Spec Script Sale: “El Tigre”

Sony acquires comedy spec script “El Tigre” from first-time writers Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley. From THR:

The project is an action comedy about a family vacation gone wrong when the father is mistaken for Mexico’s most ruthless drug lord, El Tigre.

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A bidding war broke out between multiple suitors, including Sony, Paramount and MGM. The sale price was in the mid-six figures, according to sources.

High concepts rule. Some things never change.

Buchsbaum is an assistant to director Shawn Levy (Real Steel) while Riley works for Justin Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun.

They are repped by Paradigm and Mosaic.

By my count, this is the 43rd spec script sale of 2012.

There were 32 spec sales at this point last year.

Spec script sales are up 34% year-to-date compared to 2011.

To put things into further perspective, the 43rd script didn’t sell in 2011 until June 5.