Spec Script Deals: Mid-2017 Report

All the reported spec script deals from January through June this year.

1. Title: Slayer Logline: A simple fisherman who, when his wife is kidnapped and his village slaughtered, trains for 20 years to become the greatest warrior alive in order to wreak vengeance on the four demonic knights responsible. Writer: Joel Dorland Genre: Action Management: Good Fear Film + Management Prod Co: Prime Universe Productions and Marlowe Pictures Date: 1/13/2017 Notes: Option deal. Script discovered off the Black List website. Writer participated in 2015 Black List mini-lab.

2. Title: Keeper of the Diary Logline: The story of Otto Frank’s struggle to find a publisher for the diary written by his daughter Anne Frank before she perished in the Holocaus. Writers: Sam Franco, Evan Kilgore Genre: Drama Management: Bellevue Productions Agency: Paradigm Buyer: Fox Searchlight Date: 1/14/2017 Notes: Subject to a bidding war involving Paramount, Amblin, StudioCanal.

3. Title: Little America Logline: In a dystopian future, a former American Force Recon member is hired by a Chinese billionaire to go into an American ghetto and rescue his daughter. Writer: Rowan Athale Genre: Science Fiction Agency: WME Management: Grandview Buyer: Universal Date: 1/25/2017. Notes: Bidding war.

4. Title: Skyward Logline: True story about two families in 1979 who secretly build a homemade hot air balloon in their garage in a plan to escape over the Berlin Wall. Writer: Joe Ballarini Genre: Historical Drama Agency: Paradigm Buyer: 20th Century Fox Date: 1/26/2017

5. Title: Unfit Logline: The shocking true story of Carrie Buck, a young Virginia woman who became a lightning rod for that movement and was forced to singlehandedly fight against it for the one thing she desperately wanted — to be a mother. Writer: Melissa London Hilfers Genre: Historical Drama Agency: Paradigm Management: Alan Gasmer Buyer: Amazon Studios Date: 2/2/2017 Notes: Bidding war.

6. Title: /reddoor Logline: A journalist discovers a new game app can kill people in real life once they enter the game. He then needs to race to save both he and his sister before they meet their demise. Writers: Teddy Tenenbaum, Minsun Park Genre: Supernatural Thriller Agency: Paradigm Management: Jim Wedaa Buyer: Sony Pictures Date: 2/6/2017. Notes: Pre-emptive offer.

7. Title: The Impossible War Logline: The true story of Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin as they raced against time and each other to come up with a desperately needed cure. Writer: Robert Specland Genre: Historical Drama Agency: UTA Management: UTA Pacific View Management Buyer: Black Bear Pictures Date: 2/8/2017. Notes: Auction. Mid-six figures.

8. Title: The New Neighbors Logline: A couple moves into an affluent suburban community only to find out that their enclave is filled with dirty secrets. Writers: Leslye Headland, David Schickler Genre: Psychological Thriller Agency: UTA (Headland), CAA (Schickler) Management: Anonymous Content (Headland), Gotham Group (Schickler) Buyer: STX Entertainment Date: 2/9/2017. Notes: This is an option deal.

9. Title: Ruthless Logline: When a legendary retired assassin is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, she must return to the life she left behind and complete one final job in order to secure a future for her young daughter. Writer: John Swetnam Genre: Action Agency: Paradigm Management: Industry Entertainment Buyer: Amblin Entertainment Date: 2/15/17 Notes: Auction. Mid-to-high six figures.

10. Title: The Hard Way Out Logline: A wrongfully convicted man returns to his small town in Texas and gets involved with a vulnerable, free spirit. Writer: Brad Mirman Genre: Drama Agency: Gersh Management: Hands In The Middle Management & Productions Production Company: Outside the Box Film Partners Date: 2/28/17. Notes: Option deal.

11. Title: Bad Cop Bad Cop Logline: An R-rated action buddy comedy about two hapless cops who stumble on a case that exposes a conspiracy of corruption in their own precinct. Writers: Fortune Feimster, Brian Jarvis, & Jim Freeman Genre: Action Comedy Agency: ICM Partners Management: Truhett/Garcia Management Buyer: DreamWorks Studios Date: 3/1/17.

12. Title: Marian Logline: After a conspiracy to conquer England in which the love of her life Robin Hood dies before her eyes, Marian picks up the cause to lead her people into a pivotal war. She comes to power, charging into a battle that will not only decide the fate of the kingdom but will see her don the mantle of the man she loved. In the process, she rises as a legend herself. Writer: Pete Barry Genre: Action Drama Agency: Paradigm Management: Pannon Entertainment Buyer: Sony Pictures Entertainment Date: 3/6/17. Notes: First-timer. Preemptive purchase.

13. Title: The Shitheads Logline: A pair of deeply unqualified bozos who have been hired to transport a troubled teenage millionaire to rehab. Writer: Macon Blair Genre: Comedy Agency: CAA Management: Anonymous Content Buyer: Imperative Entertainment Date: 3/6/17. Notes: Tracy Morgan and Luke Wilson attached to star, Blair to direct.

14. Title: Our Lady of Guadalupe Logline: In 1531, the visitation of the Virgin Mary in a small town in Mexico leads a humble man named Juan Diego to push the local bishop to get a temple erected in her name. Writer: Joe Eszterhas Genre: Religious Drama Agency: ICM Partners Management: LINK Buyer: MGM Date: 3/7/17. Notes: This is the first spec script sale by Eszterhas in over a decade. During the 90s, he was the ‘king’ of the spec script market.

15. Title: Bad Times at the El Royale Logline: N/A Writer: Drew Goddard Genre: Thriller Agency: UTA Buyer: 20th Century Fox Date: 3/8/17. Notes: Goddard to direct.

16. Title: The Claim Logline: A single father with a criminal background must uncover the whereabouts of his kidnapped daughter while fighting the mysterious claims of another couple who insist that the child is theirs. Writer: Damien Chazelle Genre: Thriller Agency: WME Management: Exile Entertainment Buyer: Motion Picture Capital, Oceanside Media, Route One Entertainment Date: 3/13/17. Notes: A 2010 Black List script. Option deal.

17. Title: Twin Blades Logline: Zoe, an American tech entrepreneur who relocates her company to China, and Maylin, a local female bodyguard hired to protect her struggle to coexist in their daily routine. When Zoe’s life is threatened, the two must put aside their differences and join forces to survive. Write: Ingrid Eskeland-Adetuyi Genre: Action Comedy Agency: APA Management: Zero Gravity Management Buyer: Cristal Pictures, The Donners’ Company Date: 3/13/17 Notes: First-time writer. Recent graduate of Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.

18. Title: Infinite Logline: A schizophrenic discovers his hallucinations are actually memories of past lives that he can access as well as the skills he possessed in those time periods. Writer: Ian Shorr Genre: Science Fiction Agency: UTA Management: Bellevue Productions Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 3/15/17 Notes: The spec is based on The Reincarnationist Papers, an unpublished novel by D. Eric Maikranz.

19. Title: Space Race Logline: N/A Writer: Daniel Kunka Genre: Science Fiction Action Agency: ICM Partners Management: Madhouse Entertainment Buyer: Universal Pictures Date: 3/16/17 Notes: Preemptive purchase.

20. Title: Darker Saints Logline: A female FBI forensics expert is called in to assist the police in profiling a vicious serial killer. She is stunned to discover that this killer is wiping out the entire female bloodline of another family — her own — and she’s his next victim. Writer: Tony Kayden Genre: Thriller Agency: N/A Production Company: Imagination Worldwide Date: 3/22/17 Notes: Option deal.

21. Title: Body Cam Logline: Several LAPD officers are haunted by a malevolent spirit that is tied to the murder of a black youth at the hands of two white cops… all of which was caught on a body cam video that was destroyed in a cover up. Writer: Richmond Riedel Genre: Supernatural Action Management: Bellevue Producer: Brian Robbins Date: 3/31/17 Notes: Four outfits bidding. Mid-six figures. First-timer.

22. Title: Fragment Logline: An Air Force jet breaks up over the desert. A mysterious radio beacon draws the pilot from the crash site. A discovery is waiting. And it is not of this Earth. Writers: Noah Griffith, Daniel Stewart Genre: Science Fiction Agency: CAA Management: The Gotham Group Buyer: Sony Pictures Date: 3/31/17 Notes: First-timers.

23. Title: Untitled Melissa Stack Project Logline: It’s an R-rated comedy in which an older woman goes on vacation with her much-younger boyfriend’s family. Writer: Melissa Stack Genre: Comedy Agency: Paradigm Management: Kaplan/Perrone Buyer: 20th Century Fox Date: 4/5/17. Notes: Mid-six figures, Stack attached to direct.

24. Title: All My Life Logline: Based on the story of Solomon Chau and Jennifer Carter, who were planning to be married on Aug. 21, 2015. Instead, that ended up being the day of Chau’s funeral. he couple, who had been planning their wedding since April 2014, found out that Chau had liver cancer in December that year. To make sure they got the wedding of their dreams, they moved the date up to April 11, 2015, and they raised more than $52,000 for the Toronto wedding through a GoFundMe account. They were married for four months before he died. Writer: Todd Rosenberg Genre: Drama Agency: Gersh Management: Kaplan/Perrone Buyer: Universal Pictures Date: 4/6/17.

25. Title: Princesses Logline: The film’s premise is likened to The Avengers, with all the classic princesses as the heroines. Writer: Nir Paniry Genre: Action Adventure Agency: Paradigm Management: Good-Fear Management Buyer: Pascal Productions, Greymatter Productions Date: 4/19/17. Notes: Six figure deal.

26. Title: The Prodigal Logline: A modern revenge tale of a soldier who returns to his hometown to solve the mystery of his estranged brother’s death. Writer: Luke Paradise, Genre: Action Drama Agency: Gersh Management: Industry Entertainment Buyer: Voltage Pictures, Chris Morgan Productions Date: 4/27/17.

27. Title: World Breaker Logline: In a not-too-distant future, Earth is under attack from creatures from an alternate world, bent on humanity’s destruction. A father hides his 14-year-old daughter on an island to avoid her conscription in the all-female army and escape the war, but nowhere is truly safe. Writer: Joshua Rollins Genre: Science Fiction Agency: Gersh Management: Affirmative Entertainment Buyer: Amasia Entertainment Date: 5/4/17.

28. Title: The Infinity Reel Logline: A paranormal investigator is drawn to a small town that has gone through bizarre phenomena. These instances have an eerie connection with the investigator’s own past. Writer: Adam D’Alba Genre: Horror Agency: Gersh Management: Grandview Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 5/5/17.

29. Title: This is Jane Logline: A Chicago woman founds and maintains the underground abortion service “Jane,” a group of women who taught themselves how to perform abortions in the years before Roe V. Wade. Writer: Dan Loflin Genre: Historical Drama Agency: ESA Management: Heller Highwater Buyer: Amazon Studios Date: 5/6/17. Notes: Reported six-figure deal.

30. Title: Wendy and the Lost Logline: Wendy tries to help her son, Will, fit into the world. As he tries to find his place among his socialization group filled with oddball peers, Wendy realizes she needs to begin her own journey of making friends — and maybe even finding love. Writer: Carol Barbee Genre: Romantic Comedy Agency: WME Management: Hands In The Middle Management & Productions Buyer: Paulist Productions Date: 5/14/17. Notes: This is an option deal.

31. Title: The Best of Adam Sharp Logline: A man (Adam) on the cusp of fifty is restless as his marriage has gone stale. He can’t quite forget a romance he had twenty years ago with an intelligent and strong-willed woman named Angelina Brown who taught him what it meant to find — and then lose — love. Out of the blue, he gets a one word email from Angelina. He responds and his life takes a significant turn. Writer: Graeme Simsion Genre: Romantic Drama Agency: ICM Partners Buyer: Vocab Films Date: 5/23/17. Notes: This is an option deal.

32. Title: Mother Logline: A female protagonist in a scenario reminiscent of The Professional and La Femme Nikita that has franchise potential. Writer: Misha Green Genre: Action Thriller Agency: CAA Buyer: Netflix Date: 6/4/17. Notes: Reported seven-figure deal.

33. Title: Linda and Monica Logline: Details the budding friendship between D.C. pals Linda Tripp and Monica Lewinsky that imploded when it led to the revelation of the scandalous relationship between the White House intern and President Bill Clinton. Writer: Flint Wainess Genre: Political Drama Agency: UTA Management: Kaplan/Perrone Buyer: Amazon Studios Date: 6/5/17. Notes: 2016 Black List script.

34. Title: Courage Logline: Described as being in the vein of Inception and Edge of Tomorrow. Writer: Karl Gajdusek Genre: Science Fiction Agency: Verve Management: Management 360 Buyer: 20th Century Fox Date: 6/27/17. Notes: Gajdusek is executive producer of the Netflix series ‘Stranger Things’.

Observations:

• In 2016, there were 36 spec script deals at the year’s midpoint, so the numbers are just about the same. Total deals last year: 75 which represented a 27% increase over 2015 which featured 55 deals.
• Two Black List scripts set up: The Claim (2010) and Linda and Monica (2016). Also one reported deal involving a script discovered off the Black List website: Slayer.
• Genre Breakdown: Drama (10), Science Fiction (5), Thriller (5), Action (4), Comedy (3), Horror (1).
• Cross Genres: Action Comedy (2), Action Drama (2), Action Science Fiction (1), Action Thriller (1).
• Half of the Drama spec deals involved were Historical Dramas (5).

As someone who has tracked the spec market since 1991, it continues to amaze me how Drama is the #1 genre. For decades, the top three spec genres were typically Action, Comedy, and Thriller (in varying order per year). But in both 2015 and 2016, Drama topped the charts in terms of reported spec script deals. That trend looks to be continuing in 2017.

Which raises the question: Why? I think there are a few contributing factors.

• The influence of reality TV: An entire generation has grown up with plenty of programming featuring ‘real life’ settings. Granted, much of reality TV is not actually real, situations scripted by so-called Consulting Producers, but that distinction doesn’t seem to bother audiences. If ‘real life’ stories have become a staple of their entertainment viewing, that may have an indirect impact on their interest in historically based dramas. Indeed the scripts which topped the Black List in 2015 (Bubbles) and 2016 (Blonde Ambition) both deal with icons who made strong impressions on younger audiences: Michael Jackson and Madonna. Linda and Monica would seem to be riding that same wave.
• The rise of documentaries: With digital filmmaking lessening costs and streaming services like Netflix which have growing nonfiction playlists, there is a burgeoning documentary industry. Those tend to fall into the Drama category. Viewing interest in docs may not only translate into a desire to see more scripted Drama movies, but perhaps such limited TV series such as ‘The Night Of’ which feel like extended documentaries.
• Franchise fatigue: Perhaps the rise of Drama spec script deals is also tied to studios reacting to a softening in the domestic market (at least) for big budget spectacle movies. Dramas offer a natural strategy for counter-programming and a chance to lure into theater the still sizeable 50+ year old crowd and especially Baby Boomers who have a proven affection for good dramatic fare.

In any event, if you like to write Drama and particularly Historical Drama, now could be a good time to flex your creative muscles.

Note: As I always say, tracking the spec script market is an inexact science. Since I launched the blog in 2008, I have only posted on reported deals or deals I can confirm through my contacts. Also I only include actual deals, not situations where a writer lands a manager like some other outfits do. My guess is they want to inflate the numbers to try to promote the idea the spec market is hotter than it really is in order to sell their services. I take a more conservative approach, noting as well, when I can confirm, when deals are options, not sales.

Still I believe it’s helpful information and does provide something of a snapshot of acquisition trends within the Hollywood development community.

If you have any observations about what you see in the deals detailed above, I welcome your comments.