Today was the release of the annual Black List which is distributed in the movie business. It’s compiled from the suggestions of over 150 film executives and high-level assistants, each of whom contributed the names of up to 10 of their favorite scripts that were written in, or are somehow uniquely associated with, 2007 and will not be released in theaters during this calendar year. Like last year, scripts had to receive at least two mentions to be included on the roster. Remember, The Black List emphasizes that it’s not a “best of” list but, at best, a “most liked” list.
This is also a “big dick” measuring contest for the Hollywood agencies and their motion picture lit departments: the most screenplays on the list were repped by Creative Artists Agency, followed closely by (in order of quantity) William Morris Agency, United Talent Agency, Endeavor, Paradigm, International Creative Management, and Gersh. Problem is, some screenwriters tell me this list isn’t on the level because it consists of mainly junior studio execs and assistants along with self-interested agents and managers getting together to push their own clients and projects some of which have already been abandoned.
I’ve decided to cause trouble and post just the index:
44 MENTIONS
RECOUNT by Danny Strong
43 MENTIONS
FARRAGUT NORTH by Beau Willimon
38 MENTIONS
PASSENGERS by Jon Spaihts
Watch on Deadline
35 MENTIONS
INFILTRATOR by Josh Zetumer
29 MENTIONS
SELMA by Paul Webb
27 MENTIONS
CURVEBALL by Steve Knight
25 MENTIONS
I WANT TO F— YOUR SISTER by Melissa Stack
24 MENTIONS
THE ROAD by Joe Penhall
21 MENTIONS
THE WAY BACK by Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
17 MENTIONS
THIS SIDE OF THE TRUTH by Matt Robinson
16 MENTIONS
DUBAI by Adam Cozad
PIERRE PIERRE by Edwin Cannistraci & Frederick Seton
14 MENTIONS
THE NECESSARY DEATH OF CHARLIE COUNTRYMAN by Matt Drake
13 MENTIONS
SOURCE CODE by Ben Ripley
11 MENTIONS
EDWIN A. SALT by Kurt Wimmer
THE HUMAN FACTOR by Anthony Peckham
UNION STATION by Doug Jung
10 MENTIONS
ADVENTURELAND by Greg Mottola
9 MENTIONS
KAMIKAZE LOVE by Chad Damiani & JP Levin
7 MENTIONS
BFF by Chad & Dara Creasey
THE BOOK OF ELI by Gary Whitta
LION MAN OF TUSCANY by Nathan Skulnik
NEVER LET ME GO by Alex Garland
UNTITLED BILL CARTER PROJECT by Jordan Roberts
6 MENTIONS
$40,000 MAN by John Daily & Jonathan Goldstein
THE ART OF MAKING MONEY by Frank Baldwin
BLITZ by Nathan Parker
MANAGEMENT by Stephen Belber
SHELTER by Karl Mueller
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE by Simon Beaufoy
UNTITLED MICHAEL MANN/JOHN LOGAN PROJECT by John Logan
WEDNESAY by Massy Tadjedin
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET by Terence Winter
5 MENTIONS
DREAMS OF THE ROMANS by John Hindman
GET BACK by Chris McCoy
JENNIFER’S BODY by Diablo Cody
JONES by Carol Heikkinen
MAN ON THE TRAIN by Dan Taplitz
VALKYRIE by Chris MacQuarrie
WORLD WAR Z by J. Michael Straczynski
THE WRESTLER by Robert Siegel
ZOMBIELAND by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick
4 MENTIONS
20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA by Craig Titley
BALTIMORE by Chris Terrio & Jesse Lichtenstein
COLD CITY by David James Kelly
DARKON by John Hodgman
GENIUS by John Logan
BROTHERS IN ARMS aka HILL 427 by Noah Lukeman
ORPHAN by David Leslie Johnson
SCORE by Jeremy Slater
UNTITLED C. RANDOLPH PHARMACEUTICAL SCRIPT by Charles Randolph
3 MENTIONS
ALL GOOD THINGS by Marcus Hinchey, Marc Smerling & Andrew Jarecki
BLACK BOX by Brad Holloway
BLINDNESS by Don McKellar
BUTTERCUP by Alice O’Neil
CLASH OF THE TITANS by Travis Beacham
DEAR JOHN by Jamie Linden
DIRTY GIRL by Abe Sylvia
DOUBT by John Patrick Shanley
ELI WEBB by Thompson Evans
HANGOVER by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore
HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE by Josh Radnor
HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE by Peter Straughan
JEFF THE IMMORTAL by Chris Bishop
JOY by Jack Paglen
LAST CHANCE HARVEY by Stephen Hopkins
MAGGIE LYNN by Craig Brewer
THE ORNATE ANATOMY OF LIVING THINGS by Matt Spicer and Max Winkler
RELATIVITY by Peter Craig
THE REVENENT by Mark L Smith
TEHRAN by Richard Regen
3 MENTIONS
TOKYO SUCKERPUNCH by Ed Solomon
UNTITLED CHEF PROJECT by Steve Knight
THE WACKNESS by Jon Levine
THE WEDDING PARTY by Francesca Marciano
WILD WILD EAST by Chase Palmer
WITH KIND REGARDS FROM KINDERGARTEN by Adam K Kline
THE WIZARDS OF PERFIL by Keith Fulton & Lou Pepe
WRECKING BALL by Susan Brightbill
ZELDA by Hanna Weg
2 MENTIONS
36 by Richard Price
THE 37TH DIMENSION by Griffin Creech & Tom Kuntz
ARCADIA DISINHERITED by Adam Hutchinson
ALFRED HITCHCOCK AND THE MAKING OF PSYCHO by John McLaughlin
BACK EAST by Zach Whedon
BEAT KIP by Rob Kerkovich & Todd Waldman
BFF by Jenni Konner & Alli Rushfield
BROMANCE by Barry Schwartz & Raza Syed
BURN AFTER READING by The Coen Brothers
COXBLOCKER by Greg Coolidge and Tim Dowling
DEEP THROAT by Peter Landesman
DEMOLITION by Bryan Sipe
THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA by Robbie Pickering
THE DUCHESS by Jeffrey Hatcher & Anders Thomas Jensen
DUPLICITY by Tony Gilroy
EAGLE EYE by Hilary Seitz
ENRON by Sheldon Turner
FIASCO HEIGHTS by Kyle Ward
FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE by Josh Marston
GIANT MONSTERS ATTACK JAPAN by JF Lawton
A GOOD MOTHER by Rey Howard
I ROCK IRAQ by Stephen Chin
IN by Bess Wohl
JIMBO by William Finkelstein
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA by The Mulroneys
THE LAND OF LOST THINGS by Dan Mazeau
LET IT FALL by John Ridley
MAMMOTH by Lukas Moodysson
MAN AND WIFE by Lorene Scafaria
MAN UNDER by Ann Cherkis
MATZOBALLERS by Adam Herschman
NO MAN’S LAND by Jeff Nachmanoff
OCEAN BEACH by Frank Cassese & Joel Plotch
OF EVERY WICKEDNESS by Brian McGreevey & Lee Shipman
PANDORA by Karl Gajdusek
PICTURES OF YOU by Josh Friedlander
ROSCOE by Steve Zaillian
SEX AND SYLVIA PLATH by Jennifer O’Kieffe
SHOTGUN HARLEY by Jason Jones & Mike Beaver
SOMEBODY TO LOVE by Michael Cunningham
SPACE INVADER by Mike Lisbe & Nate Reger
STRANGE SKIES by Pat Healy
THE TOWN by Peter Craig
UNIQUE by Michael Cooney
WHIP IT by Shauna Cross
WILL by Demetri Martin
YEARBOOK by Bob Nelson
YES MAN by Nick Stoller
