The Definitive Spec Script Sales List (1991–2012): 1991

The Definitive Spec Script Deals List: 1991

Pretty much ever since I sold a spec script in 1987, I have been fascinated by them. The very idea that a writer could conceive a story concept, research, craft and write an original screenplay, then sell it to a Hollywood buyer is in and of itself a remarkable thing. When you consider that each year an estimated 25,000–40,000 stories filter through the studio acquisition system and only about 100 spec scripts sell annually, that makes it even more notable.

I didn’t start tracking all spec script sales until 1991, but then I tried my best to note the details whenever I learned about them. Over the years I often thought about those files and wouldn’t it be great to have a comprehensive list of all spec script sales in Hollywood? Here are some reasons why:

• To create an historical record of these special accomplishments by screenwriters in the movie business.
• To compare what spec scripts sold and got produced to those that never got made.
• To track buying trends in Hollywood [e.g., genre, high-concept].
• To create a resource for contemporary writers to brainstorm new story ideas.

And then this: With spec script sales being as high as they have been the last 18 months, can we consider this a new Golden Age of the Spec Script, or does it pale in comparison to the supposed gilded age back in the early to mid-90s? Is that collective memory true or perhaps incorrect?

I mulled over the possibility of collating all the information about spec sales I had amassed. Unfortunately, the documentation takes the form of actual clippings from the Hollywood Reporter and Variety, as well as hard drives on a number of old computers stashed away somewhere, and a variety of other sources.

In step two hearty souls, Black List interns Mikal McLendon and Evelyn Yves who agreed to help assimilate all the data into a comprehensive spec script sales list from 1991–2007 [to go along with my lists from 2008 to present]. It took Mikal and Eveyln months to pull this information together and I thank them profusely for their help [I hope you will, too, in comments].

Please note, when I say ‘Definitive’ in the title, that means two things. First I am engaging in a bit of Hollywood hyperbole. I know there are some spec script sales that we will have missed. Every sale is covered nowadays through the trades and various tracking boards. That type of coverage was not the case back in the 90s. Which leads to the second point:

I want your help!

If you are a screenwriter who sold a spec script and you don’t see it on the list or you spot some details that are wrong or incomplete, please email me with updates.

If you are a studio exec, agent, manager, producer or movie fan who happens to know of a spec script sale that’s not listed, please email me.

Let’s see if we can round out this research project as best we can.

With that lengthy introduction, we take a look at spec script sales in 1991.

1. Title: Ocean Boulevard Logline: Actress takes on the mental and physical qualities of an imprisoned woman whose life she’s studying for a role. Writer: Greg Taylor, Rowdy Herrington Agent: Rima Greer Agency: Writers & Artists Studio: Columbia Pictures Price: $1.5M Genre: Romantic Thriller Date Sold: 1/10/1991

2. Title: Mrs. Faust Logline: Small town divorcee is given a 30 day free trial by the devil to have all her wishes granted. Following the trial period, she is faced with continuing on with the wishes or keeping the man she loves. Writer: Bob Tzudiker, Noni White Agent: Bob Hohman Agency: Triad Studio: Disney Production Co.: Hollywood Pictures Price: $500K/$700K Genre: Romantic Comedy Date Sold: 1/17/1991

3. Title: Change of Heart Logline: Straight arrow man hires artsy woman as a nanny for his motherless seven year old daughter, and is forced to re-examine his overly cautious lifestyle. Writer: Eric Tuchman Agent: Devra Lieb Agency: Irv Shecter Studio: Universal Production Co.: Genre: Comedy Date Sold: 1/1991

4. Title: Face/Off Logline: Dedicated cop has to switch faces with his arch nemesis, the head of the black market for organ transplants, in order to bring him to justice. Writer: Mike Werb, Michael Colleary Agent: Pat Dollard Agency: Leading Artists Studio: Warner Bros. Price: $105K/$250K Genre: Futuristic Action Thriller Date Sold: 1/1991

5. Title: Higher Education Logline: 18 year old’s last day with his crazy family before leaving for college. Writer: Michael Clancy Agent: Marti Blumenthal, Michael Stipanich Agency: Writers & Artists Studio: Warner Bros. Price: $100K/$350K Genre: Comedy Date Sold: 1/1991

6. Title: Indian Summer Logline: Murder mystery about a psychiatrist, whose passion for his work is renewed when he takes on a criminal case involving an autistic boy, who has witnessed the murder of his parents. Writer: Akiva Goldsman Agent: Agency: ICM Production Co.: Morgan Creek Price: $325K Genre: Mystery Date Sold: 1/1991

7. Title: Shiva Logline: Black leopard stalks fashionable environs of Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Writer: Jerry Cunningham Agent: Barry Mendel Agency: ICM Studio: Disney Production Co.: Touchstone Pictures/Interscope Price: $450K/$750K Genre: Drama Date Sold: 2/1991

8. Title: Color of Night Logline: Psychiatrist attempts to find killer of friend by taking over friend’s psychiatry group session. The doctor thinks one of the people in the group is the murderer. Writer: Billy Ray Agent: Bruce Kaufman Agency: Triad Production Co.: Cinergi Genre: Thriller Date Sold: 3/1991

9. Title: Sessions Logline: Female detective investigating sex related murder in NYC becomes involved with a sexy therapist, who is the prime suspect in the case. Writer: Jeremy Lew Agent: Toby Jaffe Agency: UTA Studio: Walt Disney Pics. Price: Over $1M Genre: Erotic Thriller Date Sold: 3/1991

10. Title: Original Sin Logline: Woman is haunted by memories of a man she loved in a past life and seduces talk show host into helping her find her former mate. Writer: Joe Eszterhas Agent: Guy McElwaine Agency: ICM Production Co.: Cinergi Price: $600K/$700K Genre: Drama Date Sold: 3/1991

11. Title: Cutthroat Island Logline: Pirate bounty hunter who can’t shoot, sail, or swim teams up with a feisty woman, who helps him battle a band of cutthroats in search of a hidden treasure. Writer: Michael Beckner Agent: David Kanter Agency: UTA Studio: MGM Production Co.: UA Price: $500K Genre: Action Adventure Date Sold: 4/1991

12. Title: Grandfather Logline: Story is about a boy and his comatose grandfather, who is revived and discovers he can transform himself into fantastic creatures. Writer: Rand Ravich Agent: Justen Dardis Agency: Susan Smith & Associates Studio: Universal Production Co.: Genre: Drama Date Sold: 4/1991

13. Title: Voyeur Logline: Detective is implicated as a prime suspect in a crime. Writer: Rob Hedden Agent: Daniel Ostroff Agency: The Daniel Ostroff Agency Studio: Paramount Genre: Drama Date Sold: 6/1991

14. Title: Nature of the Beast Logline: Guy can’t keep his zipper zipped and is forced to learn sexual restraint. Writer: Patrick Smith Kelley Agent: Rima Greer Agency: Writers & Artists Price: $250K Genre: Comedy Date Sold: 6/1991

15. Title: Terminal Velocity Logline: Skydiving instructor is wrongly accused of murder when he falls to save a beautiful female student whose parachute fails to open. The skydiver finds himself drawn into a web of international intrigue involving a scheme to expose an illegal chemical weapons operation. Writer: David Twohy Agent: Dodie Gold Agency: William Morris Studio: Disney Production Co.: Hollywood Pictures/Interscope Price: $500K Genre: Action Thriller Date Sold: 6/1991

16. Title: Strangers in the Night Logline: Story about three friends — a prosecuting attorney, a defense attorney and a doctor. The latter ends up being the defendant in a murder trial. Writer: David Kelley Agent: Marty Adelstein Agency: UTA Studio: Columbia Price: $350K/$750K Genre: Drama Date Sold: 6/1991

17. Title: Geek Logline: Fable about a man who thinks he’s a rooster. He’s sent to a mental institution where young female doctor helps him return to a normal lifestyle. Writer: Caroline Thompson, Larry Wilson Agent: John Burnham Agency: William Morris Studio: Touchstone (bought from Col. in turnaround) Price: $1.5M (including writing & producing fees) Genre: Fantasy Date Sold: 7/1991

18. Title: The River Wild Logline: Family goes on a rafting trip in Montana and is taken hostage by two escaped convicts. Writer: Denis O’Neil Agent: Justen Dardis, Sandra Lucchesi Agency: Susan Smith & Associates Studio: Universal Production Co.: Turman Foster Company Genre: Action Thriller Date Sold: 7/6/1991

19. Title: Cliffhanger Logline: Park ranger rescues comrades on a mountain, but evil terrorists want to do them in. Writer: Mike France Agent: Justen Dardis Agency: Susan Smith & Associates Production Co.: Carolco Genre: Action Date Sold: 8/1991

20. Title: Boys of Summer (The Sandlot) Logline: Set in summer, 1962, story is about nine 11 year-old boys, one of them, an outsider trying to fit in. Writer: David Mickey Evans, Robert Gunter Agent: Paul Kelmenson (for Evans), Jon Klane (for Gunter) Agency: Camden Artists Production Co.: Island World Price: $1M (inc. directing & producing fees) Genre: Comedy Date Sold: 8/1991

21. Title: Charmed Logline: Young Manhattan socialite whose view on life is drastically altered when she is forced to care for three young girls over the weekend. Writer: Alek Keshishian Agent: Jay Maloney Agency: CAA Studio: Paramount Price: $275K/$425K Genre: Romantic Comedy Date Sold: 8/1991

22. Title: First Knight Logline: Story focuses on love triangle involving King Arthur, Lady Guinevere, and a restless roving spirit who lives by his wits named Lancelot. Writer: Lorne Cameron, David Hoselton Agent: Lucy Stille Agency: Shorr, Stille & Associates Studio: Columbia Pictures Genre: Drama Adventure Date Sold: 8/1991

23. Title: Amos & Andrew Logline: Black homeowner in Martha’s Vineyard is mistaken for a thief. In order to save face, the local sheriff forces a jailed misfit to go into the home pretending to be a criminal who has taken homeowner hostage. Writer: E. Max Frye Agent: Bill Block Agency: Intertalent Studio: Columbia Pictures Production Co.: Castle Rock Entertainment Price: $750K Genre: Comedy Date Sold: 9/1991

24. Title: Extremely Violent (Last Action Hero) Logline: Action movie junkie gets transported onto big screen and builds relationship with the film’s larger than life hero with whom he’s enamored. Writer: Zak Penn, Adam Leff Agent: Chris Moore Agency: Intertalent Studio: Columbia Pictures Production Co.: Steve Roth Productions Price: $100K/$350K Genre: Action Fantasy Date Sold: 10/1991

25. Title: Body of Evidence Logline: Relationship between a defense attorney and his client, who’s accused of murdering her lover. Writer: Brad Mirman Agent: Hilary Wayne Agency: Writers & Artists Production Co.: Dino DeLaurentiis Communications Price: $350K Genre: Thriller Date Sold: 11/1991

26. Title: Blue Logline: Tale of a young man’s quest to become a major league umpire. Writer: Jay Wolf Agent: Gayla Nethercott Agency: Broder/Kurland/Webb/Uffner Studio: Paramount Production Co.: Neufeld/Rehme Genre: Romantic Comedy Date Sold: 12/1991

27. Title: Greed Logline: Young couple find $3 million that belongs to a drug dealer. Writer: Roy Higgins Studio: Universal Production Co.: Price: $500K Genre: Thriller Date Sold: 12/1991

28. Title: Soul Survivors Logline: N/A Writer: Ed Jones Agency: Writers & Artists Studio: Paramount Price: $150K/300K Date Sold: N/A Notes: While in prison, Jones contacted Elmore Leonard who mentored Jones as a writer. For a 1996 LAT background article on Jones, go here.

Analysis:

• The first thing to note is only 28 sales. If accurate, that is by far the lowest number of spec script sales in any given year since 1990. The question is this: Is it accurate? My instinct tells me some spec script sales slipped under the radar due to the lack of media coverage at the time. However there was a backlash against spec scripts by the studios after their spending spree in 1990. Indeed per this item from Wikipedia:

1991: Front page of Variety mourns the end of the modern spec market, announcing “the candy store is closed.”

I have not been able to locate a URL for that Variety article. How about you? And if you know of other spec script sales in 1991, please contact me.

• It’s interesting to note the number of companies that no longer exist including agencies [Intertalent, Triad, Writers & Artists] and production companies [Cinergi, Dino DeLaurentiis Communications]. A reminder of how transient the film business is.
• Also do you notice something different compared to sales reports nowadays? No managers. They don’t start to appear until 2000 and then only broadly five years later.
• A number of screenwriters with sales in 1991 are still active in the business including Akiva Goldsman, David Kelley, and Zak Penn.

Now it’s your turn to do some analysis. Who’s willing to get the stats on these questions:

• Breakdown of sales by studios.
• Breakdown of sales by genre.
• Which of these scripts were produced as movies and what percentage of the total does that represent?

Finally your opinions: Which one of these loglines strikes you as the strongest and why?

For the rest of The Definitive Spec Script Deals List, go here.

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