2019 Spec Script Deal List

Every year since I launched the blog in 2008, I do a week-long analysis of the recent year in terms of spec script deals. This week, we look back at 2019.

First, my usual caveat: Tracking spec script deals is not an exact science. To make the blog’s list, there almost always has to be some sort of article in the press verifying a deal, but even then that can get dicey because the term “spec script” is itself rather amorphous in meaning.

In the broadest terms, it applies to any deal made for a script written ‘speculatively,’ that is for no fees, just the writer’s own sweat equity with the hope of making a sale. Seems simple enough, but there is a lot of gray area:

• Some deals get announced that are in effect handshake, no money arrangements.
• Some deals are by professional writers with a preexisting relationship with a production group or studio, so that a tacit agreement was in place for the project from the get-go, even if nothing official until the script comes in.
• Some deals are scripts that have been circulating for many months, even years in the process of being packaged, then finally get announced when the project receives a green light.
• Some deals are option arrangements for as little as $5–10K, not what we typically associate with spec script sales (i.e., six figures).

There is no way to determine by any objective standard the precise number of spec script deals in any given year. However, since I have been using the same sources of information and standards in tracking deals, it is possible to track trends as well as have at least some idea of what projects got set up in a twelve-month period.

Each day this week, I will provide analysis of the 2019 spec script deals:

Tuesday: Genres

Wednesday: Studios, Production Companies, and Financiers

Thursday: Agents and Managers

Friday: Top Sales

Saturday: First Timers

Here is the entire list of 32 spec script deals from 2019 including links to my blog posts covering each acquisition:

1. Title: Rich Old Broads Logline: A group of girlfriends in their ’60s on a get-away. Writer: Anna Kochoff Genre: Comedy Agency: ICM Partners Management: Anonymous Content Buyer: Amblin Partners Date: 1/29/2019

2. Title: The Wall Logline: A young woman is forced to unlock memories of a traumatic event after removing a mysterious painting from the wall of her rented apartment. Writer: Kellie Madison Genre: Horror Agency: ICM Partners Management: Good Fear Film + Management Production Companies: Dolphin Entertainment, Briarcliff Entertainment Date: 1/31/2019 Notes: This is an option deal. Madison attached to direct.

3. Title: Distant Logline: After crash-landing on an alien planet, an asteroid miner must make his way across the harsh terrain, running out of oxygen, hunted by strange creatures, to the only other survivor: a woman who is trapped in her escape pod. Writer: Spenser Cohen Genre: Science Fiction Agency: Verve Management: Anonymous Content Buyer: Amblin Partners Date: 2/1/2019 Notes: Pre-emptive purchase. Mid-six figures. Fast track.

4. Title: Untitled Chris Borrelli project Logline: N/A Writer: Chris Borrelli Genre: Action Thriller Agency: Verve Management: Alldayeveryday Buyer: Universal Pictures Date: 2/22/2019 Notes: To date, Borrelli has 7 spec script deals.

5. Title: King Richard Logline: Despite having no tennis background, Richard Williams overcomes tremendous hardship, skepticism and his own troubled past to raise two of tennis’ greatest players, Serena and Venus Williams. Writer: Zach Baylin Genre: Bio Sports Drama Agency: CAA Management: Grandview Buyer: Star Thrower Entertainment, Overbrook Entertainment Date: March 3/5/2019. Notes: #2 script on the 2018 Black List. Will Smith attached to star.

6. Title: Assisted Living Logline: A thief on the run from her old crew hides out in a retirement home. Writer: Kay Oyegun Genre: Comedy Agency: ICM Partners Management: Underground Management Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 3/9/2019 Notes: Bidding war. High-six against seven figures.

7. Title: Out There Logline: A mysterious event changes the course of the world and one family struggles to survive. Writer: Ian Levy Genre: Science Fiction Thriller Agency: Verve Management: Lit Entertainment Group Buyers: Entertainment One (eOne), The Picture Co. Date: 3/25/2019.

8. Title: I Won’t Be Home for Christmas Logline: The plot centers on sixteen-year-old Grace who is given the golden ticket to forgo having to spend the holidays with her crazy family and instead go skiing with her new boyfriend Tad. When Tad unceremoniously breaks up with her before the trip, Grace must return home humiliated with a broken heart to endure her embarrassing family and their ludicrous holiday traditions. Writer: Lauren Iungerich Genre: Drama Comedy Agency: ICM Partners Buyer: Miramax Date: 3/25/2019. Notes: Iungerich attached to direct.

9. Title: Meet the MacHines Logline: Robots Jack and Amy were always meant to provide assistance to their creator’s son Sam, but when their creator suddenly passes away, the two sentient cyborgs must go against their programming and try to find a family for Sam. Writer: Matt Lieberman Genre: Comedy Agency: WME Management: Lit Entertainment Group Buyer: Lionsgate Date: 4/9/2019.

10. Title: Rubble Logline: A contained thriller with a big sci-fi twist. Writer: Patrick Pittis Genre: Science Fiction Agency: Verve Buyer: Universal Pictures Date: 4/21/2019. Notes: Purchased in a competitive situation. Pittis was working as a movie usher while he wrote the spec script.

11. Title: I Heart Murder Logline: N/A — female driven thriller Writer: Thomas O’Donnell Genre: Thriller Agency: Verve Management: Circle of Confusion Buyer: Sony Pictures Date: 4/25/2019 Notes: Reported six figure deal.

12. Title: Chief Executive Dad Logline: When a workaholic high-level business executive who has neglected his wife and kids gets downsized in a corporate merger, he tries to apply his business skills to running his alienated family and meets with disastrous results. Writer: Brian Comer Genre: Family Management: Avatar Entertainment Buyer: Sony Pictures International

13. Title: Voicemails for Isabelle Logline: A young woman trying to navigate her dating life in Los Angeles. Writer: Leah McKendrick Genre: Romantic Comedy Agency: Abrams Artists Agency Management: Aptitude Entertainment Buyer: Sony Pictures Entertainment Date: 5/21/2019.

14. Title: Don’t Go in the Water Logline: A suspenseful monster movie Writer: Peter Gaffney Genre: Horror Agency: Verve Management: Lit Entertainment Group Buyer: Universal Pictures Date: 5/27/2019. Notes: Mid to high-six figure deal.

15. Title: Bad Dog Logline: Bub, Satan’s favorite hound, is booted out of hell by a jealous rival and mistakenly adopted by a single dad and his two kids. Despite his bad ways, Bub soon begins to embrace his goodness and falls in love with the family. When Satan wants his dog back and Bub refuses, he must protect his new family from hell’s fury. Writer: Jeff Bushell Genre: Comedy Agency: Paradigm Management: Hollander Entertainment Buyer: Lionsgate Date: 6/11/2019.

16. Title: She Came Back Logline: A young woman haunted by the childhood murder of her young sister, and who, upon returning to her hometown, discovers that her sister might not be dead after all. Writer: Emily Renee Bennett Genre: Horror Management: Bohemia Group Production Company: Witchcraft Motion Picture Company Date: 7/9/2019. Notes: An option deal.

17. Title: The Unheard Logline: N/A Writers: Michael Rasmussen and Shawn Rasmussen Genre: Horror Agency: UTA Management: Good Fear Film + Management Production Company: Burn Later Productions Date: 7/16/2019.

18. Title: Untitled Supernatural Thriller Logline: A man with a classified line of work must take his family on a perilous trip while protecting them from the horror he has in tow. Writer: Jacob Chase Genre: Supernatural Thriller Agency: Paradigm Management: Affirmative Entertainment Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 7/23/2019. Notes: Chase to direct.

19. Title: Untitled Supernatural Thriller Logline: N/A Writer: Gavin Heffernan Genre: Supernatural Thriller Lawyer: Robert Szymanski (Eclipse Law) Buyer: Sony Pictures Date: 7/30/2019. Notes: Escape Room director Adam Robitel attached.

20. Title: Don’t Worry Darling Logline: An unhappy 1950s housewife comes to believe she is actually living in a simulation in which her husband’s desire is to live in a past where women are subservient to their husbands. Writers: Shane Van Dyke, Carey Van Dyke Genre: Psychological Thriller Management: Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment Buyer: New Line Cinema Date: 8/12/2019. Notes: 18 bidders. Kate Silberman already attached to rewrite. Olivia Wilde to star, produce, and direct.

21. Title: The Last Adventure of Constance Verity Logline: Constance Verity who, for mysterious reasons, was thrust into a battle with the supernatural from the moment she was born and has been saving the world from disaster ever since. Now Connie is exhausted and wants to sample what she has missed out on — a boyfriend, a normal job, best friends — but it’s not easy to walk away from a life of adventure when in fact you are the chosen one. Writer: John Raffo Genre: Fantasy Adventure Agency: APA Buyer: Legendary Pictures Date: 8/14/2019. Notes: Spec script of a novel published in 2016. Awkwafina attached to star.

22. Title Untitled Romantic Comedy Logline: A drunken ‪one-night stand leads to a secret relationship that eventually becomes public, surprising both friends and family of the couple given that neither is typically the other’s type. Writer: Chester Tam Genre: Romantic Comedy Management: Underground Management Buyer: Screen Gems Date: 8/15/2019. Notes: Gabrielle Union attached to star.

23. Title: Shut In Logline: A single mother is held captive by her violent ex, and her two young children are left at risk. She must do everything to protect them and survive. Writer: Melanie Toast Genre: Thriller Agency: UTA Management: Farah Films & Management Buyer: New Line Cinema Date: 9/5/2019. Notes: First-timer. Deal was part of an auction. Script discovered off the Black List website. Writer lives in a small town in Texas.

24. Title: The Present Logline: A young boy figures out a way to repeat the day leading up to his parents’ separation so he can relive the same day and try to keep them from splitting up. Writer: Jay Martel Genre: Drama Comedy Fantasy Agency: Verve Buyer: AGC Studios Date: 9/4/2019.

25. Title: When Michael Met Carrie… and Other People Logline: N/A Writer: Meredith Dawson Genre: Romantic Comedy Agency: CAA Buyer: Universal Pictures Date: 9/10/2019. Notes: Dawson also to direct.

26. Title: Savior Logline: Vincent Will, a cold-blooded killer and mercenary works for a secret organization called, “the twelve disciples.” Their master plan is to trigger a world war through what appears to be a string of individual terror acts. None of the mercenaries know anything but their own mission. Writer: Todd Komarnicki Genre: Action Thriller Agency: N/A Management: N/A Production Company: Oakhurst Entertainment Date: 9/25/2019.

27. Title: Untitled Ellioit San Project Logline: A mind-bending genre tale that centers around an Asian-American protagonist. Writer: Elliott San Genre: N/A Management: Pacific View Management Buyer: New Line Cinema Date: 10/8/2019.

28. Title: The Tip Logline: A waitress receives a $10K tip from a stranger with events turning dangerous. Writer: Cooper McMains, Genre: Thriller Agency: Verve Management: The Arlook Group Buyer: TriStar Pictures Date: 10/6/2019.

29. Title: Widow: The Way Of The Raven Logline: Set in California in the late 1800s, the project is a Western inspired by the law of ‘widow’s succession,’ which allowed for the wife of a deceased sheriff to inherit his badge. In the screenplay, a young Chinese wife takes over from her assassinated husband and is determined to see through the execution of a man who murdered a Chinese girl in a racist attack. Writer: Joanne Reay Genre: Western Management: Larry Robinson (U.S.), Avatar Entertainment (U.K.) Buyer: Perfect Village Entertainment Notes: Reported mid-six figure deal.

30. Title: The Traveler Logline: N/A Writer: Austin Everett Genre: Science Fiction Agency: Verve Management: Writ Large Buyer: MGM Date: 10/17/2019. Notes: Preemptive purchase.

31. Title: Reparations Logline: When a lost cache of Confederate gold falls into the wrong hands, an amateur crew comes together to get the gold and use it to fund long overdue reparations. Writer: Jeff Howard Genre: Action Heist Management: Brillstein Entertainment Partners Buyer: Screen Gems Date: 11/15/2019. Notes: Preemptive deal.

32. Title: Untitled Warden Horror Comedy Logline: A unique bear-driven horror-comedy — with heart. Writer: Jimmy Warden Genre: Horror Comedy Management: Grandview Buyer: Universal Pictures Date: 12/16/2019. Notes: Writer is part of the film collective Radio Silence.

If I got any information wrong or missed a deal, please email me.

Spec Script Deals By Year (1991–2019)

1991: 28
1992: 40
1993: 89
1994: 101
1995: 173
1996: 155
1997: 141
1998: 110
1999: 83
2000: 92
2001: 101
2002: 114
2003: 90
2004: 75
2005: 58
2006: 60
2007: 64
2008: 87
2009: 67
2010: 55
2011: 110
2012: 99
2013: 100
2014: 62
2015: 55
2016: 75
2017: 62
2018: 40
2019: 32

While you’re here, why not click on RESPONSE to give your general impression of the year in spec script deals, maybe noting which loglines interest you the most.

Previous annual analyses:

2008 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2009 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2010 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2011 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2012 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2013 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2014 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2015 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2016 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2017 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2018 Spec Script Deals Analysis

Tomorrow: A breakdown and analysis of spec script deals in 2019 by genre.