2022 Spec Script Sales Analysis: Buyers
Yesterday, we looked at 2022 spec script deals by genre. Today, we break down the numbers per streamers, major studios, mini-majors…
Yesterday, we looked at 2022 spec script deals by genre. Today, we break down the numbers per streamers, major studios, mini-majors, subsidiaries, production companies, and financiers to see which were the most and least active in the script acquisition market. The totals:
1
30 West
Amazon Studios
Apple TV+
DJ2 Entertainment
Legendary Pictures
Lionsgate
Netflix
New Line
New Republic Pictures
Paramount
Range Media Partners
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Stampede Ventures
Studio Canal / The Picture Company
Thunder Road
Universal
That’s right. Nobody made a deal on more than 1 spec script in 2022.
Look at these numbers from the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 per each major studio:
Disney 5 / 1 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 0 / 2 / 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Paramount 1 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 12 / 3 / 2 / 1 / 4 / 3 / 5 / 2 / 5 / 0 / 1
Sony 8 / 4 / 1 / 7 / 9 / 3 / 10 / 2 / 2 / 4 / 5 / 5 / 1 / 2 / 1
Universal 6 / 6 / 1 / 6 / 9 / 6 / 4 / 6 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 0 / 2 / 1
Warner Bros. 8 / 8 / 8 / 15 / 7 / 4 / 2 / 4 / 0 / 2 / 2 / 0 / 1 / 2 / 0
If you need evidence on what I wrote about yesterday — the studios are addicted to preexisting IP — look no further than that string of zeroes in Disney’s history of spec script deals. Seven consecutive years they have not acquired a spec script. What they did acquire over time:
Pixar (2006)
Marvel (2009)
Lucasfilm (2012)
20th Century Fox (2019)
Disney owns all that IP. Why would they need to buy a spec script when they’re stuffed full of preexisting material and franchise products?
And yet…
Disney pulling back on making Marvel, Star Wars content, Iger says
Perhaps audiences are suffering from superhero and Star Wars burnout?
Is this the canary in the coal mine for sequels, prequels, remakes, and reboots? Could it be audiences will begin to clamor for more original stories, thus, resurrecting a sellers market for spec scripts?
We can only hope.
Tomorrow: Agents and managers