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If you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel and unsure what to watch, we’ve got a cult classic suggestion that might just hit the spot. We’re talking about the horror comedy Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, a film that’s both gruesome and hilarious. The film delivers excellent writing, strong performances, and an endless supply of carnage.

This farcical horror-comedy plays out as follows: Two scruffy pals (Labine and Tudyk) see their backwoods vacation take a bloody turn when ignorant college students mistake them for a pair of murderous hillbillies.

The flick premiered at Sundance in 2010 and also played SXSW the same year. The critical reviews were primarily positive, with film critics praising Tucker & Dale vs. Evil for its tendency to subvert expectations with comical results and for strong performances by the core characters.

Although the film played at several prestigious festivals and resonated with critics,...

Tucker & Dale vs. Evildirector Eli Craig has admitted that the kill count is extremely high when it comes to making a follow-up to his 2010 cult horror comedy. There have been several attempts to bring Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine's backwoods buddies back to the screen, but he says every idea has been killed off "for one reason or another." Among the projects was a spin-off TV series that was canceled ahead of production by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.

In an interview with SlashFilm, Craig revealed that Tucker & Dale vs. Evil nearly spawned a TV series that would have turned the movie's titular hillbillies into a pair of affable detectives, "trying to figure out what's happening in a world where they're always getting it wrong and people are dying around them." The project made significant strides towards production, but was canned by Zaslav, who has been involved...

Clown in a Cornfielddirector Eli Craig confirms exactly who shut down the Tucker & Dale vs. Evil sequel series - and the truth will not surprise you.

Per Deadline, Craig recently discussed the numerous failed attempts to return to the world of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. "Honestly, Tucker and Dale 2 has died more deaths than the college kids in Tucker and Dale," Craig said. "We’ve had so many versions that have almost got off its feet or, for one reason or another, have gotten killed. It really does set us back that people can’t look at the box office, the actual box office, of the movie."

"It’s always been a struggle, and then when we do set it up, and we get all the pieces together, it gets killed somehow," Craig explained. "We almost did a TV show with it that was on TNT/TBS, and...

The hotly-anticipated feature film adaptation of the acclaimed horror novel Clown in a Cornfield officially sets a release date.

Per Deadline, Rlje Films and Shudder are set to release the live-action feature film adaptation of Adam Cesare's hit 2020 novel on May 9, 2025. The film is produced by Temple Hill, who previously produced Paramount's Smile and its upcoming sequel, and is directed by Eli Craig, best known for 2010's Tucker & Dale vs. Evil starring Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk.

Related An Underrated Adam Driver Zombie Movie Lands on Netflix Next Month

An absurdist zombie comedy starring Adam Driver and Bill Murray is headed to Netflix as its new streaming home ahead of the holidays.

Cesare's original novel follows Quinn Maybrook, a high school senior who moves to the small factory town of Kettle Springs, Missouri after leaving Philadelphia following the untimely demise of her beloved mother. While Quinn's...

This article contains spoilers

Alfred Hitchcock almost blew it. For most of Psycho’s runtime, the master of suspense lived up to his name, turning Robert Bloch’s pulpy novel into a thrilling mystery with shocking twists. But then, after the revelation of Norman Bates emulating his mother, now a rotting corpse, the movie stops for a psychiatrist to lecture the audience on Freudian theory. Were it not for the chilling closing voiceover by Virginia Gregg as Norma Bates, and Anthony Perkins’ proto-Kubrickian stare at the camera, Psycho may have gone out with a whisper.

As ill-advised as the lecture scene surely is, it did help establish a key element of the slasher genre that followed. Slashers aren’t just about serial killers who pick off victims one by one. They also need to have deeply weird storylines, dealing not only with the killer’s personal hang ups, but also...

Click here to read the full article.

New Line has acquired the high-concept fantasy pitch Crescenthia from Beau Flynn, the producer of the company’s DC movie, Black Adam.

Writing duo Alex Ankeles and Morgan Jurgenson are behind the project which Flynn will be producing through his FlynnPictureCo.

Details are being kept secret but Crescenthia, which is a working title, is described as a fun, new twist on the fantasy genre inspired by magical escapist fare such as Chronicles of Narnia, The Wizard of Oz and The Neverending Story.

FlynnPictureCo.’s Scott Sheldon will executive produce.

FlynnPictureCo.’s most recent release was Black Adam, the Dwayne Johnson-starring adventure movie which has grossed almost 385 million worldwide since its Oct. 21 opening. The banner also produced Netflix’s Red Notice and Disney’s Jungle Cruise. Both movies have sequels in development.

Ankeles and Jurgenson most recently sold a high-concept fantasy adventure to...

Exclusive: Universal has picked up an untitled family adventure-comedy spec script from screenwriting duo Alex Ankeles and Morgan Jurgenson. Davis Entertainment and 1stAve Machine are producing, with John Davis and John Fox producing alongside Ross Siegel of Altogether Entertainment. Davis’ SVP Jeremy Stein will executive produce, as will 1stAveMachine’s Serge Patzak.

Based on an original idea by Siegel, the script’s logline is under wraps but is being described as a four-quadrant family adventure-comedy and a love letter to pop culture and fandom. Jeyun Munford and Christine Sun will oversee the project for Universal.

Jurgenson is most well-known for writing and producing cult horror comedy Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. Since joining up with Ankeles, the team has sold numerous specs and pitches, and worked with various types of IP, most recently adapting the graphic novel Zita the Spacegirl for Fox and penning a feature based on the Bakugan...

Back in 2010 co-writer/director, Eli Craig unleashed a backwoods horror-comedy on the world called Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil. The film starred Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) as two scruffy pals whose backwoods vacation takes a bloody turn when ignorant college students, including the gorgeous Katrina Bowden, mistake them for a pair of murderous hillbillies.

And if you're as much of a fan of the flick I am, then you'll be delighted to hear that it seems a follow-up is in the works. Yes, Dale himself, Tyler Labine recently was out and about talking up his recent horror hit Escape Room and dropped some teases that we will be seeing Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil 2 in the near future. Specifically, Labrine said this.

"Yes. We're working on something right now. I wouldn't call it a film sequel, but the story is not done being told.

[Welcome back, readers! With the 2017 Sundance Film Festival beginning later this week, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of the great midnight movies that have come out of the fest over the years. Be sure to check back here each day this week for more Midnight Memories from Daily Dead!]

“Oh, hidy ho, officer. We have had a doozy of a day.”

I love horror of all kinds, but if I were to pick my favorite sub-genre, it would definitely be horror comedy. Maybe it’s because I’m a big fan of having fun with the genre, as opposed to just pushing myself in order to say I “survived” more challenging material, so anytime a director can cleverly combine thrills, chills, and chuckles into one experience, you can always count me in. Such is the case with Tucker & Dale vs Evil, which made its blood-soaked premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22nd, 2010.

Co-written and directed by Eli Craig, Tucker & Dale vs Evil follows two groups, the first being our titular hillbillies who are heading out to Morris Lake, and the second a gaggle of college kids looking to go camping out in the forest. Tucker (Alan Tudyk...

Fox Animation has acquired the Zita The Spacegirl trilogy of books from award-winning author Ben Hatke for Chernin Entertainment to produce. Screenwriting duo Morgan Jurgenson and Alex Ankeles will adapt the books that follow Zita as she leaps to the rescue when her best friend is abducted by an alien doomsday cult – taking on humanoid chickens, ancient prophecies, doomed planets, and a mystery man along the way who takes a secret interest in her myriad quests. Darlene…...

Writer/director Eli Craig and co-writer Morgan Jurgenson’s horror/comedy Tucker and Dale vs. Evil graced our screens way back in 2010, and it remains one of my all-time favorite horror/comedies. Although I’m generally not a fan of sequels, I wouldn’t mind… Continue Reading →

The post Tucker and Dale vs. Evil 2 Is Officially Underway appeared first on Dread Central.

Special Mention: Gojira (Godzilla)

Written and directed by Ishirô Honda

Japan, 1954

Ishiro Honda’s grim, black-and-white post-Hiroshima nightmare stands the test of time. This allegory for the devastation wrought on Japan by the atomic bomb is quite simply a powerful statement about mankind’s insistence to continue to destroy everyone and everything the surrounds us. With just one shot (a single pan across the ruins of Tokyo), Honda manages to express the devastation that Godzilla represents. Since its debut, Godzilla has become a worldwide cultural icon, but very little is said about actor Takashi Shimura, who adds great depth as Dr. Yamane; his performance is stunning. Special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya originally wanted to use classic stop-motion animation to portray Godzilla, but time and budget limitations forced him to dress actors up in monster suits. Despite this minor setback, Tsuburaya’s scale sets of Tokyo are crafted with such great attention to detail,...

‘Tucker And Dale vs. Evil’ Film Poster

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

Written by Eli Craig and Morgan Jurgenson

Directed by Eli Craig

Canada, 2010

Over the years, Canadian film and television has gotten a reputation for being something that leaves a lot to be desired. It’s often depicted as low budget productions with mediocre acting, and a film grain to make you cringe. Except more and more, outstanding Canadian cinema is making headlines in Hollywood for being cutting edge, artistic, meaningful, not to mention downright funny. From the classic Quebec film C.R.A.Z.Y., the franco-anglo production Bon Cop Bad Cop to The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Canadian films are more than just bad film stereotypes; they’re innovative, imaginative, and a joy to watch.

And that goes for their genre cinema too.

This week in the world of Canadian film, for Sound on Sight’s 31 days of Horror,...

Gremlins 3 is still inching forward, with news of potential writers, and the direction the project is going...

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It's 30 years now since Joe Dante's wonderful Gremlins first appeared, meaning it's 24 years since his equally terrific sequel landed. As we've recalled several times on this site, one of Dante's cited ambitions with Gremlins 2: The New Batch was to effectively end any chance of there being Gremlins 3. He damn well nearly did it too.

But there's a growing sense that Warner Bros is keen to revisit the Gremlins series, and it sounds as if further progress is being made. Film Divider reports this morning that Morgan Jurgenson (Tucker & Dale Vs Evil) and Alex Ankeles (Subdivision) have pitched for the writing job on the movie, and said pitch "apparently went down a storm". They're said to have the approval of Christopher Columbus' 1492 Entertainment (Columbus penned the original film), and now...

Exclusive: G.I. Joe: Retaliation helmer Jon M. Chu and Hieu Ho have made a deal to produce Run, a high concept action horror film they’ve set at Lionsgate under their Chu Studios banner. Alex Ankeles & Morgan Jurgenson are writing the script, and John Sacchi is overseeing for Lionsgate. Ankeles is repped by CAA and Kaplan/Perrone; Jurgenson is Apa and Jonathan Hung, while Chu’s repped by Pye, Wme and Smgsb. This is another example of Chu branching out. He started on a musical track, helming Step Up 2: The Streets with Briana Evigan and Channing Tatum, and Step Up 3D, both of which grossed big overseas. Chu then directed Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, before moving into the action arena with the G.I. Joe sequel, which was reframed at a more reasonable price point. Chu’s next is Justin Bieber’s Believe, which Open Road releases this month.

1.) Olivia Wilde, Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) and Nicole Beharie (Shame) will star in the Civil War drama The Keeping Room, the second feature from Harry Brown helmer Daniel Barber. The film centers on two sisters and a slave who have to defend their home from a group of rogue Union soldiers. Harry Brown was noted for its bleak look at the UK underworld, so it's hard to tell if we're in store for a violent, racially charged version of Straw Dogs or some sort of inspirational bonding exercise. THR 2.) Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob Thornton and Jacki Weaver will star in the John F. Kennedy feature Parkland. The film will recount the events that took place at the Parkland Hospital in Dallas on the day JFK was assassinated in 1963 and mark the debut of writer/director Peter Landesman. Filming is expected to begin soon with a release date supposedly planned for...

Morgan Jurgenson and Alex Ankeles are two of the hottest spec writers in Hollywood right now, and to prove that: Universal Pictures has just picked up the duo’s script Subdivision to be produced and possibly directed by Fast Five‘s Justin Lin.

Although a description of the spec is being kept secret, it’s been labeled a “sci-fi comedy.”

Justin Lin is currently working on Fast Six, and because he’s already attached to a handful of other projects, it’s unclear if Subdivision will be his next movie.

Can’t wait to find out what it’s about!

Source: Variety...

A photo of Jai Courtney in Jack Reacher, Bruce Willis and Anthony Hopkins shooting Red 2, and a shot of Jamie Foxx and Roland Emmerich on the set of White House Down.

Posters for Stoker, Hitchcock, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, The Impossible, On the Road, Les Miserables, and concept art from Monsters University.

"NBC's sitcom 'Community' will premiere its fourth season starting February 7th in its old Thursday 8pm timeslot. '30 Rock', which is currently in that slot, is expected to wrap its final season before then…" (full details)

"Pascal Laugier ('The Tall Man,' 'Martyrs') says he's moving away from horror as his next film is a 'sex movie' and 'I've never filmed people f--king because it's been done so many times and so badly. [The film] is a love story that turns into something very twisted'…" (full details)

"Rockstar Games' much anticipated 'Grand...

Hollywood tends to use the failure or success of certain genre blends as a sort of canary in a coal mine. If something dies at the box office, studios tend to back out of that genre tunnel pretty quick. Likewise, if something thrives, everyone piles in that same direction. And so, after the critical and commercial flop that was The Watch (it made $35 million in the U.S. against a $68 million budget), one would think studios would stay away from sci-fi comedies. Not Universal, apparently. The studio has just picked up a sci-fi comedy spec script called Subdivision written by Morgan Jurgenson (Tucker & Dale vs. Evil) and Alex Ankeles. We don't know what the plot of it is this early on, though with a title like that it's hard not to picture sci-fi in a cookie-cutter...

Read More...

Though Justin Lin is currently hard at work on Fast Six (and maybe another film in the adrenaline fueled franchise according to Vin Diesel), the action director might be moving into sci-fi sometime down the road. He's seemingly not working on a new Terminator any longer, but Variety reports Lin is working with Universal Pictures to produce an original sci-fi film called Subdivision from a spec script by Tucker and Dale vs. Evil writer Morgan Jurgenson and Alex Ankeles. The logline is being kept under wraps, but the title seems to suggest another suburban set sci-fi film, perhaps in the same vein as Attack the Block last year. That's mere speculation on our part, but it's definitely a major spec script sale for the writing duo who sold another script called Hyperdrive to Paramount earlier this year. Since Jurgenson delivered some entertaining horror comedy with Tucker and Dale vs. Evil,...

Justin Lin isn't going to go on making The Fast And The Furious movies forever - at least we don't think he is - and with the director having turned that franchise into one of the strongest and most financially successful action franchises in cinema history the game is on to get him lined up with whatever may be next. Lin has been linked to new Highlander and Terminator films in the past year but here's a little something else:Universal have just picked up new science fiction comedy script Subdivision from writers Alex Ankeles and Morgan Jurgenson with Lin attached to, at minimum, produce and possibly direct. Ankeles and Jurgenson's previous script, Hyperdrive, was on the 2011 Black List while Jurgenson was also a writer...

Universal Pictures has acquired a spec script for a sci-fi comedy called Subdivision. The movie was written by Morgan Jurgenson and Alex Ankeles, and Fast Five director Justin Lin is set to produce and direct the film project.

There's no word on what the story of the film will be, it comes from one of the same writers (Jurgenson) that brought us Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, which could give you an idea of the kind of comedy we'll see in the movie. I absolutely loved Tucker and Dale vs. Evil and it'd be awesome if this new movie turned out just as good. Variety points out that this is the second major spec sale this year for Jurgenson and Ankeles, who also sold a sci-fi script to Paramount earlier this year called Hyperdrive.

Lin is currently hard at work directing the sixth film in the Fast and Furious franchise.

The Fast and the Furious 6 director Justin Lin and Universal are teaming up for sci-fi comedy Subdivision.

Plot details are being held under wraps, but the script comes from writers Morgan Jurgenson and Alex Ankeles. The project is being setup as a potential directing vehicle for the helmer, who will also be producing alongside Elaine Chin through his Barnstorm Pictures.

The film will mark the second major sale for the writing duo, who sold Hyperdrive to Paramount earlier this year. Morgan Jurgenson is best known for co-writing Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil.

No production schedule has been released for this project.

Universal Pictures has attached their favorite Fast Five filmmaker Justin Lin to produce a sci-fi comedy Subdivision from writers Morgan Jurgenson and Alex Ankeles.

Lin who continues to helm The Fast and the Furious series will develop the Subdivision project as a potential directing vehicle.

Hot off of the success of Fast Five, Lin has already put together a directing and producing program that includes the action-adventure/spy flick Leading Man; an untitled project about a WWII Japanese American battalion that is the most decorated unit in American history; an untitled sci-fi/crime thriller project to be directed by Robert Glickert; and of course Fast & Furious 6, which is currently filming and already has a release date of May 24th, 2013.

He has inked a two-year first-look deal with the Universal studio for his newly created Barnstorm Pictures banner attached to Subdivision project as well.

Up-and-coming writers Jurgenson and Ankeles sold another sci-fi script,...

Fresh off helming perhaps the most gleefully anarchic and exuberant entry in the “Fast and Furious” series with “Fast Five,” the number of directions Justin Lin can explore next looks enviable to say the least. With that film's enormous box office bolstered by critical support, the director proved himself the obvious choice to lead the sixth installment, but along with a number of promising projects lining up on the side, it now seems he'll be treading into sci-fi waters in the near future. Following a bout of fierce competition amongst studios, Universal Pictures has emerged triumphant in acquiring “Subdivision,” a sci-fi comedy spec from writers Morgan Jurgenson ("Tucker and Dale vs. Evil") and Alex Ankeles, with Lin and his Barnstorm Pictures banner attached as well. Along with Barnstorm exec Elaine Chin, Lin took a shine to the script and placed it in Universal's hands as both a potential producing and directing.

Universal Pictures and Fast Five director Justin Lin are teaming on Subdivision , a sci-fi comedy from writers Morgan Jurgenson and Alex Ankeles, reports Variety . The project is a potential directing vehicle for Lin, who will produce through his Universal-based Barnstorm Pictures. Barnstorm executive Elaine Chin will produce with Lin. The storyline is being kept under wraps. Subdivision is the second major sale this year for Jurgenson and Ankeles, who sold their sci-fi script Hyperdrive to Paramount earlier this year. Lin is currently directing Fast & Furious 6 for Universal.

Universal Pictures has acquired the Subdivision sci-fi comedy spec from Morgan Jurgenson and Alex Ankeles and set Fast Five's Justin Lin as director. Variety reports that Lin will produce the film via his Universal-based Barnstorm Pictures alongside Elaine Chin. The logline for Subdivision's been kept under wraps at this time and marks the second script being developed from Jurgenson and Ankeles, the other being Paramount's Hyperdrive, produced by Disruption Entertainment's Mary Parent. Before moving onto Subdivision, Lin's currently shooting the very-eagerly-anticipated Fast and Furious 6, starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Luke Evans, Michelle Rodriguez, Gina Carano, Jordana Brewster, Gal Gadot, Sung Kang and Tyrese Gibson.

Universal Pictures has acquired the Subdivision sci-fi comedy spec from Morgan Jurgenson and Alex Ankeles and set Fast Five's Justin Lin as director. Variety reports that Lin will produce the film via his Universal-based Barnstorm Pictures alongside Elaine Chin. The logline for Subdivision's been kept under wraps at this time and marks the second script being developed from Jurgenson and Ankeles, the other being Paramount's Hyperdrive, produced by Disruption Entertainment's Mary Parent. Before moving onto Subdivision, Lin's currently shooting the very-eagerly-anticipated Fast and Furious 6, starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Luke Evans, Michelle Rodriguez, Gina Carano, Jordana Brewster, Gal Gadot, Sung Kang and Tyrese Gibson.

Universal Pictures has acquired the sci-fi comedy script, Subdivision, from writers Morgan Jurgenson (Tucker and Dale vs Evil) and Alex Ankeles.  Attached to produce is Justin Lin, who is currently filming The Fast and the Furious 6.  Interestingly, Lin may also  develop the project as a potential directing vehicle.  The logline for Subdivision is under lock and key at the moment.  The picture comes as another win for the writing team of Jurgenson and Ankeles, who previously sold their spec script Hyperdrive to Paramount.  For a list of other projects Lin is involved with, and a look at another recent sci-fi script pick-up, hit the jump. Variety reports that Universal and Lin will develop Subvision with Lin possibly directing.  Lin's slate is quickly filling up with as he continues to helm The Fast and the Furious series for the near future.  He was previously attached to the fifth Terminator installment,...

Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry.

As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.

****

124: (Tie) Inside (À l’intérieur)

Directed by Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury

Written by Alexandre Bustillo

2007, France

Four months after the death of her husband, a pregnant woman is tormented by a strange woman who invades her home with the intent on killing her and taking her unborn baby. This movie is not recommended for women on the brink of motherhood. Inside is one of the most vicious and...

Exclusive: Eli Craig has been set to rewrite and direct Your Bridesmaid’s A Bitch, a comedy that Circle of Confusion is producing with David Ellison’s Skydance. Skydance will finance the film. The comedy revolves around a groomsman who faces off against a bridesmaid who is an ex-girlfriend. The script was originally written by Brian Duffield. ‪‬Craig made his feature directing debut on Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil, which he wrote with Morgan Jurgenson. He’s repped by CAA and managed by Stephanie Davis at Wet Dog Entertainment.

Well, folks, 2011 is officially in the can, and surprisingly it wasn't such a horrendous year. It was definitely better than 2010, which was a huge step up from the putrid 2009. We laughed, we applauded, we were left dumbstruck, and of course we were infuriated. Read on for our cheers and jeers!

Now, with a fresh movie-watching start before us, we're taking our usual yearly look back at the good, the bad, the Wtf, and everything in between.

And don't be lazy by just reading along! Get off of your asses and give us your lists in the comments section below. We wanna hear from you if only to compare notes. Lots and lots of notes.

Speaking of notes, the most common complaint we've heard over the years is that we don't have one definitive list representing Dread Central as a whole so for 2011 we dropped everyone's choices in the blender, hit puree,...

The 2011 Black List, the Top Unproduced Screenplays of the year has been released. The best unproduced screenplays from The Black List 2011 is compiled by votes from over 300 “execs, agency guys, and high-level assistants. Titled The Black List, the compendium highlights both established screenwriters and up-and-comers, and has served as a launching pad in the past for projects like Juno, Lars and the Real Girl, and (500) Days of Summer. Last year’s list included Margin Call, Crazy, Stupid, Love, The Hunger Games, and Snow White and the Huntsman.”

Regarding the validity of The Black List, things to keep in mind:

some of these screenplays have already been acquired and are already in development, though…none will have entered principal photography by December 31, 2011. Also worth pointing out is that, as in previous years, there have been rumors that some of the participants have been accused of using the Black List to promote their own clients or friends.

For the seventh annual year a list of the top unproduced screenplays written in the past 12 calendar months has been made. The Black List is the most recognized and celebritized compilation for screenwriters and unknown movie ideas to be heard. While some prior Black List scripts have gone on to be made (like Juno or 500 Days of Summer), most scripts do not. However, what being on The Black List can do is to give a big push of credibility to a screenwriter hoping to carve out a career in Hollywood.

The Black List recepients are chosen by a committee of 300 individuals working in Hollywood: agents, writers, producers, managers and the like. They read the screenplays that float around the showbiz ecosystem; some are bought and are already in development while others are still seeing the interest of talent of financial backers.

The makers of The Black List are good to...

The 2011 Black List has arrived online and there are a bunch of the hottest scripts in Hollywood. Some have already been picked up by studios, while most are still unproduced. Here is the press release: The Black List was compiled from the suggestions of over 300 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, 2011 and will not have begun principal photography during this calendar year.

This year, scripts had to receive at least six mentions to be included on the 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 2011 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.

[1] Each December since 2004, studio executive Franklin Leonard has compiled the best unproduced screenplays of the year, as voted by hundreds of execs, agency guys, and high-level assistants. Titled The Black List, the compendium highlights both established screenwriters and up-and-comers, and has served as a launching pad in the past for projects like Juno, Lars and the Real Girl, and (500) Days of Summer. Last year's list included Margin Call, Crazy, Stupid, Love, The Hunger Games, and Snow White and the Huntsman. It should be noted that the headline is somewhat misleading -- some of these screenplays have already been acquired and are already in development, though according to Leonard none will have entered principal photography by December 31, 2011. Also worth pointing out is that, as in previous years, there have been rumors that some of the participants have been accused of using the Black List to promote their own clients or friends.

This year at the Austin Film Festival, studio executive and “Black List” founder Franklin Leonard introduced the opening film, Butter. It’s a fantastic satirical comedy written by Jason Micallef and Leonard’s post-screening Q&A with him was equally hilarious and unconventional.

Sitting in the upper deck at the Paramount Theatre, I was in awe at how Leonard had not only created the list just six years prior but how it provided such legitimacy to emerging screenwriters, like Micallef. He was relatively unknown in ‘08, but his script placed third on the list. Now he has a movie coming out starring Jennifer Garner, his new scripts have Jack Black and Jason Segel attached (separately), and he wrote a movie titled Good Vibrations about, um, marital aids starring Charlize Theron. That’s the power of the Black List.

Simply put, “The Black List” is a collection of the best unproduced screenplays...

Chicago – Eli Craig’s debut is a smart, funny horror movie, which means it will have a Huge shelf life on Blu-ray and DVD. This is the kind of piece that gets passed around via word of mouth and Facebook recommendations. It fell relatively flat at the box office, but gory horror movies like this one were meant to be watched at home or in dorm rooms where I expect this film will take off over the next few years. See the future cult hit now.

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0

“Tucker & Dale vs. Evil” is a spoof of the “redneck horror movie.” You know the kind, movies like “Cabin Fever” that play off hillbilly horror fears of the deadly people in the woods about to kill sweet, young suburbanites who take the wrong exit off the freeway. “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil” spins those archetypes – the suburbanite’s fear of a man who lives in a cabin,...

Paramount Pictures has snagged a hotly sought after sci-fi spec script called Hyperdrive, written by Morgan Jurgenson (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil) and David Daniels (aka Alex Ankeles, Vice President of Production at Panay Films.)

THR reports that Hyperdrive “is the story of a tough cop who recruits a geeky sci-fi author to help him track down a mysterious murder witness. While on their search, they find themselves in the middle of a space opera playing out on Earth” and calls the film “a cross between The Fifth Element and 48 Hrs.”

Mary Parent and Cale Boyter of Disruption Entertainment will produce the project. No production or release date has been set for Hyperdrive yet.

Getting Danny Boyle to direct an adaptation of your previous work is something most screenwriters would be ecstatic over, but there might be something more excited about having an original pitch bought by a major studio. This is the situation for Trance co-writer Joe Ahearne; as Deadline says, he’s sold a supernatural thriller to Warner Bros., which Dan Lin is producing through Lin Pictures.

The original concept came from Jon Silk, and the writer “expanded it” for a proposition to the studio; seems like that worked. This is the second project he has set up with them, the first of which is a rewrite of Rawson Thurber‘s Elf Quest. Of course, not knowing much of anything about the thriller at the moment only makes me more excited, since that’s the kind of person I am. It could be something of a test for the scribe, since he...

Lots of news, but not enough time to spin it in. Besides, it's Friday. You'll want to spend a bit of time outside or get your drink on early, possibly while reading this very article and wondering why you haven't sold your spec script yet. Warner Bros has struck another spec deal for their other favorite son, Robert Downey Jr.    Downey is taking on "The Accidental Genius" which sounds like a remake, but isn't. It's an original story (gasp!) about an ordinary man who wakes up from a coma with an super, genius level Iq.  (This is actually a real medical condition called -- surprise -- accidental genius.)  In addition to his new intelligence, he's possessed with "visions of a bizarre symbol recognized only by a burnt-out prodigy. Together, the two men set out to solve a hundred-year-old mystery that could change the world."   Hopefully, it will be more like "Limitless" than "Phenomenon.

Paramount Pictures has acquired the spec script Hyperdrive from Morgan Jurgenson (Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil) and David Daniels.

The story centers on a hard-boiled detective who teams up with a nerdy sci-fi author to help solve a mysterious murder. As they try to track down a murder witness, they find themselves in the middle of an intergalactic battle on Earth. The project is described as a cross between 48 Hours and The Fifth Element.

Mary Parent will produce Hyperdrive through her Distruption Entertainment banner. David Daniels is the pseudonym of Alex Ankeles, vice president of production at Panay Films.

No production schedule was released for Hyperdrive.

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “Hey, someone should make a movie that crosses 48 Hours with The Fifth Element,” look no further than Paramount’s new acquisition, Hyperdrive. The sci-fi script by Morgan Jurgenson (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil) and David Daniels (a pseudonym for Alex Ankeles, VP of Panay Films at Disney) is part murder mystery and part space opera. The plot details of Hyperdrive focus on a hardened detective who, with the help of a nerdy sci-fi author, searches for a key witness to a murder. While on Earth, the duo get caught up in a battle of interstellar forces. In the aim of keeping the Bruce Willis theme, I’d peg it more as The Fifth Element meets Live Free or Die Hard. Hit the jump for more info on Hyperdrive. The acquisition of Hyperdrive, via THR, was won by Paramount after a few other studios showed a strong interest.

Paramount Pictures has picked up the right to a sci-fi spec script called Hyperdrive. The story has been described as being a cross between The Fifth Element and 48 Hrs. The script for the film will be written by Morgan Jurgenson (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil) and David Daniels.

Hyperdrive will tell the story of a tough cop who recruits a geeky sci-fi author to help him track down a mysterious murder witness. While on their search, they find themselves in the middle of a space opera playing out on Earth. 

It kind of has the same premise as the TV show Castle which stars Nathan Fillion. A geeky author working with the police to help solve crimes. I'm not sying this is a bad thing, I love the show Castle, and this movie sounds like it will have a cool sci-fi twist of a space opera playing out on Earth.

Paramount Pictures has acquired Morgan Jurgenson and David Daniels' sci-fi spec script "Hyperdrive" says Heat Vision.

The story follows a tough cop who recruits a geeky sci-fi author to help him track down a mysterious murder witness. While on their search, they find themselves in the middle of a space opera playing out on Earth.

The film is described as a hybrid of "The Fifth Element" and "48 Hrs". Mary Parent will produce.

There’s no clue as to who exactly is describing Hyperdrive as The Fifth Element meets 48 Hrs, but the combination sounds fantastic, and that’s the two films The Hollywood Reporter is tossing out for context. According to them, Paramount just bought the script for the film, written by David Daniels and Tucker and Dale vs. Evil co-writer Morgan Jurgenson. The story focuses on a science fiction author who is asked by a cop to help track down a murder witness, but during the hunt, they “find themselves in the middle of a space opera playing out on Earth.” It sounds like it has the potential to be a big adventure, and it could have a lot of fictional science of a little, but the Hollywood sales pitch of tough crime meeting head on with insane sci-fi is definitely enough to perk some ears up. Plus, at a baser level, it...

Exclusive "Hyperdrive," a sci-fi spec script from writers Morgan Jurgenson and David Daniels, has landed at Paramount, individuals close to the project told TheWrap. Former MGM co-ceo and chair Mary Parent is producing the project, described as "Men in Black" meets "Midnight Run" and "48 Hours." Jurgenson's "Tucker and Dale vs. Evil" caught buzz in January when it sold at Sundance. He co-wrote and produced the comedy/horror project about a couple of guys who get attacked by some preppy college kids while on vacation at a delapidated mountain cabin. Magnolia commissioned a limited release of the film...

Exclusive "Hyperdrive," a sci-fi spec script from writers Morgan Jurgenson and David Daniels, has landed at Paramount, individuals close to the project told TheWrap. Former MGM co-ceo and chair Mary Parent is producing the project, described as "Men in Black" meets "Midnight Run" and "48 Hours." Jurgenson's "Tucker and Dale vs. Evil" caught buzz in January when it sold at Sundance. He co-wrote and produced the comedy/horror project about a couple of guys who get attacked by some preppy college kids while on vacation at a delapidated mountain cabin. Magnolia commissioned a limited release of the film...

Paramount nabs Morgan Jurgenson and Alex Ankeles' Hyperdrive is Men In Black meets Midnight Run. The spec was acquired preemptively by the studio on Wednesday night, reports Variety. Hyperdrive focuses on a touch cop who hires a science fiction writer to find a witness to a murder and is apparently being described as Men in Black meets Midnight Run. Jurgenson co-wrote as well as produced Magnolia Pictures' horror comedy Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, currently on VOD and starring Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk and lovely Katrina Bowden...

Paramount nabs Morgan Jurgenson and Alex Ankeles' Hyperdrive is Men In Black meets Midnight Run. The spec was acquired preemptively by the studio on Wednesday night, reports Variety. Hyperdrive focuses on a touch cop who hires a science fiction writer to find a witness to a murder and is apparently being described as Men in Black meets Midnight Run. Jurgenson co-wrote as well as produced Magnolia Pictures' horror comedy Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, currently on VOD and starring Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk and lovely Katrina Bowden...