: The Agency Ltd AGENT: Emily Hickman MANAGEMENT: Grandview MANAGER: Jeff Silver PRODUCERS: Automatik, Matt Charmin FINANCIER: MGM A SPECK IN THE SEA by Jeff Pope- 10 Based on the article “A Speck in the Sea” by Paul Tough. The true story of the rescue of lobster fisherman John Aldridge who fell into the ocean in the middle of the night on July 24th, forty miles off Montauk with no life vest and no way to signal where he was. BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS by Dan Kunka- 10 In one of the greatest untold stories in American history, General and future President Andrew Jackson reluctantly partners with world-renowned pirate Jean Lafitte to lead a rag-tag team of soldiers against the indomitable British Army in the climactic battle of the War of 1812.
AGENCY: ICM Partners AGENTS: Harley Copen, Kathleen Remington MANAGEMENT: Madhouse Entertainment MANAGER: Adam Kolbrenner PRODUCER: Madhouse Entertainment FINANCIER: Endurance CRIMSON TRAIL by Jeremy Shipp- 10 Devastated by the cold-blooded murder of his family, a devout frontier preacher risks his soul to lead a posse in pursuit of the Harpe Brothers—America’s first serial killers. Based on a true story.
AGENCY: UTA AGENTS: Emerson Davis, Julien Thuan MANAGEMENT: Madhouse Entertainment MANAGERS: Ryan Cunningham, Adam Kolbrenner LABYRINTH by Christian Contreras- 10 Based on the book LAbyrinth by Randall Sullivan. The story of the investigation into the murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious BIG. AGENCY: WME AGENTS: Stuart Manashil, Solco Schuit MANAGEMENT: Grandview, Curtis Brown Group Ltd (UK) MANAGER: Jeff Silver (Grandview), Lily Williams (Curtis Brown) PRODUCER: Good Films OUR WEEK WITH WALLER by Evan Mirzai, Shea Mirzai- 10 After getting laid off, two Americans cash in their vacation pay and head to Spain where their paths collide with one of the world’s most dangerous terrorists. AGENCY: Paradigm AGENTS: Adrian Garcia, Adam Kanter, Martin Spencer MANAGEMENT: Principato-Young Management MANAGER: Allen Fischer SET IT UP by Katie Silberman- 10 Two young assistants realize they can get more free time if they occupy their bosses’ time by setting them up on a date. AGENCY: CAA AGENT: Joe Mann MANAGEMENT: MXN Entertainment MANAGERS: Michelle Knudsen PRODUCER: Treehouse Pictures UNTITLED SOCIOPATH PROJECT by Topher Rhys-Lawrence- 10 A successful New Yorker’s seemingly perfect life starts unraveling once he’s suspected for the murder of his co-worker, and his only alibi is the doppelganger that’s begun stalking him. PRODUCER: Atlas Entertainment ARES by Geneva Robertson-Dworet- 9 The survival story of an astronaut whose space capsule crash lands in the African desert and whose mission to space was part of a larger conspiracy.
AGENCY: WME AGENTS: Rich Cook, Solco Schuit MANAGEMENT: Management 360 MANAGERS: Jill McElroy, Clifford Murray PRODUCERS: Roland Emmerich FINAL JOURNEY by Michael Lee Barlin- 9 A mistreated elderly Inuit woman is forced out of her village to survive alone on the savage arctic tundra. MANAGEMENT: Lee Stobby Entertainment MANAGER: Lee Stobby MILITIA by Henry Dunham- 9 After a shooting on a police funeral by a suspected militia member, a recluse ex-cop and fellow militia man must interrogate the suspected gunmen in his own militia before copycat attacks start a nationwide war between cops and militias. AGENCY: UTA AGENTS: Emerson Davis, Peter Dodd, Charles Ferraro, Mike Schwartz Wright MANAGEMENT: Madhouse Entertainment MANAGERS: Ryan Cunningham, Kendrick Tan PRODUCER: 6th & Idaho SALEM by Mark Bianculli, Jeff Richard- 9 Fifteen years after the witch trials, the scars of Salem are reopened when young women begin showing up dead. Desperate for answers, the town elders turn to a man of science to uncover the truth behind its terrifying events plaguing their community. AGENCY: WME AGENTS: Danny Greenberg, Solco Schuit MANAGEMENT: Anonymous Content (Bianculli)/Industry Entertainment (Richard) MANAGERS: Rosalie Swedlin (Bianculli)/Michael Botti (Richard) PRODUCERS: STX Entertainment FINANCIER: The Weinstein Company TOMORROW ON THE RUNWAY by Frederick Seton- 9 Kermit St. Lucy has a ridiculous name and is ridiculously ill-equipped to deal with adult responsibilities.
After a tragedy shakes him to his core, Kermit takes it upon himself to look after and raise two young children. AGENCY: Verve AGENTS: Parker Davis MANAGEMENT: Madhouse Entertainment MANAGER: Kendrick Tan TREASURE ISLAND by James Coyne- 9 Based on the Robert Louis Stevenson classic, young Jim Hawkins finds a map to a buried fortune; to claim it means a perilous voyage, pirate treachery, and the wicked mentorship of Long John Silver. AGENCY: GershTreasure Island Black List 2015 AGENTS: Eric Garfinkel, Mark Hartogsohn MANAGEMENT: The Syndicate MANAGER: Scott Karp PRODUCER: Ritchie/Wigram FINANCIER: Warner Bros UNTITLED LARRY HILLBLOM PROJECT by Matt Portenoy- 9 The strange-yet-true story of the battle over the estate of Larry Lee Hillblom, billionaire founder of DHL. AGENCY: WME AGENTS: Rob Carlson, Daniel Cohan, Tanya Cohan MANAGEMENT: Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment MANAGERS: Aaron Kaplan, Sean Perrone PRODUCER: Seven Bucks Entertainment A LIFE FANTASTIC by Natalie Antoci- 8 A single mother with a terminal diagnosis embarks on a road trip with her eccentric 9 year old son and nanny to find a loving and progressive family that will accept him for whoever he may grow up to be. MANAGEMENT: The Mission Entertainment MANAGERS: Corrine Aquino, Andrew Coles PRODUCER: The Mission Entertainment AN AFRICAN WESTERN by Chloe Castellon, Ridgeway Wilson- 8 When a young African woman’s village is destroyed by a “Christian” paramilitary unit and her sister is kidnapped, she uses every weapon at her disposal on an odyssey to save her last living relative. AGENCY: UTA AGENTS: Emerson Davis, Jon Huddle MANAGEMENT: Principato-Young Management MANAGERS: Brian Dobbins, Allen Fischer ATLANTIC WALL by Zach Dean- 8 A lone American paratrooper, stranded behind enemy lines hours before D-Day, is tasked with delivering intelligence critical to the outcome of the war and compelled to fulfill a promise to protect the young son of a murdered ally. AGENCY: WME AGENTS: Cliff Roberts, Solco Schuit MANAGEMENT: Madhouse Entertainment MANAGERS: Adam Kolbrenner PRODUCER: Madhouse Entertainment FINANCIER: Imperative Entertainment BED REST by Lori Evans Taylor- 8 An expectant mother who is confined to bed rest starts to experience paranormal events.
AGENCY: ICM Partners AGENTS: Rebecca Ewing, Doug Johnson MANAGEMENT: Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment MANAGERS: Josh Goldenberg, Sean Perrone PRODUCERS: Chris Sparling, Sunswept Entertainment FINANCIER: MGM I BELIEVE IN AMERICA by Terry Clyne- 8 A behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Godfather, revealing that the creative forces behind one of the finest American films ever made were all as cunning and ruthless as the mobsters portrayed in Mario Puzo’s bestseller. MANAGEMENT: Kailey Marsh Media MANAGER: Kailey Marsh IDA TARBELL by Mark McDevitt- 8 Ida Tarbell’s magazine series “The History of the Standard Oil Company,” not only changed the history of journalism but also the fate of Rockefeller’s empire, which was shaken by the powerful pen of its most implacable observer.Ida Tarbell’s magazine series “The History of the Standard Oil Company,” not only changed the history of journalism but also the fate of Rockefeller’s empire, which was shaken by the powerful pen of its most implacable observer. AGENCY: UTA AGENTS: Aaron Hart, Geoff Morley MANAGEMENT: Think Tank Management and Production MANAGER: Tom Drumm PRODUCER: Think Tank Management and Production LOU by Maggie McGowan Cohn- 8 An elderly woman who hacks out a rough existence on a remote island is forced to help her dimwitted neighbor rescue her daughter whose ex has kidnapped her and escaped into the woods. AGENCY: CAA AGENTS: Jon Cassir, JP Evans MANAGEMENT: Management 360 MANAGERS: Eryn Brown, Adam Marshall PRODUCER: Paramount FINANCIER: Bad Robot PRECONCEPTION by Jake Morse, Scott Wolman- 8 A couple on the verge of parenthood embarks on a pre-baby bucket list. MANAGEMENT: Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment MANAGER: Josh Goldenberg PRODUCER: De Line Pictures FINANCIER: CBS Films SENIOR YEAR by Andrew Knauer, Arthur Pielli- 8 A cheerleader wakes up after a twenty-year coma and returns to sit at the cool table and try to become prom queen, as a thirty-seven year old woman. AGENCY: Gersh AGENT: Greg Pedicin MANAGEMENT: Benderspink MANAGER: Jake Wagner PRODUCERS: Benderspink, Broken Road Productions FINANCIER: CBS Films VERONA by Neil Widener, Gavin James- 8 A re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. AGENCY: CAA AGENTS: Jon Cassir, Joe Mann MANAGEMENT: Grandview MANAGER: Matt Rosen PRODUCER: Roth Kirschenbaum Films FINANCIER: Sony 105 AND RISING by Andrew Cypiot- 7 Amid the chaos of a failing nation on April 29, 1975, the objective was clear: safely evacuate all remaining Americans from Saigon.
But to Major Jim Kean and Ambassador Graham Martin, the moment represented something else: the final opportunity to uphold promises and obligations to the people of South Vietnam. AGENCY: Verve AGENTS: Parker Davis, Adam Weinstein PRODUCER: Cota Films FREE AGENT by Sam Regnier- 7 A female NBA executive for the Golden State Warriors pursues the biggest free agent of her career while managing a messy divorce and a complicated relationship with a younger colleague and his teenage sister. AGENCY: Paradigm AGENTS: David Boxerbaum, Scott Henderson MANAGEMENT: Management SGC MANAGER: Scott Carr PRODUCER: 21 Laps FINANCIER: CBS FILMS HOMEGROWN by Jacques Edeline- 7 A teenage boy, raised in total seclusion and indoctrinated by his enigmatic father, is sent to live with a foster family and enrolled in a public high school when his father is incarcerated, threatening their relationship and causing the boy to question everything he’s learned. AGENCY: APA AGENTS: Debbie Deuble, Adam Perry MANAGEMENT: Affirmative Entertainment MANAGERS: Nicholas Bogner PRODUCER: Cota Films THE BOY by Owen Egerton- 7 Sixteen years after stabbing a classmate to appease a legendary phantom known as the Boy, a repentant woman returns to her hometown to live with her sister and nephew, but as the Boy continues to haunt her she must face her deepest terror and discover the truth about the Boy before he claims her nephew. AGENCY: UTA AGENTS: Jason Burns, Aaron Hart MANAGEMENT: Epicenter MANAGERS: Allard Cantor, Jarrod Murray CARNIVAL by Matias Caruso- 6 A deadly carnival knife-thrower hunts down the members of a powerful crime syndicate who murdered his sister. AGENCY: CAA AGENTS: Trevor Astbury, Jon Cassir MANAGEMENT: Untitled Entertainment MANAGER: Jen Au PRODUCERS: Anonymous Content, Mitchell Peck CROOK COUNTY by Gita Pullapilly, Aron Gaudet- 6 A whistleblower’s harrowing journey into an undercover FBI operation in 1980’s Cook County, Illinois, sending him toe-to-toe with corrupt judges, hustling defense attorneys, and Chicago mobsters; and ultimately resulting in the largest number of convictions of government officials in the history of the United States.
AGENCY: UTA AGENTS: Max Mitchell, Carolyn Sivitz MANAGEMENT: Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment MANAGER: Taylor Benzie PRODUCER: Linda McDonough DAMSEL by Bryan McMullin- 6 After first being locked in a tower and then hidden deep in the forest to prevent a prince from rescuing her, long-haired Rapunzel vows to get revenge. AGENCY: UTA AGENTS: Charles Ferraro, Aaron Hart, David Park MANAGEMENT: Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment MANAGERS: Tobin Babst, Michael Wilson PRODUCER: Josephson Entertainment FRANCIS AND THE GODFATHER by Andrew Farotte- 6 Facing financial ruin, auteur filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola is forced to direct the adaptation of Mario Puzo’s pulp novel The Godfather, pitting him against legendary mega-producer Robert Evans. AGENCY: CAA AGENTS: Jon Levin, Elizabeth Newman MANAGEMENT: Zero Gravity Management MANAGERS: Jeff Belkin PRODUCER: Echo Lake Entertainment GREEN RIVER KILLER by Michael Sheen- 6 Based on the Eisner Award winning graphic novel of the same name. Detectives in the Green River Killer case attempt to unravel both the facts behind the gruesome murders that plagued the Pacific North West for over a decade and the psychosis of the killer they find themselves face to face with. AGENCY: ICM Partners AGENTS: Doug MacLaren MANAGEMENT: Sanders Armstrong Caserta MANAGERS: Tammy Rosen PRODUCERS: Dark Horse Entertainment LANDSLIDE by Will Staples, Tony Camerino- 6 Based on the book How to Break a Terrorist by Tony Camerino.
The story of America’s search for terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and the man who played a key role in tracking him down by using psychological warfare. AGENCY: WME (Staples)/CAA (Camerino) AGENTS: Phil D’Amecourt (Staples)/Jon Levin (Camerino) MANAGEMENT: Management 360 (Staples)/BE Management (Camerino) MANAGERS: Darin Friedman (Staples)/Brett Etre (Camerino) PRODUCERS: Marc Butan RESURFACE by Pete Bridges- 6 An underwater earthquake decimates a research crew working at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, leaving two survivors with limited resources to ascend 35,000 feet and reach the surface before their life support runs out. AGENCY: Verve AGENTS: Adam Levine, Adam Weinstein MANAGEMENT: Madhouse Entertainment MANAGER: Adam Kolbrenner PRODUCERS: Broken Road Productions SONG OF TREBLINKA by Viorica Baln- 6 Based on a true story.
A renowned Jewish conductor plots a revolt with fellow prisoners as he attracts the respect of his Nazi captors in Germany-occupied Poland’s most notorious death camp. AGENCY: WME AGENTS: Ryan Feldman MANAGEMENT: Madhouse Entertainment MANAGER: Adam Kolbrenner THE CANYON by Alex Koplow- 6 When parents reunite with their grown children for a road trip to hike the Grand Canyon, the family conflicts on the way prove far more grueling than the twenty-mile hike. THREE MONTHS by Jared Frieder- 6 After being exposed to HIV the weekend of his high school graduation in 2011, a punk gay teenager from Miami attempts to start a new relationship with a someone from his support group as they try to endure the three months it takes to get accurately tested.
AGENCY: Paradigm AGENTS: Valarie Phillips, Ellie Schiff MANAGEMENT: Haven Entertainment MANAGERS: Brendan Bragg, Jesse Hara, Jordana Mollick WISH UPON by Barbara Marshall- 6 When Claire, a sixteen-year-old misfit, finds a magic box that promises a chance at the life she has always wanted, she never could have guessed that each wish would demand a deadly payment. AGENCY: APA AGENTS: Debbie Deuble MANAGEMENT: Industry Entertainment MANAGER: Ava Jamshidi PRODUCER: Busted Shark FINANCIER: Broad Green Pictures Black List 2015 Scripts By The Numbers In a competitive business like Hollywood, people who will be comparing and seeing who is up and who is down.
For those who like to see dig into the data a little more, here are some roundups from Deadline, IndieWire and the Washington Post categorizing the scripts on the Black List:. Daniel James Cooper-Kamodsky To be on the Black List is an opportunity not to be missed, but things are not as simple as they seem. As Stephanie rightly put it “The barrier to entry to the Black List is high”. So before any ‘up and coming’ screenwriter would like to take this opportunity they should understand the Black List structure and firstly, the registration process.
Blacklist Scripts Pdf
After that – make a decision if you are ready to enter/register or not. Please use this link and have a look at the registration process at source.
I can only add one thing that there is a difference between the Black List Database and Black List top selection ( as the Black List of the top scripts you see above in this blog ) If you are not a member of the WGA – the service to register your scrip on the database is not free ($25/script/month) plus if want it to be reviewed/evaluated – it is an additional fee ($50/read for screenplays and pilots = 60 min, $30 for pilots. William Morris I received announcements of The Black Lists 2015 Winners from other sites as well as Good In A Room. Although the term ‘winner’ is unavoidable, these scripts did get the most votes, I think it obscures the value of this list.
Fortunately you have provided qualified evaluation of the background, process and actual worth of placing a script on this list. These insights help provide a context in which to place these works and The Black List in general. Thank you for maintaining Good In A Room with consistency and professionalism. What an eye-opener.
Thank you, Stephanie. After the holidays I intend to have a talk with my manager. About any shot I may have at this list. Reading the log lines I’ve concluded that “generally” life-and-death high stakes stories are the most likely to get attention.This list has motivated me.
Again, thank you. On the educational side of the information, I think SERIOUS unproduced screenwriters NEED to read this kind of information to gain focus. GREAT information and, especially, stats.
Shari – I’d heard of the Black List, but didn’t understand how it works. Thank you for this deeper look, and also for the additional comments you have received and posted. – I agree with you that adding genre is potentially useful for some, but should be optional dual identity (or other attribution), as many good screenplays cross genre lines. – Since this is such a potentially valuable service for many aspects of the business, I would like to suggest that an updated, slightly longer description paragraph be offered as an alternative to the bare-bones loglines.
This seems like a weak link to have screenplays, already read & acknowledged as good by producers, be represented by overly concise – and sometimes really AWFUL – loglines. If, as you said, these descriptions are written by writers, representatives, or readers, with no attributions, this is a poor way to represent writers who are presenting promising work to industry professionals (and paying for the service). Writers should be able to write and edit these. Anyone else who writes them should give their names. Again, I appreciate this surprise insight into a once mysterious (to me) service!! Happy New Year!
READ THIS FIRST. SUBMISSION RULES. Search first! There is a wealth of knowledge in the sub-archives. Take advantage of it before you post. Submit anything screenwriting-related.
Text posts with nothing in the body will be removed. Get the discussion started!.
Add a flair after posting. First Draft submissions are not allowed, unless marked with the proper 'First Draft Flair'. Coming Soon. Inappropriate threads, or threads that do not lead to a civil discussion will be removed.
No blog-spam. SUBREDDIT RULES. Please be civil. Insults and childish bickering will be removed. Inappropriate comments may result in bans.
Such as revealing personal information or identity. Name-calling and personal attacks. Racism/Sexism/and General Bigotry. Consistent Spam to the Subreddit, Mods, and/or other Users. USEFUL LINKS Beginners. events festivals competitions including:.
SUBREDDIT FILTERS BECOME VERIFIED Are you a professional screenwriter or part of the industry? We'd love you to become part of the community. Just send off to the moderators and we'll assign you an identity flair.