2008 Black List
Okay guys - this came out yesterday and shot around Hollywood with lightning speed. I can do no better to explain what this list is and means than to quote the cover page that comes along with it:
****
THE BLACK LIST was compiled from the suggestions of over 250 film executives, each of whom contributed the names of up to ten of their favorite scripts that were written in, or are somehow uniquely associated with, 2008 and will not be released in theaters during this calendar year.
This year, scripts had to receive at least four mentions to be included on THE BLACK LIST.
All reasonable effort has been made to confirm the information contained herein. THE BLACK LIST apologizes for all misspellings, misattributions, incorrect representation identification, and questionable “2008” affiliations.
It has been said many times, but it’s worth repeating:
THE BLACK LIST is not a “best of” list. It is, at best, a “most liked” list.
THE BLACK LIST salutes all those who spend their days attacking the blank page.
****
Now: each script is preceded by the number of votes it received. I have heard ugly rumors in the past that the black list is political, and that various managers, etc., lobby to get their clients listed. Is this true? I'm not sure. Let's say there's some degree of truth to it. In any event, I am happy to see Script Department client Ryan Condal is on the list for GALAHAD and that my friend Josh Zetumer is on for the second year in a row with his latest, MAN OF CLOTH. I also see a fellow Writer's Boot Camp alum on the list, Javier Rodriguez.
What does it mean to be on the Black List? It's good. It's very good. It means you have fans in the industry and it means that you will get more attention now.
Some stats that my lovely and capable assistant Chaia compiled: of the 107 scripts on this list, only 17 female writers showed up*. There are 19 partnered scripts and one three-way writing partnership.
*this is a pretty fair reflection of the general ratio of male to female screenwriters.
So take a look at this list, Wavers. What do you think of the titles? There are some really provocative, clever ones. Take a look at the loglines. Are you working on something similar? Might have to walk away from it then. Have a gander and start working toward showing up on this list yourself next year.
2008 BLACK LIST
[67 votes]
THE BEAVER by Kyle Killen
“A depressed man finds hope in a beaver puppet that he wears on his hand.”
AGENT William Morris Agency –Cliff Roberts
MANAGER Anonymous Content –Keith Redmon
AVAILABLE. Anonymous Content producing.
[61 votes]
THE ORANGES by Jay Reiss & Ian Helfer
“A man has a romantic relationship with the daughter of a family friend, which turns their lives upside down.”
AGENT Reiss: Creative Artists Agency -Spencer Baumgarten, Greg McKnight, Jessica Matthews
Helfer: The Gersh Agency -Sandra Lucchesi, Eric Garfinkel,
Frank Wuliger
MANAGER Reiss:Mosaic Media Group –Paul Nelson, Jimmy Miller, Ilan Breil Helfer: Principal Entertainment –Danny Sherman
UNAVAILABLE. Media Rights Capital. A Likely Story producing.
[44 votes]
BUTTER by Jason Micallef
“A small town becomes a center for controversy and jealousy as its annual butter carving contest begins.”
AGENT Endeavor –Phil D’amecourt, Rich Cook
MANAGER Washington Square Arts -Josh McGuire
AVAILABLE. Michael De Luca Productions producing.
[42 votes]
BIG HOLE by Michael Gilio
“An old cowboy goes on a mission to recover his money after a million dollar sweepstakes scam cleans out his entire bank account.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –Julien Thuan
MANAGER Industry Entertainment –Eryn Brown
AVAILABLE. Aversano Films producing.
[40 votes]
THE LOW DWELLER by Brad Ingelsby
“A man trying to assimilate into society after being released from jail discovers that someone from his past is out to settle a score.”
AGENT William Morris Agency –Mike Esola, Rob Carlson
MANAGER Energy Entertainment -Brooklyn Weaver, Adam Marshall
UNAVAILABLE. Relativity. Scott Free Productions, Energy Entertainment, Appian Way Productions producing.
[39 votes]
FUCKBUDDIES by Liz Meriwether
“A guy and a girl struggle to have an exclusively sexual relationship as they both come to realize they want much more.”
AGENT William Morris Agency -Cliff Roberts
AVAILABLE. Montecito Picture Company producing.
[34 votes]
WINTER’S DISCONTENT by Paul Fruchbom
“When Herb Winter’s wife of fifty years dies, the faithful but sexually frustrated widower moves into a retirement community to start living the swinging single life.”
AGENT United Talent Agency -Jon Huddle, David Kramer, Adam Weinstein
MANAGER Circle of Confusion -Kemper Donovan
UNAVAILABLE. Sony. Atlas Entertainment producing.
[29 votes]
BROKEN CITY by Brian Tucker
“A New York private investigator gets sucked into a shady mayoral election.”
AGENT Endeavor -Sarah Lemkin
UNAVAILABLE. Mandate. Mr. Muddproducing.
[24 votes]
I’M WITH CANCER by Will Reiser
“A autobiographical comic account of one man’s struggle to beat cancer.”
AGENT United Talent Agency -Blair Kohan
MANAGER Thruline Entertainment -Jodi Lieberman, Willie Mercer
UNAVAILABLE. Mandate. Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Ben Karlin producing.
[22 votes]
OUR BRAND IS CRISIS by Peter Straughan
“Based on the eponymous documentary. James Carville and a team of U.S. political consultants travel to South America to help Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada (aka ‘Goni’) become President of Bolivia.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency -Brian Siberell
UNAVAILABLE. Warner Brothers. Smoke House producing.
[21 votes]
INGLORIOUS BASTERDS by Quentin Tarantino
“American soldiers, French peasants, French resistance, and Nazis collide in Hitler occupied France.”
AGENT William Morris Agency -Mike Simpson
UNAVAILABLE. Universal Pictures, The Weinstein Company. Lawrence Bender Productions producing.
[20 votes]
UNTITLED VANESSA TAYLOR PROJECT by Vanessa Taylor
“After thirty years of marriage, a middle-aged couple attends an intense counseling weekend to decide the fate of their marriage.”
AGENT United Talent Agency -Doug Johnson, Adam Weinstein
MANAGER Management 360 -Guymon Casady, Darin Friedman
AVAILABLE. Escape Artists, Management 360 producing.
[16]
GALAHAD by `Ryan Condal
“A revisionist twist on the King Arthur legend from the knight Galahad’s perspective.”
AGENT William Morris Agency -Aaron Hart
MANAGER Energy Entertainment -Brooklyn Weaver, Adam Marshall
UNAVAILABLE. The Film Department. Energy Entertainment producing.
THE WEST IS DEAD by Andrew Baldwin
“During the Great Depression, a group of semi-outlaws go on the run from the law when forced to vacate a town as the Hoover dam is constructed.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency -Jay Baker, Josh Krauss
MANAGER Anonymous Content -Bard Dorros, David Kanter
AVAILABLE.
[15 votes]
MANUSCRIPT by Paul Grellong
“A contemporary thriller about three bright, young New Yorkers with boundless literary ambition who will stop at nothing to get what they want.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency -Chris Till
MANAGER59 Entertainment -Marti Blumenthal
UNAVAILABLE. The Film Department. Donna Gigliotti producing.
THE TUTOR by Matthew Fogel
“A twenty three year old recent graduate decides, at his mother’s insistence, to tutor his ex-girlfriend’s younger sister for the SATs. When they begin a romantic relationship, his ex-girlfriend moves back home for the summer and begins to fall back in love with our anti-hero as well.”
AGENT United Talent Agency -Jason Burns, Adam Weinstein
AVAILABLE. Principato/Young Management producing.
[14 votes]
THE DESCENDANTS by Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
“A newly widowed father -also one of the richest men in Oahu, Hawaii -takes off with his two rebellious daughters to track down his dead wife’s ex-lover on the island of Kauai.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency -Jay Baker, Brian Kend
MANAGERPrincipato/Young Management -Brian Dobbins, Paul Young
UNAVAILABLE. Fox Searchlight. Ad Hominem Enterprises producing.
SUNFLOWER by Misha Green
“Two young women struggle to escape from and exact revenge on the deranged college professor who holds them hostage.”
AGENT Endeavor -Susan Solomon
MANAGERN iadManagement -Jennifer Graff
UNAVAILABLE. Sidney Kimmel Entertainment. Vincent Newman producing.
GOING THE DISTANCE by Geoff LaTulippe
“A couple tries to maintain a long-distance relationship.”
AGENT The GershAgency -Sarah Self
MANAGER Mosaic Media Group -Michael Lasker
UNAVAILABLE. New Line. Offspring Entertainment producing.
[13 votes]
THE AMERICAN WAY by Brian Kistler
“Two brothers are affected by their parents’murder, leading one to the FBI and the other to a life of crime.”
AGENT William Morris Agency -Alan Gasmer, Kimberly Bialek
UNAVAILABLE. The Film Department. Steve Golin producing.
NOWHERE BOY by Matt Greenhalgh
“The story of John Lennon’s rise from lonely, Liverpool teenager to iconic rock star.”
AGENT Endeavor -Chris Donnelly, Elia Infascelli-Smith
UNAVAILABLE. Film Four. Ecosse Films producing.
RAINDROPS ALL AROUND ME by Reed Agnew & Eli Jorne
“A socially awkward high school teacher learns to ‘dumb it down’in order to fit in with those around him.”
AGENT International Creative Management -Harley Copen
MANAGER Underground Films and Management -Oly Obst
UNAVAILABLE. Universal. Red Hour Films producing.
SEQUELS, REMAKES & ADAPTATIONS by Sam Esmail
“The outlandish journey of a young man in search of love and what he’s meant to do with his life.”
AGENT William Morris Agency -Mike Esola
MANAGER Energy Entertainment -Brooklyn Weaver, Adam Marshall
AVAILABLE. WAM Films producing.
[12 votes]
A COUPLE OF DICKS by Mark Cullen & Robb Cullen
“Two veteran LAPD detectives attempt to track down a stolen, mint-condition, 1952 baseball card that one of the detectives hopes to sell in order to pay for his daughter’s upcoming wedding.”
AGENT William Morris Agency -Cliff Roberts
UNAVAILABLE. Warner Brothers. Marc Platt Productions producing.
GAY DUDE by Alan Yang
“A comedy about the friendship of two high school seniors that’s torn apart after one comes out of the closet.”
AGENT William Morris Agency -Mike Esola
AVAILABLE.
THE MANY DEATHS OF BARNABY JAMES by Brian Nathanson
“A teenage apprentice in a macabre circus for the dead yearns to bring his true love back to life, but not before encountering the many dangerous and mysterious gothic characters that stand in his way.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency -Jay Baker, Jessica Matthews
MANAGER Benderspink-Jill McElroy, Langley Perer
AVAILABLE.
UNDERAGE by Scott Neustadter & Michael Weber
“A seventeen-year-old seduces a twentysomething man and then blackmails him into being her boyfriend in order to exact revenge on her high school aged ex.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency -Bill Zotti, Jessica Matthews
MANAGER Kaplan/PerroneEntertainment -Aaron Kaplan, Justin Killion, Sean Perrone
UNAVAILABLE. Paramount. Montecito Picture Company producing.
[11 votes]
CODE NAME VEIL by Matt Billingsley
“Based on actual events. A young CIA agent struggles to maintain his morality while navigating dangerous and absurd conditions in 1980s Beirut.”
AGENT United Talent Agency -Charlie Ferraro, Adam Weinstein
Industry Entertainment -Eryn Brown, Jess Rosenthal
AVAILABLE. Stacy Cohen, Kristin Harms producing.
EVERYTHING MUST GO by Dan Rush
“A relapsed alcoholic loses his job and his wife and decides to live on his front lawn while selling all of his belongings in a yard sale.”
AGENT International Creative Management -Todd Hoffman, David Unger
MANAGER Management 360 -Guymon Casady
AVAILABLE. Temple Hill Productions producing.
THE FOURTH KIND by Olatunde Osunsanmi
“A woman investigates an extraordinary number of unexplained disappearances from one small town in Alaska.”
AGENT Endeavor -Sarah Lemkin, Phil Raskind
MANAGER Caliber Media -Dallas Sonnier
UNAVAILABLE. Gold Circle Films.
FOXCATCHER by E Max Frye & Dan Futterman
“Based on the true story of John du Pont, a paranoid schizophrenic who was heir to the du Pont fortune. After building a wrestling training facility named Team Foxcatcher on his Pennsylvania estate, Du Pont shot and killed Olympic gold medal-winning grappler David Schulz.”
AGENT Frye: Endeavor -Tom Strickler
Futterman: Endeavor -Tom Strickler, Adriana Alberghetti
MANAGER Futterman: Principal Entertainment -Larry Taube
UNAVAILABLE. Media Rights Capital. Grandview Pictures, Bennett Miller producing.
THE PHANTOM LIMB by Kevin Koehler
“A troubled private detective uncovers a blackmail scam involvinga gangster who runs a brothel that caters to amputee fetishes (and other taboo sexual interests) and the doctor who performs the body modifications.”
AGENT Endeavor -Rich Cook, David Karp
MANAGERMosaic Media Group -Brent Lilley
AVAILABLE. John Cameron producing.
[10 votes]
THE APOSTLES OF INFINITE LOVE by Victoria Strouse
“When an upper class dysfunctional New York family learn their youngest daughter has joined a cult in the midwest, they recruit a cult deprogrammer and go on the road to save her while both parents and siblings confront their issues with one another.”
AGENT Endeavor -Adam Levine, Bryan Besser
MANAGER Anonymous Content -Michael Sugar
AVAILABLE. Red Hour Films producing.
THE F-WORD by Elan Mastai
“Two best friends struggle with falling in love without ruining the bond between them.”
AGENT The Gersh Agency -Frank Wuliger, Greg Pedicin
MANAGER Principato/Young Management -Paul Young, Dave Rosenthal
UNAVAILABLE. Fox Searchlight. Mark Stevenson, Ford Oelman, Mark Costa producing.
UP IN THE AIR by Jason Reitman
“A ruthless human resources executive, whose job is to fire people, looks forward to the only joy he has in life, his millionth frequent flyer mile, a goal he pursues with zeal as the rest of his life falls apart around him because he is constantly on the road.”
AGENT William Morris Agency -Jeff Gorin, David Lonner
UNAVAILABLE. Paramount. Montecito Picture Company, Hard C Productions producing.
[9 votes]
BACHELORETTE by Leslye Headland
“Ten years out of high school, three unhappy single friends come together as bridesmaids at a classmate's wedding, get drunk, get high, and trash the wedding dress while romancing new and old loves and settling old business.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –Rebecca Ewing, Yuli Masinovsky
MANAGER Caliber Media –Max Roman, Dallas Sonnier
AVAILABLE. Mark Gordon producing.
JONNY QUEST by Dan Mazeau
“Young Jonny Quest travels the world with his scientist father, adopted brother from India, Bandit the bulldog, and a government agent assigned to protect them while they investigate scientific mysteries.”
AGENT The Gersh Agency –David Kopple
MANAGER Circle of Confusion –David Alpert, Ashley Berns
UNAVAILABLE. Warner Brothers. Lin Pictures, Adrian Askarieh, Daniel Alter producing.
THE KARMA COALITION by Shawn Christensen
“A professor embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind his wife's death before the world ends.”
AGENT Endeavor –Bryan Besser
MANAGER Caliber Media –Dallas Sonnier
UNAVAILABLE. Warner Brothers. Lin Pictures producing.
KEIKO by Elizabeth Wright Shapiro
“A white teenage girl, who was adopted and raised in Japan by Japanese parents, travels to America to find her long lost father, comedian Dana Carvey.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –Tobin Babst, Blair Kohan
MANAGER Industry Entertainment –Jess Rosenthal
AVAILABLE.
KNIGHTS by Nick Confalone & Neal Dusedau
“A kickass British adventure where knighted celebrities (an entrepreneur, a soccer player, a musician, and an actor) are called upon to defend their country.”
MANAGER 3 Arts Entertainment –Greg Walter
AVAILABLE.
TWENTY TIMES A LADY by Gabrielle Allan & Jennifer Crittenden
“Based on the book by Karyn Bosnak. After realizing that she has had twice as many sexual partners as the national average, Ally swears off new guys and decides to go back and visit the previous twenty guys and find out if she overlooked anyone.”
AGENT Allen: United Talent Agency –Rebecca Ewing, Blair Kohan
Crittenden: Creative Artists Agency –Bill Zotti, Jeff Jacobs
UNAVAILABLE. Sony. Contrafilmproducing.
[8 votes]
CLEAR WINTER NOON by John Kolvenbach
“A hit man released from jail in his seventies tries to make amends for the innocent life he took.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –Shana Eddy, Yuli Masinovsky, Jason Burns
MANAGER 3 Arts Entertainment –Tom Lassally
UNAVAILABLE. 2929 Productions. 2929 Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment producing.
FIERCE INVALIDS HOME FROM HOT CLIMATES by Eric Aronson
“Based on the novel by Tom Robbins. An irascible, world-weary CIA operative is duped by his boss into helping re-place a listening device back in Russian hands that is vital to spying on them.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency –Greg McKnight, Billy Hawkins
MANAGER Management 360 –Guymon Casady, Darin Friedman
UNAVAILABLE. Warner Brothers. Infinitum Nihil, GK Films producing.
ROUNDTABLE by Brian K Vaughan
“In modern day, Merlin attempts to assemble a bunch of knights to battle an ancient evil.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency –Martin Spencer
UNAVAILABLE. Paramount. Parkes/MacDonald Productions producing.
[7 votes]
THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF THE MONOGAMOUS DUCK by Neeraj Katyal
“A writer struggling with drugs and his girlfriend’s death leaves New York for Los Angeles where he falls in love with a teacher and straightens out his life.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –Barbara Dreyfus, Rebecca Ewing, Julien Thuan
AVAILABLE. Color Force producing.
THE GARY COLEMAN –EMMANUEL LEWIS PROJECT by Dan Fogelman
“Emmanuel Lewis and Gary Coleman save the world from an evil madman.”
AGENT William Morris Agency –Danny Greenberg
MANAGER Industry Entertainment –Eryn Brown
AVAILABLE. Platinum Dunes producing.
THE LAYMAN’S TERMS by Jeremy Bailey
“In the midst of the Great Depression, a prodigal son returns home to face his demons and resurrect the dust bowl town he left behind. But the arrival of a mysterious woman soon threatens his way of life when he discovers she is being hunted by the very same Chicago gangsters he used to run with.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –Charlie Ferraro, Adam Weinstein
MANAGER Magnet Management –Bob Sobhani
AVAILABLE.
THE MALLUSIONIST by Robbie Pickering & Jace Ricci
“A wannabe illusionist travels cross country with his young son to compete against his archnemesis in a Vegas magic show.”
AGENT Endeavor –Dawn Saltzman, Bill Weinstein
MANAGER Pickering: Benderspink–Charlie Gogolak
Ricci: Leverage Management –Gina Marcheschi
AVAILABLE. Red Hour Films producing.
PLAN B by Kate Angelo
“A woman sets out to be artificially inseminated and falls in love.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –Jason Burns, Adam Weinstein
UNAVAILABLE. CBS Films. Escape Artists producing.
WHAT IS LIFE WORTH? By Max Borenstein
“Based on the memoir of Kenneth Feinberg, a dramatization of his involvement in the 9/11 victims compensation fund.”
AGENT William Morris Agency –Alan Gasmer
MANAGERAnonymous Content –Bard Dorros, Adam Kossack
AVAILABLE. Michael De Luca Productions producing.
[6 votes]
ACOD: ADULT CHILDREN OF DIVORCE by Ben Karlin & Stu Zicherman
“A grown man finds himself still caught in the crossfire of his parents’ divorce.”
AGENT Karlin: United Talent Agency –Blair Kohan
Zicherman: William Morris Agency –David Lubliner
MANAGERKarlin:3 Arts Entertainment –David Miner
UNAVAILABLE. Miramax. Cohen Films, Ben Karlin producing.
BAD TEACHER by Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky
“After being dumped by her boyfriend, a foul-mouthed, gold-digging seventh-grade teacher sets her sights on a colleague who is dating the school’s model teacher.”
AGENT William Morris Agency –Jeff Gorin, Aaron Hart
MANAGER Mosaic Media Group –Michael Lasker, Jimmy Miller
UNAVAILABLE. Sony. The Miller Company producing.
THE BIRTHDAY PARTY by Charles Randolph
“The true story of former Assistant United States attorney Stanley Alpert’s kidnapping by petty thieves and how he bonded with them in a Queens, NY apartment in 1998.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency –Rowena Arguelles, Risa Gertner
MANAGER Brillstein Entertainment Partners –Margaret Riley
AVAILABLE. Paula Wagner producing.
CHILD 44 by Richard Price
“Based on the novel by Tom Rob Smith. An officer in Stalinist Russia’s secret police is framed by a colleague for treason. While on the run with his wife, he stumbles upon a series of child murders and launches his own rogue investigation.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency –Bob Bookman
UNAVAILABLE. Fox 2000. Scott Free Productions producing.
EASY A by Bert Royal
“A good-natured high school student uses the rumor mill to personal advantage by pretending to be the school slut.”
AGENT Paradigm –Trevor Astbury, Valarie Phillips
MANAGER Dana Jackson
UNAVAILABLE. Screen Gems. Olive Bridge Entertainment producing.
GIANTS by Eric Nazarian
“A teenager with Marfan Syndrome comes to terms with his estranged father, his overworked mother, and the possibility that he very well might die during his upcoming procedure.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency –Alex Lerner, Stuart Manashil
MANAGER The Arlook Group –Jon Wolff
AVAILABLE. Lynette Ramirez producing.
GRAND THEFT AUTO by Jason Dean Hall
“Facing foreclosure on his repo yard, a young ex-con resumes a life of crime only to get blamed when his uncle’s coke deal gets hijacked. Caught in double crosses between Russian mafia, Yakuza, and the ATF, the young ex-con kidnaps a crime boss’s daughter and steals car after car on a Vegas bound suicide mission to retrieve the stolen drugs.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency –Jay Baker, Greg McKnight
MANAGER Management 360 –Darin Friedman
UNAVAILABLE. Fox Atomic. Stuart Parr, Roger Corman, Paul Rosenberg producing.
HELP ME SPREAD GOODNESS by Mark Friedman
“When an email predator dupes a man out of his son’s college fund, the man travels to Nigeria to confront those who ripped him off.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –Charlie Ferraro, Rio Hernandez
MANAGER Chad Snopek Management –Chad Snopek
AVAILABLE. Participant Productions producing.
INFERNO: A LINDA LOVELACE STORY by Matt Wilder
“The story of Linda Lovelace, the first mainstream porn star who eventually overcame her past, found happiness in suburbia and led a crusade to stop pornography.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency –Brian Kend, Jay Baker
MANAGER Brillstein Entertainment Partners –Missy Malkin
AVAILABLE.
LONDON BOULEVARD by William Monahan
“Based on the book by Ken Fruen. Fresh out of prison, Mitchell lands a legitimate job as a handyman for a rich actress who's eager to reward him with cash, cars, and sex. But Mitchell can never truly escape his violent past or the dangerous world of loan sharks, drug addicts and other bottom feeders.”
AGENT Endeavor –Chris Donnelly
AVAILABLE. Quentin Curtis, William Monahan producing.
MEMOIRS by Will Fetters
“Two college students who’ve experienced recent loss fall in love and heal their fractured families.”
AGENT Endeavor –Elia Infascelli-Smith, Sarah Lemkin
MANAGER Underground Films and Management –Trevor Engelson, Nick Osborne, Oly Obst
AVAILABLE. Underground Films and Management producing.
SHRAPNEL by Evan Daugherty
“Two mortal enemies square off on a hunting trip to the death.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –Tobin Babst, Rio Hernandez
MANAGER Energy Entertainment –Brooklyn Weaver, Jake Wagner
AVAILABLE.
YOUR DREAMS SUCK by Kat Dennings & Geoffrey Litwak
“An awkward teen with no self esteem regains his self-confidence after joining a Dance Dance Revolution team.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency –Jessica Matthews
MANAGER Management 360 –Nicole King
AVAILABLE. DiNoviPictures producing.
[5 votes]
AFTER HAILEY by Scott Frank
“Based on the novel by Jonathan Tropper. After a twentysomething man’s older wife dies, he remains in suburbia and struggles to raise her teenage son from a previous marriage.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency –Beth Swofford, Maha Dakhil, Bob Bookman
UNAVAILABLE. Paramount. Michaels Goldwyn producing.
THE BLADE ITSELF by Aaron Stockard
“Based on the novel by Marcus Sakey. Two former childhood friends, who made their reputation committing petty crimes, are reunited years later, forcing one of them to decide how far he will go to protect his past.”
AGENT Endeavor –Elia Infascelli-Smith
UNAVAILABLE. Miramax. Idealogy, Inc. producing.
BROTHERHOOD OF THE ROSE by Adam Cozad
“Two orphans, raised by a CIA operative to be assassins, become targets themselves.”
AGENT William Morris Agency –Jeff Gorin, Aaron Hart
MANAGER The Gotham Group –Jeremy Bell
UNAVAILABLE. Warner Brothers. Thunder Road producing.
FRESHLY POPPED by Megan Parsons
“A teenage girl who works at a movie theater tries to decide to whom she wants to lose her virginity.”
AGENT Paradigm –Scott Henderson, Lucy Stille
MANAGER Kaplan/PerroneEntertainment –Justin Killion
UNAVAILABLE. Overture. Escape Artists producing.
GAZA by Frank Deasy
“A British woman goes to Gaza to recover the body of her dead daughter and comes to understand her daughter’s political ideals.”
AGENT Endeavor –Tom Strickler
UNAVAILABLE. BBC Films. Andy Harries producing.
GREETINGS FROM JERRY by John Killoran
“Jerry seems to have it all -money, women, and a ridiculously easy job as a greeting card writer -until a tiny mistake at work unravels his life. Having lost everything he had -but never earned -he's forced to confront who he really is and start again from scratch.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency –Jessica Matthews
AVAILABLE. Rick Yorn, Terra Firma Films producing.
GROWN MAN BUSINESS by Justin Britt-Gibson
“An older man who was a gangster in his youth returns to his neighborhood after a long absence to find the boys who murdered the son he abandoned years previous.”
AGENT The Gersh Agency –Sean Barclay
MANAGER Media Talent Group –Chris Davey
AVAILABLE. Winkler Films producing.
THE HERETIC by Javier Rodriguez
“The Roman Catholic Church asks a former inquisitor to assassinate rebel monk Martin Luther.”
AGENT The Gersh Agency –David Kopple, Greg Pedicin
MANAGER Mad Hatter Entertainment –Michael Connolly
AVAILABLE. Phoenix Pictures producing.
HOW TO BE GOOD by Cindy Chupack
“Based on the novel by Nick Hornby. A woman having second thoughts about her husband is pleased when he begins following a guru, but when her husband invites the guru to live with them, her point of view changes entirely.”
AGENT Endeavor –Adriana Alberghetti
UNAVAILABLE. Miramax. Laura Ziskin Productions producing.
IRON JACK by Johnny Rosenthal
“A renowned novelist’s comic quest for hidden treasure in the 1930s.”
AGENT Paradigm –Mark Ross
MANAGER Principato/Young Management –George Heller
UNAVAILABLE. Sony. Broken Road Productions producing.
MAN OF CLOTH by Josh Zetumer
“When an English minister's family (wife and youngest son) are unjustly punished and sent off to a prison colony in Australia, the minister and his oldest son travel to Australia to re-unite the family. Upon arrival though, the minister is informed of their death, and quickly vengeance is the only thing that can quiet his hurt.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –Jason Burns
MANAGER Management 360 –Guymon Casady, Darin Friedman
AVAILABLE. Management 360 producing.
SLEEPING BEAUTY by Julia Leigh
“A haunting erotic fairy tale about Lucy, a student who drifts into prostitution and finds her niche as a woman who sleeps, drugged, in a ‘Sleeping Beauty chamber’while men do to her what she can‘t remember the next morning.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –BecSmith, Kassie Evashevski, JulienThuan
AVAILABLE.
THE SPELLMAN FILES by Bobby Florsheim & Josh Stolberg
“A family of private investigators use their gumshoe skills to crack cases and pry into one another’s personal lives.”
AGENT Florsheim: Endeavor –Adriana Alberghetti
Stolberg: United Talent Agency –Julien Thuan
UNAVAILABLE. Paramount. Laura Ziskin Productions producing.
STOP HUNTINGDON ANIMAL CRUELTY by Adam Sachs
“A lonely journalist finds love and inspiration in a quirky, unlikely manner –covering the misadventures of a young boy’s ‘protest’of an animal rights movement.”
AGENT William Morris Agency –Mike Esola
MANAGER Energy Entertainment –Brooklyn Weaver, Adam Marshall
UNAVAILABLE. Lionsgate. Energy Entertainment, Broken Road Productions producing.
A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Beau Willimon
“Based on the novel by Charles Dickens. Set in Paris and London during the French Revolution, English aristocrat Sydney Carton sacrifices his own life for his unrequited love Lucie Manette and Frenchman Charles Darnay.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency –Chris Till, Bob Bookman
UNAVAILABLE. Warner Brothers. Spring Creek Productions, Appian Way Productions producing.
UNLOCKED by Peter O’Brien
“A female CIA interrogator is duped into getting a terrorist to provide key information to the wrong side, thrusting her into the middle of a plot to plan a devastating biological attack in London.”
AGENT Original Artists –Jordan Bayer
MANAGER Brillstein Entertainment Partners –Margaret Riley
AVAILABLE. Rainmaker Films (Georgina Townsley, Paul Goldin), Di Bonaventura Pictures producing.
WHAT WOULD KENNY DO? by Chris Baldi
“A seventeen-year-old high school kid meets a ‘hologram’of himself at thirty-seven-years-old and benefits from their friendship.”
AGENT William Morris Agency –Mike Esola, Ava Greenfield
MANAGER Abstract Entertainment –Josh Adler, Michael Goldberg
UNAVAILABLE. United Artists. Winkler Films producing.
THE ZERO by Stephen Chin
“Based on the novel by Jess Walter. After a New York City policeman shoots himself in the head following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he is assigned to work for a shadowy agency at ‘Ground Zero’and quickly finds himself drawn into a sinister government plot.”
AGENT William Morris Agency –Michael Eisner, Carolyn Sivitz, Cliff Roberts
MANAGER Industry Entertainment –Rosalie Swedlin, Jess Rosenthal
AVAILABLE. John Wells, Blumhouseproducing.
[4 votes]
47 RONIN by Chris Morgan
“Forty-seven samurai seek vengeance upon a regional lord who is responsible for the death of their master.”
AGENT International Creative Management –Emile Gladstone
UNAVAILABLE. Universal. Stuber Productions, Walter Hamada producing.
BALLAD OF THE WHISKEY ROBBER by Rich Wilkes
“Based on the book by Julian Rubinstein.”
AGENT Endeavor –Tom Strickler
MANAGER Management 360 –Daniel Rappaport
UNAVAILABLE. Warner Brothers. Infinitum Nihil producing.
THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE DAMNED by Hanna Weg
“The tumultuous and doomed love affair of Jazz Age icons F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –Shana Eddy, Keya Khayatian
UNAVAILABLE. The Film Department. FarFalla Films, Sandbar Pictures producing.
A BITTERSWEET LIFE by Mark L Smith
“A crime boss asks his trusted lieutenant to determine if his young mistress is having an affair (and to kill her and her lover if she is.) The lieutenant confirms the affair but, entranced by the girl, chooses to let them live. Discovering this, the crime boss orders the lieutenant killed, only he escapes and seeks vengeance.”
AGENT International Creative Management –Harley Copen
UNAVAILABLE. Fox Atomic. Shady Films producing.
BOBBIE SUE by Russell Sharman, Owen Egerton, & Chris Mass
“A hard charging female ambulance chaser becomes the face of a prestigious law firm when an important client is sued for sexual discrimination.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –Jason Burns
MANAGER Untitled Entertainment –Jennifer Levine
UNAVAILABLE. Warner Brothers. De Line Pictures producing.
BOBISM by Ben Wexler
“A shy college student discovers that life in one thousand years will be based on his blog–and he has to stop aliens from the future who want him dead.”
AGENT Endeavor –Bryan Besser
UNAVAILABLE. MGM. Contrafilm producing.
DEADLINE by Soo Hugh
“A discredited journalist navigates dangerous politics to find a missing aid worker.”
AGENT Endeavor –Dawn Saltzman, David Karp
MANAGER Energy Entertainment –Brooklyn Weaver, Adam Marshall
AVAILABLE.
THE DEBT by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn
“Based on the Israeli film HaHov. Three Israeli Mossad agents discover that a war criminal is still alive and set out to pursue him.”
AGENT Goldman: Aitken Alexander Associates (UK)
Vaughn: Endeavor –Phil Raskind
MANAGER Vaughn: Brillstein Entertainment Partners –Naren Desai, Cynthia Pett-Dante
UNAVAILABLE. Miramax. MARV Films producing.
THE ENDS OF THE EARTH by Chris Terrio
“Based on a true story. The controversial love affair between an oil baron and his adopted daughter destroys the empire they built together.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency –Rowena Arguelles
AVAILABLE. Escape Artists producing.
HEARTSTOPPER by Dan Antoniazzi & Ben Shiffrin
“A romantic comedy, with a serial killer.”
AVAILABLE.
THE HOW-TO GUIDE FOR SAVING THE WORLD by Ben David Grabinski
“A loser discovers a book on how to stop an alien invasion and is thrust into action to stop a real one.”
AGENT William Morris Agency –Aaron Hart, Cliff Roberts, Danny Greenberg
MANAGER Kaplan/PerroneEntertainment –Justin Killion, Sean Perrone
AVAILABLE. Barry Sonnenfeld producing.
I KILLED BUDDY CLOY by Nick Garrison & Chase Pletts
“When a terrible act of violence shatters Ray’s hum-drum existence, his sociopath uncle lures him down an absurd, vengeful path.”
AGENT William Morris Agency –Aaron Hart, Ben Rowe, Jeff Gorin
AVAILABLE.
JAR CITY by Michael Ross
“Based on the film by Baltasar Kormakur. A police detective’s investigation of a murder leads to the uncovering of secrets in a small town.”
AGENT The Gersh Agency –David Kopple
UNAVAILABLE. Overture. Baltasar Kormakur producing.
A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY by Susan Walter
“A female clothing designer struggles to find love and success after turning thirty.”
AGENT William Morris Agency –Michael Eisner, Ava Greenfield
MANAGER Untitled Entertainment –Jennifer Levine
AVAILABLE. Anonymous Content, Jennifer Levine producing.
THE MOST ANNOYING MAN IN THE WORLD by Kevin Kopelow & Heath Seifert
“A man travels across the country with his annoying brother in order to get to his own wedding.”
AGENT Endeavor –Bill Weinstein, David Karp
UNAVAILABLE. Walt Disney. Oops Doughnuts Productions producing.
MOTORCADE by Billy Ray
“The President of the United States and his motorcade are attacked during a visit to Los Angeles.”
AGENT International Creative Management –Bruce Kaufman
MANAGER Management 360 –Guymon Casady
UNAVAILABLE. Dreamworks. Parkes/MacDonald Productions producing.
THE MURDERER AMONG US by Lori Gambino
“Based on true events. Legendary filmmaker Fritz Lang contends with a mounting police investigation into the death of his first wife, the growing threat of the Third Reich, and a caustic relationship with his female collaborator; all leading to the production of the film M.”
MANAGER Luber-Roklin Entertainment –Stephen Crawford
AVAILABLE.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HELL by Brian McGreevy & Lee Shipman
“A gritty, contemporary retelling of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO set in the underworld of the Hell’s Kitchen Irish mob.”
AGENT Paradigm –Valarie Phillips, Trevor Astbury
MANAGER Mad Hatter Entertainment –Michael Connolly
AVAILABLE. Mad Hatter Entertainment producing.
SAMURAI by Fernley Phillips
“Set in Japan during the 150 Year War, a ronin out for justice teams up with a ninja and a green-eyed English boy to rid Japan of an evil Lord. Their partnership becomes the stuff of myth.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency –Jay Baker
MANAGER Energy Entertainment –Brooklyn Weaver
UNAVAILABLE. Fox Atomic. State Street Pictures producing.
THE SCAVENGERS by Nate Edelman
“Based on the play Playboy of the Western World by J.M. Synge. A ne’er-do-well Irish twentysomethingbecomes infamous when he commits a haphazard murder and catchesthe fancy of a brazen barmaid who, bored with her small town existence, sees him as the
rebel he always wanted to be and follows him on the run.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –Rio Hernandez, Shana Eddy
MANAGERManage-ment–Dan Halstead
AVAILABLE.
SERIAL KILLER DAYS by Mark Carter
“A dark comedy blending stories of teen love and municipal corruption set against the backdrop of a town plagued by a serial killer that decides to profit the only way it can -by creating a festival and economy around the fact that they have a serial killer.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –Rio Hernandez, Keya Khayatian
MANAGER New Wave Entertainment –Brad Mendelsohn
AVAILABLE. Hard C Productions producing.
SHERLOCK HOLMES by Tony Peckham
“A dark, sophisticated take on Sherlock Holmes and his trusted number two, Dr. Watson.”
AGENT William Morris Agency –Cliff Roberts
MANAGEMENT Anonymous Content –Michael Sugar, Bard Dorros
UNAVAILABLE. Warner Brothers. Silver Pictures, Wigram Productions, Lin Pictures producing.
SWINGLES by Jeff Roda
“After their best friends get engaged, a dedicated bachelor and a high-strung lawyer team up to help each other get dates by giving revealing insights into the opposite sex (thus inventing ‘swingling’) but complications ensue when they fall for each other.”
AGENT Endeavor –Lis Rowinski, Adriana Alberghetti
UNAVAILABLE. Paramount. MisherFilms producing.
‘TIL BETH DO US PART by Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg
“The friendship of two twentysomething men is put to the test when one of them becomes engaged.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency –Todd Feldman, Greg McKnight
MANAGER Principato/Young Management –Dave Rosenthal, Paul Young
UNAVAILABLE. Warner Brothers. Principato/Young Management producing.
UNTITLED CHANNING TATUM PROJECT by Doug Jung
“A Los Angeles cop escorts a Korean gang leader back to South Korea. When the gang leader escapes, killing the cop's partner in the process, he teams with a young Korean gangster in a bloody pursuit of revenge that takes them through the dangerous and exotic underworld of Seoul.”
AGENT United Talent Agency –Charlie Ferraro, Barbara Dreyfus
MANAGER New Wave Entertainment –Brad Mendelsohn
UNAVAILABLE. Fox Atomic. Vertigo, Management 360 producing
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22 comments:
Wow - what a fantastic source of loglines!
'The Beaver' sounds intriguing, but 'Fuckbuddies' made me scream, "Damn, why didn't I think of that!"
Hey Julie,
Ah....The Black List....the day I beat my head against the wall and determine to be on it next year.
I think this is actually Josh's 3rd year in a row, btw.
Also, www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com borrowed a bit from the EW piece about the Black List to give you a better sense of the tone of these movies. You can see where successful films from previous years affected the success of similar scripts. It's interesting to see which trends caught on, like a few scripts with a NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN feel, etc.
And I also know that some of these scripts weren't necessarily written last year, but may have had a better rep or more of a manager/agent push/buzz behind it this year.
My favorite loglines (also happen to be some of the best titles):
BIG HOLE
THE AMERICAN WAY
A COUPLE OF DICKS
THE MANY DEATHS OF BARNABY JAMES
EVERYTHING MUST GO
THE PHANTOM LIMB
UP IN THE AIR
CLEAR WINTER NOON
THE LAYMAN'S TERMS
HELP ME SPREAD GOODNESS
THE SPELLMAN FILES
BOBISM
THE HOW-TO GUIDE FOR SAVING THE WORLD
SERIAL KILLER
SWINGLES
(Also, the concept for UNDERAGE was already done as an episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.")
Really Julie,
I read the comments made on numerous non-writing blogs and forums about this Black List : this is not what the public wants.
And I was looking for some great thing about this Black List.
No wonder crap movies are being made.
Good movies start with a director who writes his/her own script.
I stand unchanged when I say most of these script in the Black List are awful. Who the hell cares about these cliche scripts.
I rather go back to my full office job and make an okay living than to write or meet the writers who wrote these scripts.
Pathetic boring crap.
Marriage and having children and one two divorces is more exciting this crap.
Actually watching a movie like Saturday Night Fever is a million times more exciting that these crapy scripts backed by artsy fartsy agents.
How depressing.
I though this Black List would show the world the next Tarantino, the next Guy Ritchie, the next Paul Schrader, the next David Mamet, the next Ben Hecth, the next Woody Allen, the next Oliver Stone....
What we get is a bunch spineless scripts...
Even the LOW DWELLER which I was asked to read, reeks of trying too hard to impress...and not wanting to fit in with with the changing world and the new generation. Without us, Hollywood would go bust. Hollywood belongs to the daring youth of today. Not to these old agents and 50 over screenwriters hustling scripts.
I will not read or look at the next Black List.
I decided to go back to my real love - directing and make my scripts into a real reality.
@Anonymous - bitter, party of one? ;)
@Margaux - I know, right?!
@Mark - yes, very fun loglines and titles!
Ok, this is probably a silly question, but what does "Available/Unavailable" mean?
Anthony, I believe available means it's not yet optioned or sold, and unavailable means it's optioned or sold.
I have to say, I kind of agree with Anonymous. I found a lot of these loglines uninspired at best, and awful at worst. More desperate single women (jeez, can we bury that stereotype already?), dull thrillers, weird male fantasies (how do you make a movie around a prostitute who SLEEPS during her tricks?) and well-meaning but dry dramas.
Where are the loglines that make me say, "I HAVE to see that"?
I say this not as a bitter writer, but as a bitter movie consumer.
Sorry, I think I was wrong about what available/unavailable means. Now I want to know what it means, too.
Does available mean it has been greenlit?
Crap, I meant does UNavailable mean it has been greenlit?
I like the look of this list for the most part.
Good to know about "Fuckbuddies" because I was thinking of doing something along those lines in a rom com I'm working on.
As for titles, "The Amazing Adventures of the Monogamous Duck" stuck with me...though there are several gems in there.
But there are a couple scripts on here that must be all in the execution. "Going The Distance" is a headscratcher for me. Seems totally low concept and could the title be any more mundane?
Those aren't the loglines written by the writers themselves. I'd even be hard-pressed to call them "loglines". They're blurbs.
For instance, I highly doubt the writers of 'Heartstopper' wrote 'a romantice comedy, with a serial killer.' as a logline.
Some have high concepts, while others are either character-based or adaptations.
More importantly, they're chosen based on the actual script. Read them and figure out for yourself what made them "black list worthy".
And... relax a little. Heh.
As far as I know:
Unavailable - means just that, it's set up and expected to get made.
Available - the availables with production companies listed mean that the script has been optioned but they haven't sold to a studio or are not fully financed. The availables with no prodco listed would still be available to option.
I'm going to read some of the scripts over the holidays and am hoping they are better than their loglines.
Ah right!
Nothing I'm doing is on this list.
But then either I'm way off base or I do have something worthwhile.
The first script on this list I'd like to read is Serial Killer Days.
EASY A is totally my favorite title + logline combo, and I can't wait to read it!
@ anonymous:
"I rather go back to my full office job and make an okay living than to write or meet the writers who wrote these scripts."
Don't worry -- with that attitude, your future in an office job is secure.
I was able to grab the PDF's of the Black List scripts, so if anyone needs one, let me know.
Want to echo what Scotty said above--
1. These are not loglines witten by the writer. They were written by someone else & may not be an accurate reflection of the story/script.
2. The selections were based on the actual full SCRIPT.
To be fair to the writers, I would suggest holding off any kind of judgment until you've actually read the scripts yourself.
I actually like the diversity I see on the Black List. There are Indie/artsy type scripts right along with the more conventional, commercial-oriented material. Something for all tastes.
if anyone has any of these scripts could you please email them to me,
mikaillaflorence@yahoo.com
much appreciated,
mikail
I'm a different anonymous than the original grouch who posted, but I have to say I've read about 10 of these so far and only 2 are scripts I would've bothered to read the whole way through if this had been a contest. Since this wasn't a contest, I only read one all the way through and even that wasn't the best script I've ever read by a LONG shot. Most of these are tight, modern but otherwise bland and uninspiring. I appreciate your list of blurbs/log lines here because now I'll go back and select some based on that criteria. With any luck those will be better. But as it stands, I agree with anonymous!
Is anyone still willing to share PDFs of the Black List scripts via link or e-mail? If so, could you post and let me know a link or e-mail address to contact? Thanks so much!
@the dayla try this via Nicholas from the comment section of GITS:
http://www.mediafire.com/12916studios
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