Black List 2013: Final
This morning, the 2013 Black List was released to the public:
After tweeting the list in random order from @theblcklst beginning at 10 AM PST this morning, the Black List has unveiled the 2013 list of Hollywood’smost liked unproduced screenplays in its entirety at its website, http://www.blcklst.com
More than 225 past Black List scripts have been produced as feature films grossing more than $19 billion at the worldwide box office. They have won 35 Academy Awards from more than 175 nominations. Three of the last five Academy Awards for Best Picture went to scripts featured onprevious Black Lists (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, THE KING’S SPEECH, ARGO). Seven of thelast twelve screenwriting Oscars have as well (JUNO, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, THE KING’SSPEECH, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, THE DESCENDANTS, DJANGO UNCHAINED, ARGO).
Topping the 2013 list is HOLLAND, MICHIGAN by Andrew Sodroski, the story of a woman’sunraveling investigation into her husband’s infidelity. Errol Morris is attached to direct, Le Grisbi Productions to produce. Sodroski studied medieval history at Harvard University and graduated from Columbia University’s Graduate Film Program.
Here is the list ranked per the number of votes each script received:
46 HOLLAND, MICHIGAN — Andrew Sodroski
When a traditional Midwestern woman suspects her husband of infidelity, an amateur investigation unravels.44 SECTION 6 — Aaron Berg
An exploration of Great Britain’s secret intelligence agency, Ministry Intelligence, Section 6, known more commonly as MI6.39 FRISCO — Simon Stephenson
A forty-something pediatric allergist, who specializes in hazelnuts and is facing a divorce, learns lessons in living from a wise-beyond-her-years terminally ill fifteen-year-old patient when she crashes his weekend trip to a conference in San Francisco.27 A MONSTER CALLS — Patrick Ness
An adolescent boy with a terminally ill single mother begins having visions of a tree monster, who tells him truths about life in the form of three stories, helping him to eventually cope with his emotions over his dying mom.25 THE SPECIAL PROGRAM — Debora Cahn
The true story of Jack Goldsmith, a young attorney who took charge of the White House’s Office of Legal Counsel, then courageously took on Vice President Cheney and his powerful inner circle when he discovered they were running a number of illegal activities through their so-called “Special Program.”24 HOT SUMMER NIGHTS — Elijah Bynum
A teenager’s life spirals out of control when he befriends the town’s rebel, falls in love, and gets entangled in selling drugs over one summer in Cape Cod.24 SOVEREIGN — Geoff Tock, Greg Weidman
A man goes to space to destroy the ship that, upon going sentient, killed his wife.22 SHOVEL BUDDIES — Jason Mark Hellerman
Over twenty four hours, four teenage friends try to complete the “Shovel List” (a will/bucket list) left for them by their best friend before he died of Leukemia.20 THE INDEPENDENT — Evan Parter
With America’s first viable independent Presidential Candidate poised for victory, an idealistic young journalist uncovers a conspiracy, which places the fate of the election, and the country, in his hands.20 POX AMERICANA — Frank John Hughes
In the Old West, a group of soldiers go on a mission to slaughter a peaceful tribe in retaliation for another tribe’s attack on a white settlement, only to suffer at the hands of a devastating disease.20 REMINISCENCE — Lisa Joy Nolan
An “archeologist” whose technology allows you to relive your past finds himself abusing his own science to find the missing love of his life.19 BEAST — Zach Dean
With the hope of starting over, a reformed criminal with an ultra-violent past returns home, but when he finds his own family leading his teenaged son down the same path of destruction, he will stop at nothing to save his child.19 FAULTS — Riley Stearns
An expert on cults is hired by a mother and father to kidnap and deprogram their brainwashed daughter. He soon begins to suspect the parents me be more destructive than the cult he’s being hired to save her from.19 THE GOLDEN RECORD — Aaron Kandell, Jordan Kandell
The true story of how Carl Sagan fell in love while leading the wildest mission in NASA history: a golden record to encapsulate the experience of life on earth for advanced extraterrestrial life.18 SWEETHEART — Jack Stanley
A young hitwoman tries to escape the business but finds herself in more danger after a high school reunion and a one night stand.17 SUPERBRAT — Eric Slovin, Leo Allen
Temperamental tennis champion John McEnroe is sucked into a dangerous and ludicrous law enforcement sting during Wimbeldon in 1980.16 DOGFIGHT — Nicole Riegel
A fifteen-year-old boy discovers that his kidnapped older brother has been living in a hidden, meth-producing compound and infiltrates the camp in hopes of helping his brother escape.16 THE CIVILIAN — Rachel Long, Brian Pittman
After an American doctor has his identity stolen by a covert operative, he must assume the dangerous mission of the one who stole it in order to clear his name.15 BURN SITE — Doug Simon
After a young teenage girl is murdered, her stepfather falls back on his dark and violent past to find her killer.15 QUEEN OF HEARTS — Stephanie Shannon
Oxford instructor Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) tells stories to the dean’s daughter Alice and her sisters while falling in love with the dean’s wife.14 BROKEN COVE — Declan O’Dwyer
After his brother is found brutally murdered, a man hellbent on revenge returns to his decrepit Irish fishing village home armed only with a mysterious list of names his brother left behind.14 GAY KID AND FAT CHICK — Bo Burnham
Two high school misfits become costumed vigilantes and take out their frustrations on the students who have bullied them throughout high school.13 1969: A SPACE ODYSSEY OR HOW KUBRICK LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LAND ON THE MOON — Stephany Folsom
With NASA’s Apollo program in trouble and the Soviets threatening nuclear war, a female PR operative conspires with NASA’s Public Affairs Office to stage a fake moon landing in case Armstrong and Aldren fail, the goal being to generate public excitement that will aid the U.S. in winning the Cold War. But the op is faced with the biggest challenge of all: Filming the fake lunar landing with temperamental Stanley Kubrick.13 AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE — Richard Naing, Ian Goldberg
A father/son mortician team try to uncover the cause of death on a Jane Doe. The more they uncover, the more mysterious and terrifying their world becomes.13 THE MAYOR OF SHARK CITY — Nick Creature, Michael Sweeney
When a difficult film shoot spirals hopelessly out of control into a living nightmare, an ambitious young director must face his greatest fears to turn a troubled production into the biggest movie of all time. Set on Martha’s Vineyard during the summer of 1974, this is the untold story of the making of JAWS.13 WHERE ANGELS DIE — Alexander Felix
A street-tough, white social worker in the slums of Detroit acts on a dangerous and violent personal vendetta when he protects a young girl and her mother from her recently incarcerated, AIDS-infected boyfriend after he abruptly massacres a seedy strip club in a rage.12 A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD — Alexis C. Jolly
Set in 1950s Manhattan, Fred Rogers journeys from a naïve young man working for NBC to the host of the beloved children’s PBS show, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.12 INK AND BONE — Zak Olkewicz
When a female book editor visits the home of a horror writer so he can complete his novel, she finds that all of his creations are holding him hostage.11 THE BOY AND HIS TIGER — Dan Dollar
The true story of Bill Watterson, the creator of Calvin & Hobbes.11 THE KILLING FLOOR — Bac Delorme, Stephen Clarke
A war veteran slaughterhouse worker and his friend discover a small fortune in heroin hidden inside a processed cow and maneuver to hold onto their find and cash out to save his grandfather’s house as the bad guys come looking for their wayward stash.10 THE COMPANY MAN — Andrew Cypiot
Based on true events. CIA agent Edwin Wilson went behind enemy lines to secure a weapons contract and report information back to the CIA shortly after the Cold War. He had a meteoric rise until company policies changed and he was unceremoniously fired, but he continued to operate as a man without a country and became public enemy number one in the US Attorney’s office.10 I’M PROUD OF YOU — Noah Harpster, Micah Fitzerman-Blue
Noah Harpster, Micah Fizerman-Blue
Based on Tim Madigan’s autobiographical novel of the same name. A journalist looking for a story about television’s role in the Columbine tragedy interviews TV’s Mr. Rogers and, as a friendship develops between the two, he finds himself confronting his own issues at home.10 SEED — Christina Hodson
After suffering a devastating miscarriage, a young woman and her fiancé travel to Italy where she meets his family for the first time, but her grief turns to shock when the local doctor declares that she’s still pregnant. And while her fiancé and his family seem delighted by the news, she begins to suspect their true motives are quite sinister.10 THE SHARK IS NOT WORKING — Richard Cordiner
When his big break finally arrives, an idealistic young movie director, Steven Spielberg, risks failing to complete the movie JAWS when his 25-foot mechanical shark stops working.9 THE CROWN — Max Hurwitz
In exchange for a lighter prison sentence, a young hacker goes undercover for the FBI in a sting operation to find and steal a super computer virus with the help of a team of unsuspecting hackers.9 DIABLO RUN — Shea Mirzai, Evan Mirzai
While on a road trip to Mexico, two best friends are forced to enter a thousand-mile death race with no rules.9 RANDLE IS BENIGN — Damien Ober
Follows a woman in the 80s who works at an IBM-like company and is at the forefront of artificial intelligence research. When her project (named RANDLE) hits a major milestone indicating that she may have actually achieved AI, it is unexpectedly hijacked by the agenda of the company’s mysterious CEO. As she dives deeper into the corporate agenda, she learns that there may be a connection between her project and the 1981 assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan.9 TCHAIKOVSKY’S REQUIEM — Jonathan Stokes
A conductor investigates the great composer’s seemingly unnatural death and unlocks the mysteries of the man himself while preparing to debut Tchaikovsky’s final symphony.8 AMERICAN SNIPER — Jason Dean Hall
Based on Chris Kyle’s autobiography “American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History”.8 CAKE — Patrick Tobin
A woman who’s been suffering from chronic pain since the car accident that cost the life of her child finds the will to go on from the most unexpected places.8 CAPSULE — Ian Shorr
A young man’s life is turned upside down when he mysteriously begins to receive metallic capsules containing messages from his future self.8 CLARITY — Ryan Belenzon, Jeffrey Gelber
What if the world woke up tomorrow to scientific proof of the afterlife?8 ELSEWHERE — Mikki Daughtry, Tobias Iaconis
After his girlfriend dies in a car accident, a man finds his true soulmate, only to wake up from a coma and learn his perfect life was just a dream — one he is determined to make real.8 EXTINCTION — Spenser Cohen
A man must do everything he can to save his family from an alien invasion.8 FULLY WRECKED — Jake Morse, Scott Wolman
An R-rated talking car from the 80s is brought back into service and teamed up with the son of his former partner, a befuddled cop looking to earn his stripes.8 HALF HEARD IN THE STILLNESS — David Weil
A young man who is inadvertently rescued after living ten years in the basement of the child predator who abducted him struggles to reunite with his family, while the detective in charge of his case investigates the link between his discovery and the recent disappearance of another local boy.8 INQUEST — Josh Simon
After the death of Princess Diana, a reluctant investigator is hired to ascertain whether her death was premeditated. And in the process, he begins to uncover a conspiracy that compromises his own safety.8 THE LINE — Sang Kyu Kim
A corrupt border crossing agent must decide what is more important — saving his soul or inflating his bank account — when he discovers a young illegal boy who escaped a cartel hit on the border between the US and Mexico.8 LINE OF DUTY — Cory Miller
MACBETH meets THE DEPARTED in this modern retelling of Shakespeare’s play, focusing on the tragic rise and fall of NYPD Officer Sean Stewart, a heroic narcotics detective pushed to the dark side of police corruption by his scheming wife and a well-time prophecy.8 THE POLITICIAN — Matthew Bass, Theodore Bressman
A disgraced Governor and his underachieving accomplice go on the run from the FBI, US Marshals, and a gang of hardened drug dealers.8 REVELATION — Hernany Perla
A prison psychiatrist meets a death row inmate on the verge of his execution who claims to be the only thing stopping the end of the world. As she begins to investigate his predictions, she finds them to be eerily accurate, and that she may be a central figure in the events to come.8 SPOTLIGHT — Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy
The true-life account of the Boston Globe’s breaking of the Catholic Priest scandal in 2003.8 TIME & TEMPERATURE — Nick Santora
Based on a true story, Dale Julin (a low-level Fresno affiliate morning show host) stumbles upon the biggest story of his life — and though he has reached the midpoint of his career without ever being a “real journalist” — risks his safety and his marriage to uncover the truth that a small Atomic bomb exploded in Central Valley California during the Korean War — a secret that has been hidden for decades.7 DIG — Adam Barker
After his villainous father-in-law kidnaps his daughters, SOL, a tough-as-nails mountain man, travels across the frigid Appalachian mountains seeking vengeance.7 THE END OF THE TOUR — Donald Margulies
Upon hearing of author David Foster Wallace’s suicide, writer David Lipsky recalls his 1996 interview with him.7 THE FIXER — Bill Kennedy
A man who works in wealth management and also has his hands in a number of less than ethical enterprises begins collaborating with a Los Angeles-based drug dealer. The dealer just so happens to have the man’s son as one of his runners in the drug-fueled LA nightlife.7 MAKE A WISH — Zach Frankel
A fourteen-year-old boy with terminal cancer has one last with — to lose his virginity — and convinces his reluctant football star Make-A-Wish partner to help him score.7 MAN OF SORROW — Neville Kiser
Based on true events, the story centers on Oscar Wilde who goes from renowned playwright to losing everything personally and professionally.7 NICHOLAS — Leo Sardarian
With the Roman empire on the brink of collapse, a 4th century bishop takes up arms to lead the armies of Constantine the Great into battle against the ruthless emperor, changing the face of Rome and begetting one of the greatest legends in history.7 PURE O — Kate Trefry
In order to overcome violent visions brought on by OCD, a promising young writer is urged by family and friends to step outside her comfort zone to experience the excitement and vulnerability of truly living.7 SEA OF TREES — Chris Sparling
An American man takes a journey into the infamous “Suicide Forest” at the foothills of Mount Fuji with the intention of taking his own life. When he is interrupted by a Japanese man who has had second thoughts about his own suicide, and is trying to find his way out of the forest, the two begin a journey of reflection and survival.7 SUGAR IN MY VEINS — Barbara Stepansky
A fourteen-year-old female prodigy finds companionship for the first time when she befriends a handsome older man.6 BEAUTY QUEEN — Annie Neal
An unhappily married woman and her best friend go on a road trip to Las Vegas to compete in the Miss Married America competition.6 BURY THE LEAD — Justin Kremer
A desperate, attention-hungry journalist concocts a story that ironically proves to be true and finds himself engulfed in a dangerous underworld of murder and mayhem.6 DUDE — Olivia Milch
The story of four best girlfriends who must learn how to move forward without moving on, as they come down off the ‘high’ of high school in this ‘Fast Times-esque’ teenage comedy.6 FREE BYRD — Jon Boyer
After being diagnosed with dementia, a retired 50-something stunt motorcyclist sets out to perform one last jump.6 FROM HERE TO ALBION — Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani
A tragic accident in a coastal English town sets off a chain of violence when a malevolent assassin attempts to punish all involved, including a dirty cop who is intent on covering up the truth.6 LAST MINUTE MAIDS — Leo Nichols
Two lovable losers run into trouble after they start a service cleaning up the stuff you don’t want your loved ones to find once you die.6 MISSISSIPPI MUD — Elijah Bynum
In the middle of major financial problems, a down on his luck southerner’s life begins to unravel when he accidentally runs over and kills a runaway girl.6 PAN — Jason Fuchs
A prequel to JM Barrie’s Peter Pan. When an orphan is taken to the magical world of Neverland, he becomes a hero to the natives and leads a revolt against the evil pirates.6 PATIENT Z — Michael Le
In a post-apocalyptic world full of zombies, a man who speaks their language questions the undead in order to find a cure for his infected wife.6 THE REMAINS — Meaghan Oppenheimer
Three former childhood friends with a complicated history get back together to spread the ashes of their friend who died recently.
Here is the list of scripts in alphabetical order:
1969: A SPACE ODYSSEY OR HOW KUBRICK LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LAND ON THE MOON — Stephany Folsom
A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD — Alexis C. Jolly
A BOY AND HIS TIGER — Dan Dollar
A MONSTER CALLS — Patrick Ness
AMERICAN SNIPER — Jason Dean Hall
AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE — Richard Naing, Ian Goldberg
BEAST — Zach Dean
BEAUTY QUEEN — Annie Neal
BROKEN COVE — Declan O’Dwyer
BURN SITE — Doug Simon
BURY THE LEAD — Justin Kremer
CAKE — Patrick Tobin
CAPSULE — Ian Shorr
THE CIVILIAN — Rachel Long, Brian Pittman
CLARITY — Ryan Belenzon, Jeffrey Gelber
THE COMPANY MAN — Andrew Cypiot
THE CROWN — Max Hurwitz
DIABLO RUN — Shea Mirzai, Evan Mirzai
DIG — Adam Barker
DOGFIGHT — Nicole Riegel
DUDE — Olivia Milch
ELSEWHERE — Mikki Daughtry, Tobias Iaconis
THE END OF THE TOUR — Donald Margulies
EXTINCTION — Spenser Cohen
FAULTS — Riley Stearns
THE FIXER — Bill Kennedy
FREE BYRD — Jon Boyer
FRISCO — Simon Stephenson
FROM HERE TO ALBION — Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani
FULLY WRECKED — Jake Morse, Scott Wolman
GAY KID AND FAT CHICK — Bo Burnham
THE GOLDEN RECORD — Aaron Kandell, Jordan Kandell
HALF HEARD IN THE STILLNESS — David Weil
HOLLAND, MICHIGAN — Andrew Sodroski
HOT SUMMER NIGHTS — Elijah Bynum
I’M PROUD OF YOU — Noah Harpster, Micah Fitzerman-Blue
THE INDEPENDENT — Evan Parter
INK AND BONE — Zak Olkewicz
INQUEST — Josh Simon
THE KILLING FLOOR — Bac Delorme, Stephen Clarke
LAST MINUTE MAIDS — Leo Nichols
THE LINE — Sang Kyu Kim
LINE OF DUTY — Cory Miller
MAKE A WISH — Zach Frankel
MAN OF SORROW — Neville Kiser
THE MAYOR OF SHARK CITY — Nick Creature, Michael Sweeney
MISSISSIPPI MUD — Elijah Bynum
NICHOLAS — Leo Sardarian
PAN — Jason Fuchs
PATIENT Z — Michael Le
THE POLITICIAN — Matthew Bass, Theodore Bressman
POX AMERICANA — Frank John Hughes
PURE O — Kate Trefry
QUEEN OF HEARTS — Stephanie Shannon
RANDLE IS BENIGN — Damien Ober
THE REMAINS — Meaghan Oppenheimer
REMINISCENCE — Lisa Joy Nolan
REVELATION — Hernany Perla
SEA OF TREES — Chris Sparling
SECTION 6 — Aaron Berg
SEED — Christina Hodson
THE SHARK IS NOT WORKING — Richard Cordiner
SHOVEL BUDDIES — Jason Mark Hellerman
SOVEREIGN — Geoff Tock, Greg Weidman
THE SPECIAL PROGRAM — Debora Cahn
SPOTLIGHT — Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy
SUGAR IN MY VEINS — Barbara Stepansky
SUPERBRAT — Eric Slovin, Leo Allen
SWEETHEART — Jack Stanley
TCHAIKOVSKY’S REQUIEM — Jonathan Stokes
TIME AND TEMPERATURE — Nick Santora
WHERE ANGELS DIE — Alexander Felix
Background on the Black List:
The Black List is an online community where moviemakers find scripts to make and writers to
write them and screenwriters find moviemakers to make their scripts and employ them. Begun in
2005 as an annual survey of several dozen executives favorite unproduced screenplays, the
Black List has grown to survey over 500 executives each year (virtually 100% of Hollywood’s
executive corps). Over 225 Black List scripts have been produced into films grossing over $19
billion in worldwide box office. Black List scripts have won 35 Academy Awards from more than
175 nominations.In October 2012, the Black List launched an online database of every screenplay circulating
Hollywood and all those submitted by English language screenwriters from around the world.
Since its launch, the Black List’s membership community has generated over 14,000 script
downloads, more than 40 major agency and management company signings, more than 20
script sales, 1 two-script blind deal at a major studio, and one produced film.In November 2013, the Black List expanded to include original pilots for episodic content
(television, web series, and miniseries). At any given moment, more than 1800 scripts are
actively hosted for over 2200 film industry professionals ranging from agency assistants to
studio chairs.The Black List has official partnerships with the Writers Guild, East, the Writers Guild, West, the
Sundance Institute, Warner Bros Pictures, and producer Cassian Elwes.For more information on the Black List, please see our most recent annual report
(http://blcklst.com/2013-annual-report).
I will have some stats and analysis tomorrow. Next it’s the return of the Black List Word Cloud Logline Challenge! See you in an hour for that!
Visit The Black Board, the official online community of the Black List and Go Into The Story. Overseen by super moderator Shaula Evans flanked by a great group of other moderators, it is an incredible resource which sprung from this blog, very much in the spirit and tone of Go Into The Story and perhaps best of all, it’s free! Check it out!
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