News

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.

The Black List of 2011 continues with the second-half of the list showcasing the screenplays that received the most number of votes.

Remember, this is a list voted on by Hollywood professionals of what they personally believe to be the best unproduced screenplays written in 2011. You might recognize titles for movies that are in development. That's fine by The Black List rules; the only condition that the screenplay must meet is that it's not being filmed within this calendar year. For Black List 2011 selections like Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, that makes it valid for Black List inclusion.

If you've missed the first half of the list you can find it here.

13 Votes:

The Accountant by Bill Dubuque

The Treasury Department pursues a brilliant, autistic accountant who doubles as an assassin and “problem-solves” with precision in more ways than one.

Agency: Paradigm

Agent: Trevor Astbury

Management: Zero Gravity Management

Manager: Eric Williams...

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.

For those who think Joel McHale is playing himself on the NBC comedy "Community," consider his character, Jeff Winger. A shallow, snarky hipster who was fired from his high-powered attorney job after it was discovered he faked having a degree, Jeff is forced to enroll in community college to start a new life. He forms a study group with the sole purpose of bedding hot blonde Britta (Gillian Jacobs) and becomes the de facto leader of a group of misfits he holds in what can best be described as a kind of affectionate disdain. McHale is so effortlessly breezy and confident as Winger, it’s easy to see why people would assume he shares more than a few traits in common with his television counterpart. In real life, McHale is as clever and funny as Jeff but in a kinder, less sarcastic manner. In fact, the butt of his jokes...

The Black List of 2010 continues with the second-half of the list showcasing the screenplays that received the most number of votes.

If you've missed the first half of the list you can find it here.

13 Votes:

Hunger Games by Billy Ray

“Based on the book by Suzanne Collins. In an America of the future, young boys and girls are forced to participate in a televised battle to the death.”

Agent Creative Artists Agency – Todd Feldman, Brian Kend

Manager Management 360 – Guymon Casady

Lionsgate. Color Force producing

14 Votes:

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

“When the mother of future United States President Abraham Lincoln is murdered by a vampire, he begins a lifelong vendetta to rid the world of the heinous creatures.”

Agent William Morris Endeavor – Cliff Roberts, Jeff Gorin

Fox. Tim Burton Productions, Bazelevs Productions producing.

15 Votes:

Are We Officially Dating? by Tom Gormican

“A dating movie told from...

The Black List started in 2005 when Franklin Leonard was working for Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way production company. Leonard was getting drowned in sub-par spec scripts, so he sent an e-mail out to his industry contacts looking for the best unproduced scripts out there. The 2005 Black List and the 2006 Black List were undeniably important in getting a fresh batch of writers on the Hollywood scene. Since then, too many people know about the party and the studio system has learned that people are paying attention. That means that increasingly, scripts have been lobbied into the Black List. [Note: I have no actual evidence I would be able to share, disclose or show you that proves this, so file that assertion under: "Things Dave thinks and gets to write because he's squatted on that soapbox long enough to get squatter's rights."]This year: the majority of the Black List Top Ten has already been sold or optioned. I'm not sure how helpful it is to make a list of good In Production scripts. Certainly less helpful to writer's churning out material that keeps getting passed over (or people who have Not starred in Prison Break...

Back in 2004, a list was compiled of the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood of that year. This came to be known as The Black List. It was all started by a young executive at Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company Appian Way, who polled 90+ peers to send him their 10 favorite, new, unproduced screenplays to read over the holidays. It has since become a tradition at the end of every year, in December, to release this list, which is voted on by a group of individuals in the entertainment industry from producer assistants, talent agency individuals, and many people involved with film development all the way up to VP's.

The 2010 Black List is here, and thanks to Deadline we have the list of best unproduced screenplays. Most of the scripts we've heard of, many of them are in production, some have already wrapped filming, they just wont be released until next year.

The Black List has been released. The annual list is compiled with a poll of 300 (up from last year's 250) development executives and high-level assistants, and contains a ranking of the hot screenplays making the rounds in Hollywoodland, which were written in, or are somehow uniquely associated with, 2010 and will not be released in theaters during this calendar year. Basically, the black list contains the hottest projects in Hollywood that you haven't heard of yet. Note: The headline is a slightly inaccurate, because a lot of these screenplays have already been acquired (six of the top ten listed), a bunch are in production now, and some have even finished production. One of this year's top ten screenplays, J.C. Chandor's Margin Call, about the last 24 hours at now-defunct investment bank Lehman Brothers is already in the can and set to premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival with Chandor at the helm...

Frank Leonard is the most popular man in Hollywood today. This fine December day marks the release of the 6th annual Black List, a ranked collection of the top un-produced screenplays in the town, compiled by Leonard. Last year the top script was The Muppet Man from Christopher Weekes about “the life and times of the late Jim Henson.” Coming in second was Aaron Sorkin‘s The Social Network script, which is a current frontrunner to sweep the Oscars. The year before was The Beaver, now starring Mel Gibson and set for a release in 2011.

The top one this year, College Republicans, has Shia Labeouf and Paul Dano attached. As for the rest of the list, I’ll be seeing Margin Call (pictured above) at Sundance 2011 and Safe House goes into production next year. We also reported on Oldboy director Park Chan-wook‘s English language debut with Carey Mulligan attached,...