2018 Mid-Year Spec Script Deal Report

All the information you need on every confirmed spec script deal through the midpoint of this year.

We are now officially halfway through 2018 and as I do each year at this time, I take the opportunity to take a gander at what spec scripts have been set up during the first six months of the year. Here they are:

1. Title: Varietal Logline: The logline is being kept under wraps, but it is known to be a sci-fi-based psychological thriller centered on a married couple. Writer: Adam Bloom Genre: Science Fiction Thriller Agency: APA Management: Kersey Management Buyer: Universal Pictures Date: 2/1/2018 Notes: First-timer.

2. Title: Infinitum Logline: A high-concept sci-fi action love story, intersected with some theoretical physics. Writer: Marc Guggenheim Genre: Science Fiction Agency: WME Management: Syndicate Entertainment Buyer: Sony Pictures Date: 2/7/2018.

3. Title: Hustle Logline: The project follows a washed-up basketball scout who discovers a Chinese streetball phenom and sees him as his ticket back to the NBA, talking him into coming to Los Angeles to train for the draft. The phenom is thrown into the hype machine of pro basketball prospects and must deal with being away from his family and village for the first time while the scout tries to put back together the pieces of the family he left behind. Writer: Taylor Materne Genre: Sports Drama Agency: CAA Management: Oasis Media Group Buyer: Universal Pictures Date: 2/14/2018. Notes: Bidding war. High-six figures. Labron James attached as a producer.

4. Title: Naked is the Best Disguise Logline: Disguise, which takes place over the course of one night, is set in a near future in which new technology allows one person’s memories to be extracted and inserted into someone else. It centers on an illegal memory dealer who is accused of murdering a man who she does not believe she even knows. Writer: Graham Moore Genre: Science Fiction Thriller Agency: CAA Buyer: Studio 8 Date: 2/28/2018 Notes: Moore to direct. Preemptive acquisition.

5. Title: Invasion Logline: A home invasion that happens during an alien invasion Writers: John Swetnam, Harris Wilkinson Genre: Science Fiction Thriller Agency: Verve Management: Industry Entertainment (Swetnam) Buyer: Blumhouse Productions Date: 3/11/2018 Notes: The deal includes progress to production language.

6. Title: Michael Zero Logline: Michael Redmayne is forced to hunt down and kill his clones after they desert the war they were created to fight, in order to wage one of their own against the Corporate State that made them. Writer: Adam Alleca Genre: Science Fiction Action Agency: N/A Management: N/A Buyer: Millennium Films Date: 3/14/2018.

7. Title: The Liberators Logline: Tells the story of the 761st regiment in World War II, an entirely African-American combat unit whose heroism led to the desegregation of the armed forces. Writer: Madison Turner Genre: Historical Action Drama Agency: CAA Management: Grandview Buyer: Warner Bros. Date: 3/20/2018.

8. Title: The Beast Logline: After a passenger plane goes down in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a woman finds herself washed ashore and the sole survivor on a mysterious island where she faces her worst fears. Writer: Aaron W. Sala Genre: Horror Thriller Management: Madhouse Entertainment Buyer: The H Collective Date: 3/20/2018. Notes: Preemptive deal.

9. Title: You Should Have Left Logline: The unsettling tale of a wealthy man with a younger wife and a six-year-old child. Mistrust and suspicion characterize their marriage while they are in a remote location that may or may not be obeying all the physical laws of the universe. Writer: David Koepp Genre: Supernatural Thriller Agency: CAA Buyer: Blumhouse Productions Date: 3/26/2018. Notes: Adapted on spec from novel of the same name. Optioned by Koepp and Kevin Bacon. Koepp to direct. Bacon to star.

10. Title: Intruders Logline: A family has to survive an all-night alien home-invasion. Writer: James V. Simpson Genre: Science Fiction Thriller Agency: Verve Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 3/27/2018. Notes: Second ‘home invasion meets aliens’ spec script to sell within 3 weeks (see Invasion).

11. Title: The Toymaker’s Secret Logline: A CG/live-action fantasy about children’s toys brought to life by a toymaker in Victorian England and who have been living in secret in the same house until present day. When a new single mother and daughter move into the home, the duo find their world upended. Writer: Alex Garland Genre: Family Fantasy Agency: WME Buyer: TriStar Pictures Date: 4/11/2018. Notes: Paloma Baez is attached to direct. She is Garland’s wife.

12. Title: Thug Logline: An ex-journeyman boxer and aging enforcer for a San Pedro Gangster attempts to get back into the lives of his estranged children and clean up the messes of his past while coming to terms with the ruined landscape of his twenty-year career in crime all the while as the criminal underworld won’t loosen their hold on him. Writer: Tony Gayton Genre: Crime Drama Agency: APA Buyer: Tooley Productions Date: 4/25/2018.

13. Title: Ironbark Logline: A British businessman helps the CIA penetrate the Soviet nuclear program during the Cold War. He and his Russian source provide crucial intelligence that ends the Cuban Missile Crisis. Writer: Tom O’Connor Genre: Historical Drama Agency: UTA Buyer: FilmNation Entertainment Date: 5/3/2018.

14. Title: Escape From the North Pole Logline: a young girl who, after being told that Santa Claus isn’t real on Christmas Eve, is kidnapped by an evil elf named Bucklebee. After escaping, the young girl teams up with a good elf, a reindeer and a Russian explorer to rescue Santa from a band of evil elves and save the North Pole. Writers: Paul Laudiero, Ben Baker Genre: Action Fantasy Agency: WME Buyer: Filmula Date: 5/9/2018. Notes: Script was on the 2017 Black List.

15. Title: The Oberlin Incident Logline: N/A Writer: Cory Goodman Genre: Horror Thriller Agency: Verve Management: Aperture Entertainment Buyer: Paramount Date: 5/23/2018. Note: Script sold in auction for high-six figures.

16. Title: Rawhide Down Logline: Chronicles the day of the attempted assassination of Reagan in real time, told from multiple points of view: the Secret Service agents who tried to protect him, the officers investigating the shooter John Hinckley, and Cabinet members engaged in a power struggle as they awaited Reagan’s fate. Writer: Alex Cramer Genre: Thriller Agency: Verve Management: Circle of Confusion Buyer: Global Road Entertainment, Gran Via Productions Date: 5/31/2018. Notes: Script sold for a reported mid-six figures.

17. Title: Satanic Panic Logline: A pizza delivery girl at the end of her financial rope has to fight for her life — and her tips — when her last order of the night turns out to be high society Satanists in need of a virgin sacrifice. Writer: Grady Hendrix Genre: Horror Management: Aperture Entertainment Buyer: Fangoria Films Date: 6/1/2018.

18. Title: Aporia Logline: Grounded sci-fi drama with time travel elements. Writer: Jared Moshe Genre: Science Fiction Drama Agency: ICM Partners Management: Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 6/4/2018. Notes: Preemptive pickup.

19. Title: I Am Yours Logline: A Fatal Attraction stalker vibe. Writers: Ryan Belenzon, Jeffrey Gelber Genre: Thriller Agency: WME Management: Syndicate Entertainment Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 6/13/2018. Notes: Reported six-figure deal.

20. Title: Charlie 3D Logline: About the first fully, 3D-printed man and his search for identity and love. Writer: Scott Speer Genre: Science Fiction Drama Agency: UTA Management: Artists First Buyer: Mandalay Pictures Date: 6/12/2018 Notes: Option deal.

21. Title: The Throwdown Logline: A comedic look at gentrification and the culture clash around food when two Latina American cousins from the Bay Area find themselves fighting over an inherited rundown restaurant and the one thing that originally brought their families together — their late grandfather’s family recipes. Writer: Emilia Serrano Genre: Comedy Agency: ICM Partners Management: 3 Arts Entertainment Buyer: Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Date: 6/12/2018 Notes: One of two spec scripts written by Serrano acquired by Sony.

22. Title: Untitled Quinceañera Project Logline: A cultural coming-of-age story about a career-driven Latina American during her “double quinceañera” — celebrated at age 30 because she missed having her first quinceñera at 15. She invites her parents, best friends, and brazen married cousin to a work trip disguised as a double quince, inviting trouble that could jeopardize her job and her relationships. Writer: Emilia Serrano Genre: Comedy Agency: ICM Partners Management: 3 Arts Entertainment Buyer: Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia Pictures Date: 6/12/2018 Notes: One of two spec scripts written by Serrano acquired by Sony.

23. Title: 1917 Logline: A World War I drama. Writers: Sam Mendes, Krysty Wilson-Cairns Genre: War Drama Agency: CAA Buyer: Amblin Partners Date: 6/18/2018. Notes: Spec package with interest also from Paramount, Sony and New Regency.

24. Title: Last Christmas Logline: Holiday romance set in London. Writers: Emma Thompson, Bryanny Kimmings Genre: Romantic Comedy Agency: The Agency Buyer: Universal Pictures Date: 6/27/2018. Notes: Paul Feig attached to direct.

The first thing to note is that deals are up compared to the last two years at the mid-point:

2014: 31
2015: 35
2016: 36
2017: 34
2018: 24

That’s a pretty steep drop after four years averaging 34 spec deals in the first six months of the year.

A few things jump out at me:

• Even though the number of overall deals is down, quite a few of sales are of the bidding war / preemptive purchase type / six figure / big package type: 9 by my count.
• Fully half of the deals were made by the major Hollywood studios: Paramount (4), Sony / TriStar (4), Universal (3), Warner Bros. (1). By comparison, there were 16 total spec script deals by the major studios in all of 2017. If this trend continues and the number ends up at 24 deals, that would be the most by the majors since 28 in 2014.
• 33% of the spec deals through the midpoint of 2018 were in the science fiction genre. That is a notable number as the genre has never topped the spec script deal chart since I’ve been tracking the market from 2008.
• Several big name writers sold specs so far this year including Marc Guggenheim, Graham Moore, David Koepp, Alex Garland, Sam Mendes, and Emma Thompson.

Remember: The value of a spec script goes beyond whether it sells or not. A spec can land you representation. Your reps can use it to get you meetings with producers, financiers, studio execs, and talent. And if it doesn’t sell now, it’s still an asset which could translate into a deal in the future.

What are you impressions of the spec script which have gotten set up in the first half of 2018? Which of these projects grab your attention? What do you take away from these deals in terms of your own writing projects?

Congrats to all the writers who set up a spec this year!