Spec Script Deal: “Clean Break

Searchlight Pictures acquires drama spec script “Clean Break” written by Ryan Brennan. Via Deadline:

Following a competitive situation, Searchlight Pictures has landed the spec Clean Break from scribe Ryan Brennan. Scott Free is producing. The project is in development.

When a fiercely independent pool hustler finally meets her match in a fellow pool shark, their irresistible but destructive attraction to one another leads to deadly consequences that she can’t outrun.

This is interesting:

What put him on the map and got his Untitled reps to find him was the Clean Break script under a different title, I’ll F**king Kill You, that which landed on the Black List a year ago today and became an instant hit on the site.

To be clear, Deadline is referring to the Black List website, not the annual Black List. I checked the website and Ryan is “Black List Recommended”:

This writer has received at least two 8+ overall scores from Black List readers on one or more of their projects. Only 3.5% of all evaluations result in an 8+ overall score, so this writer’s work ranks among the top 1% projects on blcklst.com.

Congratulations, Ryan! He is repped by Untitled Entertainment.

By my count, this is the 24th spec script deal in 2024. Itis the 9th spec script deal in 7 weeks (since October 3rd).

There were 8 spec script deals year-to-date in 2023.

Note: There was a five-month work stoppage in 2023 which is a key reason why spec deals were so few last year.