Spec Script Sales (1st quarter 2009): Movie Studios
Yesterday we broke down the spec script sales in the 1st quarter of 2009 by genre. Now let’s look at which studios and prod cos were the busiest acquiring spec material:
3
DreamWorks Pictures
Fox Atomic
2
Universal Pictures
Warner Bros.
1
MGM
New Regency
Paramount Pictures
Reliant Pictures
Screen Gems
Sidney Kimmel Entertainment
Stone Village
No surprise: The major studios accounted for over half of the acquisitions (8 sales), but what’s up with Fox Atomic clocking in with 3 acquisitions? 20th Century Fox, the parent company, bought zero spec scripts thus far this year — this one the heels of a horrible 2008 performance as detailed by Patrick Goldstein here — but their genre outfit Fox Atomic scoops up three projects. More on Fox Atomic later.
Now a breakdown of major studio acquisitions by genre:
DreamWorks Pictures (3)
Untitled Chris McCoy Project — Comedy
Nonstop — Thriller-Sci Fi
Good Looking — Romantic Comedy
Fox Atomic (3)
The Sitter — Comedy
Shimmer Lake — Mystery-Heist
Celeste and Jesse Forever — Romantic Comedy
Universal Pictures (2)
The Adventurer’s Handbook — Comedy-Adventure
Rites of Men — Thriller-Drama
Warner Bros. (2)
Conviction — Action-Heist
Inception — Action-Sci Fi
MGM (1)
Once Upon a Time… — Comedy
Paramount Pictures (1)
Grandma vs. Grandma — Comedy
Also note: No Sony or Disney, although it should be noted they were active on the pitch front as well as literary material acquisitions.
But let’s talk about Fox Atomic. Three spec script sales plus one pitch sale — “Girlfriend in a Coma” — in the first quarter of this year.
So what is Fox Atomic? Per Wikipedia:
Fox Atomic is a theatrical movie studio and a subdivision of Twentieth Century Fox. Fox Atomic produces theatrical films, graphic novels, and digital content targeting young adults.
It was created in 2006 with the goal of producing and acquiring eight films per year over a range of genres, specifically action and horror pictures. As is the case with fellow subdivision Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox Atomic has its own production operations, while its films are copyrighted and distributed by Twentieth Century Fox.
In 2008, Fox Atomic scaled back its production operations and shut down all marketing divisions, which have since been taken over by Twentieth Century Fox. Films such as Miss March have been handed to sister company Fox Searchlight Pictures, while the fate of other Fox Atomic films is currently unknown.[1]
Fox Atomic has also created a graphic novel publishing division called Fox Atomic Comics.
Evidently rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated. Their execs are:
Deborah Liebling President, ProductionJeff Arkuss VP, ProductionZak Kadison VP, ProductionKaren Levi VP, Finance & OperationsEric Lieb Director, DevelopmentDanTram Nguyen Creative Executive
And here is their website. Currently in theaters is their movie 12 Rounds which has brought in a modest $10M. Two other movies set to be released per their website:
I Love You, Beth Cooper, set to debut in July.
Jennifer’s Body, Diablo Cody’s follow-up to Juno, which is set to be released in September.
So there’s a bit of background on an outfit you may not have known that much about, one that is very active in the acquisition marketplace right now.
Tomorrow we break down the spec script sale numbers for the 1st quarter of 2009 by agents and managers.