2020 Spec Script Deal List. Every year since I launched the blog in…
By: Scott Myers
Tags: Screenwriting, Business, Movies, Hollywood, Screenplay

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 2020.

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 2020 spec script deals:

Tuesday: Genres

Wednesday: Studios, Production Companies, and Financiers

Thursday: Agents and Managers

Friday: Top Sales

Saturday: First Timers

In 1933, Preston Sturges wrote and sold the very first spec script “The Power and the Glory”

Here is the entire list of 25 spec script deals from 2020 including links to my blog posts covering each acquisition:

1. Title: The Pinkerton Logline: Described as a supernatural western with a revenge element. Writer: Daniel Casey Genre: Supernatural Western Management: Writ Large Buyer: Warner Bros. Date: 3/4/2020. Notes: J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot to produce.

2. Title: Murder In The White House Logline: The President is murdered during a private dinner at the White House and a female Secret Service agent has until morning to discover which guest is the killer before a peace agreement fails and leads to war. Writer: Jonathan Stokes Genre: Mystery Thriller Management: Management SGC Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 3/9/2020. Notes: Preemptive deal. Mid-six against seven-figures.

3. Title: 16 States Logline: Road trip during a zombie pandemic. Writers: John Requa and Glenn Ficarra Genre: Horror Thriller. Management: N/A Agency: N/A Buyers: Lionsgate Date: 4/10/2020. Notes: Deal was part of an auction. Fede Alvarez attached to direct.

4. Title: The Aliens Are Stealing Our Weed Logline: Two hapless pot growers who, after their entire crop of weed inexplicably goes missing, uncover an alien conspiracy to steal the planet’s marijuana supply. Writer: Ryan Firpo Genre: Comedy Agency: UTA Management: LBI Entertainment Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 4/29/2020.

5. Title: Untitled Beck & Woods Logline: N/A Writers: Scott Beck and Bryan Woods Genre: Science Fiction Agency: ICM Partners Management: Anonymous Content Buyer: Sony Pictures. Date: 5/3/2020. Notes: Deal was made in a “competitive situation.” Beck and Woods will also direct the movie.

6. Title: 2084 Logline: Described as being a spiritual sister to ‘1984’ Writer: Mattson Tomlin Genre: Science Fiction Drama Management: Grandview Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 5/5/2020. Notes: Deal was made in a “competitive situation.”

7. Title: Here Comes the Flood Logline: An elevated, character-driven love-story heist movie, with the heist playing out in increments.Writer: Simon Kinberg Genre: Heist Agency: CAA Buyer: Netflix Date: 5/8/2020. Notes: Auction netted a reported seven-figure deal.

8. Title: Flight Logline: A contained thriller set on an international flight. Writer: Miles Chapman Genre: Thriller Management: The Gotham Group Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 5/20/2020.

9. Title: The Blue Afternoon That Lasted Forever Logline: A single dad and NASA physicist discovers a black hole that will strike earth in a matter of days. The problem is that no one, including his colleagues at NASA, believes him. The one person that trusts him is his 10-year-old daughter, but that bond is now being threatened by a different force. Eric finds himself trying to save both his relationship with Marie and a populace unwilling to heed his warnings of the impending disaster. Writer: Daniel H. Wilson Genre: Science Fiction Management: Circle of Confusion Buyer: Paramount Pictures Date: 5/27/2020. Notes: Several bidders were chasing the spec, including Amblin, J.J. Abrams, Sony and MGM, before Paramount eventually landed it.

10. Title: Sabine Logline: Elevated thriller about an ambitious young female detective who hunts down a determined serial killer, and begins to see the world through the killer’s eyes. Writers: Gregg Hurwitz, Philip Eisner Genre: Thriller Management: Cheng Caplan Company, Untitled Entertainment Buyer: Screen Gems Date: 7/8/2020. Notes: Preemptive acquisition.

11. Title: Fresh Logline: Focuses on the discomfort or fear many women face every day — the commodification of women’s bodies. Writer: Lauryn Khan Genre: Social Thriller Agency: N/A Management: N/A Buyer: Legendary Pictures Date: 7/11/2020. Notes: Progress to production deal.

12. Title: Role Play Logline: A young married couple whose life turns upside down after secrets are revealed about about each other’s past. Writer: Seth Owen Genre: Thriller Management: Brillstein Entertainment Partners Buyer: StudioCanal Date: 7/14/2020.

13. Title: Back Home Logline: “if Hitchcock made a modern sci-fi thriller where the audience delights in the created tension… unique mashup of sci-fi and whodunit.” Writer: Anne Vithayathil Genre: Science Fiction Thriller Management: Plain Text Buyer: Artists Film Group Date: 8/4/2020.

14. Title: Arcana Logline: Gritty urban fantasy set in the hidden world of magical clans. Writers: Michael Finch, Alex Litvak Genre: Drama Fantasy Agency: Verve Management: Fourth Wall Management Buyer: Lionsgate Date: 8/17/2020.

15. Title: The Prize Logline: The conspiracy thriller follows an American private investigator who travels to Stockholm after the suspicious death of an old friend, a ranking member of the Nobel Prize selection committee, only to become entangled in a dangerous web of corruption and crime that exists beneath the surface of the powerful and rarefied circle. Writer: Chris Sparling Genre: Thriller Agency: UTA Management: Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment Buyer: Village Roadshow Pictures Date: 8/20/2020.

16. Title: Mother Land Logline: A family has been haunted by an evil spirit for years. Their safety and surroundings come into question when one of the children questions if the evil is real. Writers: Kevin Coughlin, Ryan Grassby Genre: Horror Agency: Paradigm Management: The Coronel Group Buyer: Lionsgate Date: 8/27/2020. Notes: Competitive situation.

17. Title: Bring Me Back Logline: N/A — “an epic love story”. Writer: Crosby Selander Genre: Romance Management: Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment Buyer: Legendary Pictures Date: 9/21/2020. Notes: Auction / seven-figure deal.

18. Title: Wraith Logline: A resident of New York City is trying to keep his family together when he is thrust into new problems of staying alive. Writer: Matt Lopez Genre: Cyber-Thriller Management: Lit Entertainment Group Buyer: Netflix Date: 10/5/2020. Notes: Based on the novel “Cyberstorm.”

19. Title: Untitled Comedy Project Logline: Described as “Sausage Party” meets “Toy Story” Writer: Katie Wech Genre: Comedy Agency: Verve Buyer: New Line Date: 10/15/2020.

20. Title: Ruby Logline: Female assassin story in the spirit of Long Kiss Goodnight Writer: Kat Wood Genre: Action Agency: Verve Buyer: Amazon Studios. Date: 10/29/2020. Notes: Reported six-figure deal.

21. Title: The Princess Logline: After her castle is overrun and she is imprisoned atop its highest tower, a fierce Princess must fight her way out to save her parents and her kingdom. She’s not a damsel in distress and this isn’t your typical fairy tale. Rapunzel meets The Raid Writers: Ben Lustig, Jake Thornton Genre: Action Agency: UTA Management: Circle of Confusion Buyer: Hulu Date: 10/30/2020. Notes: Joey King attached to star.

22. Title: Untitled Logline: Original horror film set in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. Writer: Joshua Rollins Genre: Horror Agency: Gersh Management: Affirmative Entertainment Buyer: New Line Cinema Date: 11/11/2020.

23. Title: Switchboard Logline: Set in the late 1940s, a young female switchboard operator finds herself communicating with, and possibly targeted by, an active serial killer. As their conversation intensifies, she begins to question her safety, her sanity and, ultimately, her very reality. Writer: Devon Grave Genre: Horror Agency: UTA Buyer: Dark Hell Date: 12/7/2020.

24. Title: The Black Belt Logline: An eccentric uncle trains his shy teenage nephew in the ways of karate. Writer: Randall Green Genre: Comedy Agency: UTA Buyer: Monarch Media Date: 12/10/2020. Notes: Chris Pratt attached to star.

25. Title: Tin Roof Rusted Logline: After they discover that they’re both pregnant, two lifelong best friends promise to embark on their journey together. But with the constant pressure of outsiders, the two struggle amid personal differences and must relearn that what connected them as children can still be their glue as adults. Writer: Michelle Harper Genre: Comedy Agency: UTA Management: Kaplan Perrone Entertainment Buyer: TriStar Pictures Date: 12/16/2020. Notes: This is Harper’s first script deal.

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

Spec Script Deals By Year (1991–2020)

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

2020: 25

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

2019 Spec Script Deals Analysis

Tomorrow: A breakdown and analysis of spec script deals in 2020 by genre.

UPDATE: One more deal to report:

26. Title: Mad Rush Logline: Two dueling Vogue interns almost cause the complete collapse of Western Civilization when one of them “borrows” the wrong dress from work. Writer: Manfred Lopez Genre: Comedy Agency: N/A Management: N/A Producer: Jorge Garcia Castro (Altered.LA) Date: 6/16/2020. Notes: Option deal.