2014 Spec Script Sales Analysis: Buyers
Yesterday we looked at 2014 spec script deals by genre. Today we break down the numbers per major studios, mini-majors, subsidiaries, production companies, and financiers to see which were the most and least active in the script acquisition market. The totals:
10
Sony
8
20th Century Fox
4
Universal
3
New Line
2
Disney
Lionsgate
Paramount
Screen Gems
Warner Bros.
1
26 Films
Addicted Pictures
Amazon Studios
Audax Film
Benaroya Pictures
Centropolis
Cheyenne Enterprises
Chickie the Cop Productions
Emmett/Furla Films
Envision Media Art
Focus Features
FilmNation
FlickBag
Leff Entertainment
Linsefilm
Nu Image
Pantelion Films
QED
Radar Pictures
Relativity Media
Route One Films
The Solution
Turtle Bag Productions
Vandal Entertainment
Vegas, Baby Productions
Voltage Pictures
The Weinstein Company
Wonderland Sound and Vision
Look at these numbers from the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 per each major studio:
Disney 5 / 1 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 0 / 2
DreamWorks 6 / 4 / 1 / 2 / 1 / 0 / 0
Paramount 1 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 12 / 3 / 2
Sony Pictures 8 / 4 / 1 / 7 / 9 / 3 / 10
Twentieth Century Fox 5 / 3 / 1 / 7 / 3 / 3 / 8
Universal 6 / 6 / 1 / 6 / 9 / 6 / 4
Warner Bros. 8 / 8 / 8 / 15 / 7 / 4 / 2
Two notable jumps in spec script activity among the major studios: Sony Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox. To be expected as both had significant regime changes, so the new people in charge typically make a splash by acquiring spec material, both to make a mark on the company’s development slate and to announce to reps, “We’re buying, bring us your A material.”
Last year, the major studios were involved in 28 spec script deals. If we combine that total with those of Lionsgate, New Line and Screen Gems, we end up with 35 out of 62 deals. That represents a whopping 56% of all acquisitions which is more than double what the percentage was in 2013 (23%) and the highest percentage on record since I started the blog in 2008.
What does this mean? Since studio deals tend to be straight acquisitions, the dollars involved can be more than transactions with non-major studios. Moreover the chances of a competitive bidding scenario increase when the major studios are active in the spec market. Indeed there were several big spec script sales in 2014 which we will detail on Friday.
Conclusion: Even though spec script deals were down in 2014, the heightened activity of major studios represented a bright spot in the spec marketplace.
Here is a breakdown of acquisitions by genre at major, mini-major studios and subsidiaries:
Sony
Captain Nemo — Action Adventure
Eternal — Action Fantasy
I’m In Love With The DJ — Comedy
In The Deep — Drama Thriller
Leviathan — Science Fiction
Ricki and the Flash — Dramedy
Shadow Run — Action Thriller
The Bringing — Horror
The Eden Project — Science Fiction
Winter’s Night — Adventure Fantasy
20th Century Fox
A Better Place — Thriller
Boston Strong — Drama
The Long Run — Action Comedy
Low Tide — Thriller
The Forger — Spy Thriller
Understand — Science Fiction
Vacation Friends — Comedy
Universal
Berliner — Action Spy Thriller
Mena — Crime Drama
Terminal Point — Drama
Work It — Comedy
New Line
North of Reno — Crime Thriller
Partners — Action Comedy
Road to Oz — Drama
Warner Bros.
The Garden at the End of the Earth — Science Fiction Thriller
Untitled Arabian Nights Project — Fantasy Adventure
Paramount
ARES — Action Adventure Science Fiction
Matriarch — Thriller
Disney
In the Land of Imagined Things — Fantasy
Nottingham & Hood — Fantasy Adventure
Screen Gems
Padre — Drama
Scarecrow — Horror Thriller
Lionsgate
Terrestrial — Science Fiction
The Three Tenors — Comedy
The Weinstein Company
Plus One — Romantic Comedy
Relativity Media
Untitled Joe Gazzam Project — Science Fiction
Focus Features
Untitled Amy Welsh Project
Amazon Studios
The Wall — Drama Thriller
FilmNation
Aether — Science Fiction Thriller
QED
Yellowstone Falls — Action Drama
Wonderland Sound and Vision
The Babysitter — Horror
What do you take away from this information?
Tomorrow: Agents and managers.
Thanks to Wendy Jane Cohen for her help with this year’s spec script deals market analysis!
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