Spec Script Sales Analysis 2008: First Timers
This week, we’ve analyzed the spec script sales in 2008:
Genres
Studios
Agents & Managers
Top Sales
Today we round out the discussion by posting the roster of ‘first timers,’ each of whom sold a spec script for the first time.
31 Days of Larry — Corrine Kingsbury (LionsGate) — 11/24/2008
Lionsgate Films has pre-emptively picked up the irreverent romantic-comedy spec “31 Days of Larry,” written by newbie scribe Corinne Kingsbury. It’s the first industry deal for Kingsbury, who is repped by WMA and Fuse Entertainment. — The Movie Blog
Animals — Mike Sobel (Columbia) — 3/6/2008
Sobel, who was practicing law in New York, moved to Los Angeles a year ago to pursue a writing career and penned “Animals,” his first screenplay. Deal is pegged at mid-six figures. — Daily Variety
Broken City — Brian Tucker (Mandate) — 5/19/2008
Mandate Pictures has preemptively bought “Broken City,” the first screenplay from Brian Tucker. Tucker is an alum of the Juilliard School Playwrights Program, where he was a Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Fellow. — Daily Variety
Going the Distance — Geoff LaTulippe (New Line) — 7/20/08
New Line is “Going the Distance” with a pre-emptive purchase of tryo scribe Geoff LaTulippe’s romantic comedy spec script. LaTulippe, who’s been a script reader at New Line for four years, credited creative exec Dave Neustadter with helping develop the story. — Daily Variety
Hunter-Killer — Arne Schmidt (Relativity Media) — 9/30/2008
Relativity Media has acquired “Hunter-Killer,” a spec script that was written by producer Arne Schmidt, who submitted it under a pseudonym. Script is the first by Schmidt, who submitted it under the pseudonym Ed Arnett because he didn’t want it to be influenced by his primary industry job. Schmidt is a line producer and production manager whose credits include the “XXX” films and “Big Fish” — Daily Variety
Imaginary Friends — Cornelius Uliano & Bryan Schulz (DreamWorks) — 3/25/08
DreamWorks has made a preemptive six-figure acquisition of “Imaginary Friends,” a fantasy adventure script by Cornelius Uliano and Bryan Schulz. Studio was keeping logline under wraps. Scribes are first timers who met in film school. They graduated from Brooks Institute of Photography last year. — Daily Variety
Oh, Brother — Cathy McCarthy (Gold Circle Films) — 10/23/08
It’s the first deal for Phoenix-based podiatrist McCarthy, whose script caught the eye of manager Tom Drumm. It also is the latest deal to emerge from Gold Circle’s first-look pact with management/production outfit The Safran Co. A new writer will be brought in to work on the script. — Gold Circle Films
The Roommate — Sonny Malhi (Screen Gems) — 7/20/08
Screen Gems has acquired Sonny Mallhi’s spec thriller “The Roommate.” Mallhi, an exec VP at Vertigo, penned the screenplay under a pseudonym so it would be given fair consideration in the marketplace. It wasn’t until after Screen Gems made an offer on “Roommate” that Mallhi revealed that he wrote the spec. Mallhi most recently exec produced “The Strangers” for Vertigo. “Roommate” marks Malhi’s first screenplay sale. — Daily Variety
Winter’s Discontent — Paul Fruchbom (Columbia) — 4/28/08
Columbia Pictures has scooped up Paul Fruchbom’s comedy spec “Winter’s Discontent” for low six figures. Deal marks the first sale for Fruchbom, a onetime banker and journalist. Sony also made a blind commitment for a future Fruchbom film. — Daily Variety
It’s an interesting mix of writers and projects. Some of the first timers were working in the business — script reader, line producer, exec producer — but others had careers well outside of Hollywood (i.e., banker-journalist, podiatrist, lawyer). Fruchbom is a particularly interesting case: Not only was he a total outsider, look at the premise for “Winter’s Discontent”:
“Herb Winter’s wife dies after 50 years of marriage, prompting the long-faithful but sexually frustrated widower to move into a retirement community with his best buddy so the two can start living the swinging single life.”
Not exactly targeting the 18–34 crowd with that premise. Hwood outsider. Not the most commercial story concept. And yet, Sony made a “blind commitment for a future Fruchbom film.” What does that suggest? That Fruchbom must have written a great script.
And that’s what I always tell my students: If you write a great script, it will sell.
The odds are long. The competition fierce. But every year, aspiring screenwriters like Paul Fruchbom bust down the doors to Hwood by selling a spec script.
Next year, I hope it’s you we’re congratulating on this blog.
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