The Black List
It’s here! The Black List for 2009!
THE BLACK LIST
1
THE MUPPET MAN by Christopher Weekes
“The life story and tragic early death of Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Bill Weinstein, Adriana Alberghetti
MANAGER Circle of Confusion – Britton Rizzio, Lawrence Mattis, Kelly McCormack
Jim Henson Company producing.
2
THE SOCIAL NETWORK by Aaron Sorkin
“The story of the founders of the social networking website Facebook and how overnight
success and wealth changed their lives.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Ari Emanuel, Jason Spitz
Sony. Scott Rudin Productions, Michael De Luca Productions, Cean Chaffin, and Dana
Brunetti producing.
3
THE VOICES by Michael Perry
“A disturbed man attempts to walk the straight-and-narrow while receiving advice from
his ‘talking’ pets.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Charlie Ferraro, Jenny Maryasis
MANAGER Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment – Aaron Kaplan, Sean Perrone
Vertigo Entertainment producing.
4
PRISONERS by Aaron Guzikowski
“After his six-year-old daughter and her friend are kidnapped, a small town carpenter
butts heads with a young, brash detective in charge of the investigation. Feeling
failed by the law, he captures the man he believes responsible, holding him captive in
a desperate attempt to find out what he did with the girls, whom he’s convinced are
still alive. But the further he’s forced to go to get the man to confess, the closer he
comes to losing his soul.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – David Karp, Rich Cook, Adam Levine
MANAGER Madhouse Entertainment
Warner Brothers. Alcon Entertainment, Madhouse Entertainment and Kira Davis producing.
5
CEDAR RAPIDS by Phil Johnston
“After his co-worker dies from auto-erotic asphyxiation, an emotionally stunted
insurance salesman from small town Wisconsin takes the man’s place at the division
insurance convention in Iowa City, IA, only to find himself coming out of his shell as
he bonds with his fellow conventioneers and gradually uncovers a money laundering
scheme involving his employer.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Jason Burns
MANAGER Industry Entertainment – Eryn Brown
Fox Searchlight. Ad Hominem Enterprises producing.
6
LONDONGRAD by David Scarpa
“Based on the book by Alan Cowell. The story of the life and subsequent poisoning death
of Alexander Litvinenko, a former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service, who
escaped prosecution in Russia and received political asylum in the United Kingdom.”
AGENT HML – Bob Hohman, Bayard Maybank, Devra Lieb
Warner Brothers. Initial Entertainment Group and Infinitum Nihil producing.
7
L.A. REX by Will Beall
“Based on the author’s book of the same name. A young gangster goes to work in the LAPD
as a mole investigating a crime against the head of the Mexican mafia but learns more
about justice than he expected from his seasoned partner.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency – Shari Smiley, Jay Baker
MANAGER Management 360 – Darin Friedman
Scott Rudin Productions producing.
8
DESPERADOS by Ellen Rapoport
“After a woman sends an indignant email to her new beau, who’s gone radio silent postsex,
she discovers he’s comatose in a Mexican hospital and races south of the border
with her friends in tow to intercept the email before he recovers.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency – Jessica Matthews
MANAGER Management 360 – Susan Bymel, Daniel Rapoport
Universal Pictures. Blumhouse and the Mark Gordon Company producing.
9
THE GUNSLINGER by John Hlavin
“A tough ex-Texas Ranger has unfinished business with the Mexican gangsters who
tortured his brother to death, and when they kidnap his brother’s young son, he comes
after them with everything he has got.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Jason Burns
MANAGER Benderspink – Jill McElroy, Charlie Gogolak
Warner Brothers. Mad Chance Productions producing.
10
BY WAY OF HELENA by Matthew Cooke
“A Texas Ranger and his wife move to a frontier town to investigate the disappearance
of Mexicans in the area, and soon find themselves caught in the cult of personality
that rules the area.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Cliff Roberts, Danny Gabai
MANAGER Anonymous Content – Keith Redmon, Bard Dorros
Sergei Gordeev producing.
THE DAYS BEFORE by Chad St. John
“A man who possesses a time travel device uses it to go back in time to prevent an
alien invasion.”
AGENT International Creative Management – Lars Theriot, Ava Jamshidi
Warner Brothers. Hollywood Gang Productions producing.
11
DOC AND HOWIE WHACK A GRANNY by Steve Leff
“Two men, Doc and Howie, inadvertently kill an elderly woman when they neglect to help
her carry groceries up stairs. The incident puts them in position to get closer to the
woman’s attractive granddaughters, and they struggle with deciding whether to tell the
women the truth about the circumstances under which they met.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Doug Johnson
MANAGER Rain Management Group – Jonathan Baruch, Geoff Silverman
The Montecito Picture Company producing.
12
WHEN CORRUPTION WAS KING by Frank Baldwin
“A scrappy lawyer from Chicago’s South Side rises to be a trusted attorney for the
Outfit – the mob that controls the city through an elaborate web of bribery, voterigging
and violence – until he turns state’s witness and brings the whole corrupt
system to its knees.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Cliff Roberts
MANAGER Leverage Management – Michael Prevett
Paramount Pictures. Temple Hill Entertainment producing.
PAWN SACRIFICE by Steve Knight
“The life story of chess legend Bobby Fischer leading up to his historic world
championship match against Boris Spassky.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency – Brian Siberell, Sally Willcox
Sony Pictures. Maguire Entertainment producing.
13
TOY’S HOUSE by Chris Galletta
“When fourteen year old Joe Toy and his buddies tire of their parents overbearing ways,
they decide to build their own house in the woods, away from the restraints of the
lives they have come to know.”
AGENT The Gersh Agency – Carolyn Sivitz
MANAGER Anonymous Content – Bard Dorros
Big Beach Productions
14
MIXTAPE by Stacey Menear
“A thirteen year old outcast finds a mixtape that belonged to the deceased parents she
never knew, accidentally destroys it, and uses the song list to go on a journey to find
all the music in an attempt to get to know her parents.”
AGENT Paradigm – Ida Ziniti, Valarie Phillips
MANAGER Parallax Talent Management – Jim Wedaa
Jim Wedaa producing.
15
THE ISOLATE THIEF by Kevin Leffler
“In the dead of winter in the middle of the U.S. Civil War, a young man tries to hide
the gold he stole from rogue soldiers who have taken over his remote house.”
AGENT International Creative Management – Aaron Hart
MANAGER Energy Entertainment – Brooklyn Weaver, Adam Marshall
Hawk Koch producing.
BOOK SMART by Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins
“Two overachieving high school seniors realize the only thing they haven’t accomplished
is having boyfriends, and each resolves to find one by prom.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Lis Rowinski, Sharon Sheinwold (Halpern)
United Talent Agency – Kassie Evashevski, Rio Hernandez (Haskins)
Fox. Handsomecharlie Films producing.
MOTOR CITY by Chad St. John
“A small time hood is framed and sent to prison, only to exact revenge years later.”
AGENT International Creative Management – Lars Theriot, Ava Jamshidi
Warner Brothers. Dark Castle Entertainment producing.
THEY FALL BY NIGHT by Zach Baylin
“A burned out detective investigates the kidnapping of a socialite couple’s child.”
AGENT International Creative Management – Aaron Hart
MANAGER Mosaic – Brent Lilley
Di Bonaventura Pictures producing
16
CELESTE & JESSE FOREVER by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack
“A divorcing couple tries to maintain their friendship while they both pursue other
people.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Keya Khayatian (Jones)
Gersh – David Kopple, Lindsay Porter (McCormick)
MANAGER Brillstein Entertainment Partners – Andrea Pett-Joseph (Jones)
Overture. Team Todd producing.
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH by Jared Stern
“A suburban ‘neighborhood watch’ group, actually a front for dads to get some male
bonding time away from the family, uncovers a plot bent on destroying the world.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Jeff Gorin
MANAGER Industrial Entertainment – Helena Hayman
Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment – Marc Provissiero
Fox. 21 Laps Entertainment producing.
CONVICTION by Jonathan Herman
“After serving five years in prison after a botched heist, a mastermind bank robber is
forced by a tenacious FBI agent to entrap his former protege who has embarked on a
multi-million-dollar bank-robbing spree.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Mike Esola
MANAGER Luber/Roklin – Stephen Crawford
Warner Brothers. Silver Pictures producing.
17
BEST ACTRESS by Michael Zam and Jaffe Cohen
“The story of the infamous career-long battle between screen legends Joan Crawford and
Bette Davis, focusing on the on-set experience of the only film they ever made together
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Adriana Alberghetti, Kimberly Bialek
MANAGER Artist Talent Management – Renee Tab
Plan B Entertainment producing.
BETTY’S READY by Jaylynn Bailey
“After she discovers that her boyfriend is gay, a high schooler, determined to lose her
virginity before she goes to college, pursues several possible ‘candidates’ before she
finds love with her geeky neighbor, who has always loved her.”
AGENT Hohman Maybank Lieb – Bob Hohman, Bayard Maybank, Devra Lieb
MANAGER Circle of Confusion – Britton Rizzio, Noah Rosen
THE SITTER by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka
“A suspended college student, living at home with his single mom, is talked into babysitting
the three, young kids next door.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Keya Khayatian, Charlie Ferraro
MANAGER Brillstein Entertainment Partners – Eryn Brown
Fox. Michael De Luca Productions.
Z FOR ZACHARIAH by Nissar Modi
“A sixteen-year-old girl named Ann Burden survives a nuclear war in a small American
town..”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency – Jay Baker, Josh Krauss
MANAGER Energy Entertainment – Angelina Chen, Brooklyn Weaver
Zik Zak Filmworks producing.
WENCESLAS SQUARE by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
“Based on the Arthur Phillips short story. Two spies fall in love while participating
in separate Cold War missions in Prague during the 1980s.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Charlie Ferraro, Keya Khayatian
Endgame Entertainment and This American Life producing.
18
BALLS OUT by The Robotard 8000 (Tim Talbott and Malcolm Spellman)
“When insurance salesman Jim Simmers has a near death experience, he decides that
nothing matters except getting a promotion, a new car, and the hot girl from work.
Jim’s new attitude alienates his friends and co-workers, and he must figure out how to
live his new life without losing his old one.”
AGENT Paradigm – Trevor Astbury, Mark Ross
MANAGER The Schiff Company – Nicole Romano
BURIED by Chris Sparling
“A civilian contractor in Iraq is kidnapped and awakens to find himself buried in a
coffin in the desert.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Charlie Ferraro, Doug Johnson
MANAGER Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment – Aaron Kaplan, Sean Perrone
Dark Trick Films, The Safran Company, Versus Entertainment producing.
THE DIVERSIFICATION OF NOAH MILLER by Adam Cole-Kelly and Sam Pitman
“A liberal New Yorker realizes he isn’t as open-minded as he thinks he is and sets out
to make a black friend.”
AGENT William Morris Entertainment – Mike Esola, Bill Weinstein
MANAGER Management 360 – Darin Friedman
34th Street Films, Radar Pictures producing.
THE GIRL WITH THE RED RIDING HOOD by David Leslie Johnson
“A Gothic imagining of the classic fairy tale in which a young woman is confronted by a
werewolf, this time with a teenage love triangle at its center.”
AGENT Paradigm – Chris Smith
Warner Brothers. Appian Way Productions producing.
MY MOTHER’S CURSE by Dan Fogelman
“The young inventor of a new organic cleaning product invites his mother on a crosscountry
road trip as he tries to sell his product to marketing outlets. His ulterior
motive is to reunite her with a man she loved when she was young, and her motive is to
help him overcome his ‘curse’ of non-commitment in relationships, for which she blames
herself.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Danny Greenberg
MANAGER Industry Entertainment – Eryn Brown
Paramount Pictures. Michaels Goldwyn producing.
RESTLESS by Jason Lew
“A tale of young love between a teenage boy and girl who share a preoccupation with
mortality.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Adam Levine
MANAGER Crestview Entertainment – Eric Black
Sony Pictures. Imagine Entertainment producing.
STREETS ON FIRE by Justin Britt-Gibson
“Two cops, reluctantly partnered, try to bring down a drug syndicate while navigating
the streets of Chicago.”
AGENT The Gersh Agency – Sean Barclay
MANAGER Media Talent Group – Chris Davey
Katalyst Films producing.
TAKE THIS WALTZ by Sarah Polley
“A young woman struggles with her infidelities and the budding realization that she may
be addicted to the honeymoon period of her relationships.”
AGENT William Morris Agency – Gaby Morgerman
MANAGER D/F Management – Frank Frattaroli
Susan Cavan producing.
THE TRADE by Dave Mandel
“The true story of two New York Yankees pitchers who caused a national scandal when
they swapped wives in the early 70s.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Bill Weinstein, Jeff Gorin, Phil Raskind
Warner Brothers. Idealogy producing.
WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT by Morgan Foehl
“After ten years on the run from the mob, the son of a mob lawyer must choose between
prison and helping the man who killed his mother.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Mike Esola, Lisa Hallerman
MANAGER Wirehouse Entertainment – Jessica Jordan
19
BAYTOWN DISCO by Barry Battles and Griffin Hood
“Three redneck brothers get in over their heads when they agree to help a woman kidnap
her son back from his seemingly evil father.”
AGENT Agency for the Performing Arts – Sheryl Peterson, Debbie Deuble Hill
MANAGER Elevate Entertainment – Jenny Wood
JIMI by Max Borenstein
“The life story of rock legend Jimi Hendrix.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Keya Khayatian, Jon Huddle, Rebecca Ewing
MANAGER Anonymous Content – Adam Kossack, Bard Dorros
Legendary Pictures. Billy Gerber producing.
LOVESTRUCK by Annabel Oakes
“Cynical best friends Amelia and Ruth love nothing more than to ridicule romance. When
they take it one step too far at their friend’s wedding, they are sentenced to a fate
worse than death – becoming heroines in their own romantic comedy.”
AGENT Untitled Talent Agency – Rio Hernandez, Jon Huddle
MANAGER Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment – Sean Perrone, Bryan Miller
Apparatus producing.
THE GUYS GIRL by Nick Confalone and Neal Dusedau
“Three male best friends realize they’re each in love with their mutual female best
friend when she gets engaged.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Blair Kohan, Rio Hernandez
MANAGER 3 Arts Entertainment – Greg Walter
Ternion producing.
RITES OF MEN by Jonathan Herman
“When a working class dad’s only son is murdered, he sets out to discover who is
responsible.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Mike Esola
MANAGER Luber/Roklin – Stephen Crawford
Universal Pictures.
SHIMMER LAKE by Oren Uziel
“As a small-town bank-theft job slowly unravels, it proves to involve virtually
everyone, from an ex-meth-lab runner to a crooked prosecutor and his vengeful cop
brother.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Bryan Besser
MANAGER Circle of Confusion – Britton Rizzio
Fox. Josephson Entertainment producing.
SMILE, RELAX, ATTACK by Eli Attie
“A young, ambitious political consultant finds himself in over his head when his first
big client – an incumbent Democratic Virginia Senator – becomes the subject of national
scrutiny by both Parties.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Bryan Besser
Mandate Pictures. Idealogy producing.
20
BOBBY MARTINEZ by Ric Roman Waugh
“A coming-of-age biopic about the titular Mexican-American surfer. Martinez rose out of
the gang-ridden streets of Southern California to become a hero to his community when
he swept every major amateur surfing tournament in his first year of competition and
won the ASP Rookie of the Year honors in his first pro season.”
AGENT International Creative Management – Nicole Clemens, Harley Copen, Nick Reed
MANAGER Management 360 – Darin Friedman
State Street Pictures and Participant Media producing.
GOOD LOOKING by Chris McCoy
“In a future where dating services perfectly match soulmates, a man rejects the person
chosen for him.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency – Brian Siberell, Sally Willcox
MANAGER Anonymous Content – Shawn Simon
Dreamworks. Double Feature Films producing.
LIARS (A-E) by Emma Forrest
“A twenty-nine year old woman on the way to President Obama’s inauguration stops to
retrieve lost items from her ex-boyfriend in the hope of getting over her most recent
heartache.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Cliff Roberts
Casaratto – Eleanor Burns
Miramax. Scott Rudin Productions producing.
A FISTFUL OF QUARTERS: THE LEGEND OF NOLAN BUSHNELL by Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman
“The rise of Nolan Bushnell, father of the videogame industry, who started Atari in the
70s.”
AGENT Original – Jordan Bayer
MANAGER Principato Young Management – Paul Young, George Heller
Paramount Pictures. Appian Way Productions producing.
JIMMY SIX by Daniel Casey
“The screw-up son of a murdered mobster goes with a hitman to exact revenge on the
informer who sent his father to his death.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Mike Esola
MANAGER Circle of Confusion – Noah Rosen
Whitewater Films producing.
CORSICA 72 by Neil Purvis and Robert Wade
“On the island of Corsica in 1972, childhood best friends Marco and Sauveur find their
lives veering in opposite directions – the first towards the Mafia, the second toward
a simpler life with his beloved, Lucia. When the Corsican mob kills Sauveur’s brother,
they ignite a tit-for-tat blood feud that inevitably leads toward a final showdown.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Jeremy Barber
Ruby Films producing.
THE STORM by Richard Taylor and Bryan Bagby
“A bounty hunter and his prey must unite to take on an evil sheriff and his posse in a
lawless Wyoming town.”
AGENT The Gersh Agency – Carolyn Sivitz
MANAGER Anonymous Content – Bard Dorros
Simon Brooks producing.
21
ARTHUR by Peter Baynham
“Based on the 1981 film of the same name. A spoiled rich twentysomething must decide
between true love and the vast fortune he’ll inherit if he marries a society woman whom
he doesn’t love.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Jeremy Barber
Warner Brothers. MBST Entertainment and Benderspink producing.
2 GUNS by Blake Masters
“Based on the comic book of the same name by Stephen Grant. A DEA agent and an
undercover naval intelligence officer unwittingly investigate each other while stealing
mob money.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Blair Kohan, Geoff Morely
Universal Pictures. Marc Platt Productions and Boom! Studios producing.
CUT BANK by Roberto Patino
“A small town thriller set in Cut Bank, Montana.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Rich Cook, David Karp
MANAGER Principato Young – Evan Cavic
Stick n’ Stone Productions producing.
DEAD LOSS by Josh Baizer and Marshall Johnson
“A crab fishing boat crew rescues a castaway adrift in a life raft with mysterious
cargo that soon both captivates and divides them.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Bill Weinstein, David Karp
MANAGER Anonymous Content – Bard Dorros, Shawn Simon
Thousand Words producing.
THE GHOST AND THE WOLF by Rylend Grant and Dikran Ornekian
“An ex-cop and his old partner must reunite, burying years of distrust, to take on the
vicious Russian mobsters who altered their lives profoundly in the 90s… destroying one
and propelling the other to Captain.”
MANAGER Industry Entertainment – Andrew Deane
I HOPE WE CAN STILL BE FRIENDS by John Whittington
“A couple breaks up after 5 years together but vow to remain friends after the fact,
which proves much harder to do than they imagined.”
AGENT The Gersh Agency – Sarah Self
MANAGER Mason Novick
Inferno Entertainment. Mason Novick producing.
I HATE YOU DAD by David Caspe
“A father moves in with his son on the eve of his son’s wedding and promptly begins
feuding with the bride-to-be.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Phil D’amecourt, Elia Infascelli-Smith
MANAGER Magnolia – Javier Contreras
Sony Pictures. Happy Madison Productions producing.
IF I STAY by Shauna Cross
“Based on the novel of the same name by Gayle Forman. A teenage girl leaves her body
after a tragic car crash and needs to decide whether to return to her life or not.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Cliff Roberts, Lis Rowinski
MANAGER Jaret Entertainment – Seth Jaret
Summit Entertainment. Di Novi Pictures producing.
THE KING’S SPEECH by David Seidler
“George VI, also known as Bertie, reluctantly takes the throne of England when his
brother, Edward, abdicates in 1936. The unprepared king turns to a radical speech
therapist, Lionel Logue, to help overcome his nervous stutter and the two forge a
friendship.”
MANAGER Jeff Aghassi Management – Jeff Aghassi
The Weinstein Company. Bedlam Pictures and See-Saw Films producing.
THE LOW SELF ESTEEM OF LIZZIE GILLESPIE by Mindy Kaling and Brent Forrester
“A single girl in Manhattan dates the hottest guy in the world but must overcome her
insecurities when she hears him deny they are dating.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Blair Kohan, Julien Thuan (Kaling)
United Talent Agency – Jason Burns, David Kramer (Forrester)
MANAGER 3 Arts Entertainment – Howard Klein (Kaling)
Levity Management Group – Kevin Stolper (Forrester)
Mandate Pictures.
22
CON MEN by Eric Lane
“Greg Weinstock and Kevin Russell, two drug reps from Burlington Labs with nothing in
common aside from a shared gift of moving product, are dispatched to a convention to
hook the biggest sale of their lives.”
Shay Weiner producing.
THE BLIND RAGE OF PEACOAT MILLER by Adam Penn
“A college student home for the holidays discovers that an internet porn film turns its
viewer into homicidal maniacs. As the epidemic spreads, he has to save his longtime
crush while struggling to control his own urges.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency – Billy Hawkins, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones
MANAGER Energy Entertainment – Adam Marshall, Milana Rabkin
Michael de Luca Productions and David Gordon Green producing.
JOSH by Gary Ross
“The lives of a single father and his teenaged son are dramatically changed when the
boy’s mother returns and wants to be part of her son’s life.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency – David O’Connor, Maha Dakhil
Universal Pictures. Larger Than Life Productions producing.
MY SISTER IS MARRYING A DOUCHEBAG by Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux
“A young woman, thinking that her sister’s new fiance is a douchebag, sets out to
sabotage their wedding.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Phil D’amecourt, Simon Faber
MANAGER Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment – Aaron Kaplan, Sean Perrone
RENKO VEGA & THE JENNIFER NINE by John Raffo
“Renko Vega, once a hero and now a rogue thief wandering the galaxy with his
hyperintelligent spaceship the Jennifer 9, is forced to become a hero once again when
the young daughter of the President of Earth is kidnapped.”
AGENT Agency for the Performing Arts – Debbie Deuble Hill, Sheryl Peterson
MANAGER Brucks Entertainment – Brian Brucks
NORM THE MOVIE by Sam Esmail
“A buddy comedy in which a guy is transported into a movie… or so he thinks.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Mike Esola, Danny Gabai
MANAGER Energy Entertainment – Adam Marshall, Milana Rabkin
SMASH AND GRAB by Marc Wolff
“When his wife is kidnapped, a reformed thief has to team up with his hapless expartner
to save her, while dodging the LAPD, the FBI, and various members of the Los
Angeles underworld.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Tobin Babst
MANAGER Mason Novick
Mason Novick and Julie Yorn producing.
THE TRUE MEMOIRS OF AN INTERNATIONAL ASSASSIN by Jeff Morris
“Joe, an insecure writer with a boring desk job, finally manages to sell his assassin
novel, The Memoirs of an International Assassin to the one publisher that will buy it.
To his horror the publisher retitles it The True Memoirs of an International Assassin
and markets the book as non-fiction — making it seem as if Joe is the assassin
himself. He soon finds himself in the crosshairs of the CIA, various drug lords, the
media, and a beautiful investigative journalist while on a vacation in Belize.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Mike Esola, Rich Cook
MANAGER Art/Work Entertainment – Julie Bloom
The Film Department. Michael De Luca Productions producing.
NO BLOOD, NO GUTS, NO GLORY by Chase Palmer
“A spy and twenty Union soldiers in disguise board a train in Georgia to execute a
scheme that could bring a quick end to the U.S. Civil War.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Craig Kestel
MANAGER Gotham Group – Peter McHugh, Lindsay Williams
Misher Films producing.
THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY by Mark Bomback
“Based on the comic book written by Gerard Way. After being raised by a brilliant
scientist and a hyper-intelligent chimp, six super-powered former ‘child superheroes’
reunite to stop one of their own from leading a violin symphony that will destroy the
world.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Jason Spitz
MANAGER Anonymous Content – Adam Shulman
Universal Pictures. Stuber Productions and Dark Horse Entertainment producing.
23
ALLIES WITH BENEFITS by Elizabeth Wright Shapiro
“The female President of The United States falls for her old college fling, the now
Prime Minister of England.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Blair Kohan, Tobin Babst, Jay Gassner
MANAGER Industry Entertainment – Jess Rosenthal
Scott Free Productions producing.
30 MINUTES OR LESS by Matthew Sullivan and Michael Diliberti
“A comedy about a pizza delivery guy on an unlikely caper.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Bill Weinstein, Simon Faber
MANAGER New School Media – Brian Levy
Red Hour Films and New School Media producing.
COMIC CON by Matthew Sullivan and Michael Diliberti
“To save their beloved neighborhood comic shop, a justice league of comic geeks must
plan and execute a daring heist at Comic-Con.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Bill Weinstein, Simon Faber
MANAGER New School Media – Brian Levy
CROOK FACTORY by Nicholas Meyer
“Based on the novel by Dan Simmons and true events. An FBI agent is ordered to baby-sit
Ernest Hemingway as he goes about running a motley spy ring in WWII Cuba.”
MANAGER Alan Gasmer & Friends – Alan Gasmer
Warner Brothers. Infinitum Nihil producing.
HANNA by David Farr
“A fourteen year old girl is raised by her father to be a cold hearted killing
machine.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency – Bob Bookman, Josh Krauss
Curtis Brown – Nick Marston
Focus Features. Adelstein Productions producing.
THE HAND JOB by Maggie Carey
“A coming-of-age comedy about a teenage girl who gives her first hand job (among other
life experiences).”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Blair Kohan, Julien Thuan
MANAGER 3 Arts Entertainment – Greg Walter, Tom Lassally
Team Todd producing.
THE HUNGRY RABBIT JUMPS by Robert Tannen
“A man becomes entangled in a secret society that forces him to murder.”
AGENT Feature Artists Agency – Brian Dreyfuss
MANAGER The Shuman Company – AB Fischer
Maguire Entertainment and Endgame Entertainment producing.
DUE DATE by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland
“An uptight father-to-be is forced to travel across the country with an idiotic stoner
in order to close a major business deal and make it home in time for the birth of his
first child.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Jason Spitz, Richard Weitz, Mike Esola
Warner Brothers. Legendary Pictures and Green Hat Films producing.
THE CURSE OF MEDUSA by J Lee and Tom Welch
“An origin story of Medusa the Gorgon.”
MANAGER Anonymous Content – Adam Kossack
Original Films producing.
MEDIEVAL by Alex Litvak and Michael Finch
“An unlikely group of imprisoned warriors are forced on a suicide mission to steal the
King’s crown in order to gain their freedom. They soon realize they’ve been set up to
take the fall for the assassination of the King.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Adam Levine
Fox, New Regency. Wonderland Sound and Vision producing.
OWENS MANUAL by Greg Ferkel
“A mild-mannered IT guy finds an ‘owners manual’ to his dull life but struggles to
manage the realities of it when he reaches the end of the manual.”
AGENT International Creative Management – Harley Copen, Sophie Holodnik
MANAGER Caliber Media – Max Roman
Gary Sanchez Productions producing.
THE LAST STAND by Andrew Knauer
“A drug cartel king escapes his trial in a 200mph Gumpert Apollo, and the only thing in
between him and Mexican freedom is a small town cop in a bordertown.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Mike Esola
MANAGER Energy Entertainment – Jake Wagner
Lionsgate. Di Bonaventura Pictures producing.
JAWS OF LIFE by Michael Goldbach
“A seventeen year old boy falls in love with a woman old enough to be his mother and
begins to question the meaning of love and relationships while his parents go through a
divorce.”
MANAGER The Collective – Ava Greenfield
Mason Novick producing.
JITTERS by Marc Haimes
“A dysfunctional, recession-struck family moves into a new neighborhood and is
terrorized by superbugs.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Jeff Gorin
MANAGER Benderspink – JC Spink, Charlie Gogolak
Paramount Pictures. Benderspink producing.
SWINGLES by Zach Braff
“A bachelor who is dumped by his wingman teams up with a sharp-tongued woman he can’t
stand in order to meet women.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency – Craig Gering
MANAGER Industry Entertainment – Sandra Chang
Paramount Pictures. Misher Films producing.
THE TREES by Tyler Hisel
“Isolated and threatened, a mysterious force hidden within the trees outside the small
town of Laytonsville, Maryland strikes fear in the townsfolk as Sheriff Paul Shields
attempts to overcome the demons of his past while protecting those that he loves.”
MANAGER Insignia Entertainment – Alexander Robb
THE SPECTACULAR NOW by Scott Neustadter and Mike Weber
“A hard-partying high school senior’s life changes when he meets a shy, insecure girl.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency – Bill Zotti, Greg McKnight
MANAGER Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment – Aaron Kaplan, Sean Perrone
Fox Searchlight. 21 Laps Entertainment producing.
SAND DOGS by Vineet Dewan and Angus Fletcher
“A pair of Western Red Crescent Paramedics weather a series of intense, dangerous days
in the Gaza Strip.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Ramses Ishak, Michael Sheresky (Dewan)
Agency for the Performing Arts – David Saunders (Fletcher)
MANAGER Caliber Media – Dallas Sonnier (Dewan & Fletcher)
SEX, GREED, MONEY, MURDER & CHICKEN FRIED STEAK by Reinhard Denke
“The story of oilman T. Cullen Davis, the richest man in the United States ever to be
tried (and acquitted twice) for the capital murder of his stepdaughter, marking the
end of the reign of Texas oil billionaires.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Mike Esola
Infinitum Nihil producing.
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Richard LaGravanese
“Jacob Jankowski is about to take his final exams in veterinary medicine at Cornell
when his parents are killed in a car accident. He drops out and joins Benzini Brothers,
a second-rate traveling circus trying to survive during the Depression.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency – Byrdie Lifson-Pompan, David O’Connor
Fox 2000. Flashpoint Entertainment producing.
THE WETTEST COUNTY by Nick Cave
“Based on the book by Matt Bondurant. The story of a moonshine gang operating in the
bootlegging capital of America – Franklin County, Virginia – during Prohibition.”
AGENT United Agents – Anthony Jones
Red Wagon Productions producing.
WALL STREET 2: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS by Allan Loeb
“Gordon Gekko, fresh from prison, re-emerges into a much harsher financial world than
the one he left.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency – Jon Levin, Carin Sage
MANAGER Scarlet Fire – Steven Pearl
Fox. The Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation producing.
THE UNDERLING by Dave Stoller and Ben Shiffrin
“A man slowly comes to discover his girlfriend is literally working for the devil and
has to find a way to escape.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Charlie Ferraro
MANAGER Gotham Group – Jeremy Bell, Lindsay Williams
THE VATICAN TAPES by Chris Borrelli
“In a highly secured vault deep within the walls of Vatican City, the Catholic Church
holds thousands of old films and video footage documenting exorcisms/supposed exorcisms
and other unexplained religious phenomena they feel the world is not ready to see.
This is the first tape – Case 83-G – stolen from these archives and exposed to the
public by an anonymous source.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Jon Huddle
MANAGER H2F – Chris Fenton
Lionsgate. Lakeshore Entertainment producing.
YEAR 12 by Edward Ricourt
“Twelve years after an alien invasion leaves humankind decimated and brutally
subjugated, a former soldier must smuggle deadly uranium in his bloodstream and, with
help from a pair of rebels, fight his way to an air force base where the uranium can be
extracted and used to fuel a nuclear missile for a counterstrike that will reverse the
direction of the war.”
AGENT Creative Artists Agency – Matt Rosen
MANAGER Gotham Group – Peter McHugh
Paramount Pictures. Roth Films producing.
Silver
About Julie
Hey I noticed some graphic novel adaptations
in this list. And honestly, the graphic novels was
better. These scripts adaptations are like a dry fish.
I’m sorrry. I really did not want to say that.
Why can’t they add excitement to their style of writing.
So boring.
Some interesting features in this list:
Several Civil War scenarios.
2 Texas Rangers as protagonist.
More westerns than in previous years…
A lot of rom-com and indie-coms…with varying degrees or promise
a decent amount of sci-fi( I think Renko Vega is the most promising of these).
Bio-pics with varying degrees of interest…
I’ll be curious to see what the next step in development will be.
And I’m trying to decipher if any of these points to the current zeitgeist. What
does it tell us about where “we” are culturally and historically?
I hope they make Medusa! The script is brilliant. Kudos to J Lee and Tom Welch.
@ Phoe How can you tell that these are duds? All you are given is a one-sentence premise. At least wait until you read a couple of pages before you dis these off hand. As screenwriters, often we need to “sell” the screenplay through the log-line, so we come up with something a bit ridiculous.
I thought a few of these sound very interesting…Allies with Benefits sounds kinda funny in fact. Hope to see it in development soon.
Agree with Jon, “Allies with Benefits” was the one log line that made me go “damn, wish I’d thought of that!”
Funny how many of these scripts are already IN PRODUCTION… it’s more of a Hype List now… Either way… I’m too am psyched that someone is FINALLY telling the story of MEDUSA…. seems like a super famous character that only gets cameo’s in movies and video games. Bout time!
unfortunately i haven’t read the script but i hear good things from my friend. I know Jada Pinkett was going to play her til her hospital show got picked up. My friend works for Overbrook and they had optioned it but then the writers took it elsewhere. oh well… sorry Jada. lol is her show even on anymore?
Jada? I’d rather see Rosario Dawson. She’d be perfect. Hopefully Hollywood doesn’t go with Megan Fox.
Do we really need a movie about Facebook? Unlike Button!
You gotta love talking pets, and douche bag boy friends, though I’ve never had either one.
I was wonder if I can recieve an invitation to the rouge wave blog. I can’t seem to read any more posts there. Hope you can help.
MEDUSA!!!! Go see CLASH OF THE TITANS THIS WEEK, it will help MEDUSA get made