2020 Original Blacklist Scripts

[sc111 Member Find all posts View Profile Close sc111]

See explanation for deletion below...

Here's the link to the loglines. These alone give insight about the range of spec scripts industry gatekeepers consider "good" and how many "mentions" each has received.

https://www.indiewire.com/2020/12/20...ts-1234604589/

[Done Deal Pro Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Done Deal Pro]

You are more than welcome to talk about scripts, link to "legitimate" sites that are offering scripts, etc. Thus, you are totally fine. Kind of you to note/bring up, but all good. ?

We just again had to ask folks (some time back) to stop publicly sharing scripts via personal cloud storage sites, especially when it involved scripts people didn't want being spread around for various reasons.

But an article or list/review like this is perfectly fine. OR if there is an article with copies of Oscar nominated scripts, etc. for download, then that's okay too. As long as it's pretty obvious the people who own the script are clearly cool about it.

[sc111 Member Find all posts View Profile Close sc111]

See explanation below ...

[Done Deal Pro Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Done Deal Pro]

I'd say hold off on any links to DropBox, OneDrive, etc. Probably better safe than sorry. If there is again a legit site that offers them up that people clearly are visiting, then that's one thing. But anything else might stir up some trouble. If someone wants to privately reach out to you, then that's out of our hands, of course. We're not the NSA. ?????

[sc111 Member Find all posts View Profile Close sc111]

See explanation below...

[Cyfress Member Find all posts View Profile Close Cyfress]

I definitely be interested in reading them. It's funny how the ole Agent/Officer on the plane vs a gaggle of bad guys has been done a zillion times and still gets done. I think Air Force One is the best. There's Passenger 57 and Executive Decision. One of them used the same plot line of not knowing who the target was. The bad guy was hiding among the passengers.

The second one reminded me of Uncle Buck when I saw the title. The classic slacker adult in charge of kids for an extended time or the person just has an aversion to kids. The twist to this one is that the baby sitter is a retired assassin like Don't Mess With The Zohan but a John Wick type. I wonder the legalities of it. Can they just rip off the John Wick character?

The last one reminds me of Passengers. A man and woman trapped in space alone. This one is less action/adventure and more love story/fairytale. This usually is not my cup of tea but would love to read the writing.

Is this the best of the website or is this the top three of the original black list that floats around LA?

[sc111 Member Find all posts View Profile Close sc111]

See explanation below...

[Bono Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bono]

I definitely be interested in reading them. It's funny how the ole Agent/Officer on the plane vs a gaggle of bad guys has been done a zillion times and still gets done. I think Air Force One is the best. There's Passenger 57 and Executive Decision. One of them used the same plot line of not knowing who the target was. The bad guy was hiding among the passengers.

The second one reminded me of Uncle Buck when I saw the title. The classic slacker adult in charge of kids for an extended time or the person just has an aversion to kids. The twist to this one is that the baby sitter is a retired assassin like Don't Mess With The Zohan but a John Wick type. I wonder the legalities of it. Can they just rip off the John Wick character?

The last one reminds me of Passengers. A man and woman trapped in space alone. This one is less action/adventure and more love story/fairytale. This usually is not my cup of tea but would love to read the writing.

Is this the best of the website or is this the top three of the original black list that floats around LA?

Uncle Wick reminds me of a thread I think I started at some point about the STUNT SCRIPT as that is what it sounds like but sometimes it works and sounds fun. Like I always wanted to write GOONIES 2 and just show how quickly Chunk's parents kick off Sloth when the movie ends. That sh*t is not happening.

[sc111 Member Find all posts View Profile Close sc111]

See explanation below....

[Cyfress Member Find all posts View Profile Close Cyfress]

I read about a dozen of the loglines. Lots of low concept ideas that really rely on character and not a some clever, other worldly plot device. Lots of scripts about minorities dealing with bias in a predominantly white society. One has Taraji P Henson set to direct. It's about a high school senior who finds out that her principle is a closet racist and she sets to expose him. But he won't go down without a fight. There's another one about a group of latino and african american students who set out for a night of partying but when an emergency happens at the event they debate if they should even call the police.

There's a slasher idea that is optioned as well I think. It's about a guy that's sucked into an 80s slasher film by watching an old, cursed VHS tape. I believe one of the streaming services is financing.

A lot of the ideas to these scripts aren't mind blowing so the execution must be at a very high level. Just look at the second script on the list:


28 mentions

A young Asian-American teen and basketball fanatic who just wants to dunk and get the girl ends up learning much more about himself, his best friends, and his mother.

This is a slice of life character study with zero hook. I can picture Bobby Lee having a role in this. He's hysterical. I'd like to read this one.

[Bono Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bono]

I want to read that 80s Slasher film! that's an idea I've had and never wrote. I love horror movies. and VHS. I'm old.

I was saying STUNT SCRIPTS like someone took Peanuts characters and set them in modern day NYC is a thing some writers try. Writing sequels to movies that you don't own rights too would fall into that. But it seems Uncle Wick threaded the needle so the movie can be made w/o the Wick reference, but if they can get Keanu to play the lead then the joke will work about 100 times better. So it's more just a funny inside joke than stunt script I'd say now that I read some of it.

[Bono Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bono]

I read about a dozen of the loglines. Lots of low concept ideas that really rely on character and not a some clever, other worldly plot device. Lots of scripts about minorities dealing with bias in a predominantly white society. One has Taraji P Henson set to direct. It's about a high school senior who finds out that her principle is a closet racist and she sets to expose him. But he won't go down without a fight. There's another one about a group of latino and african american students who set out for a night of partying but when an emergency happens at the event they debate if they should even call the police.

There's a slasher idea that is optioned as well I think. It's about a guy that's sucked into an 80s slasher film by watching an old, cursed VHS tape. I believe one of the streaming services is financing.

A lot of the ideas to these scripts aren't mind blowing so the execution must be at a very high level. Just look at the second script on the list:


28 mentions

A young Asian-American teen and basketball fanatic who just wants to dunk and get the girl ends up learning much more about himself, his best friends, and his mother.

This is a slice of life character study with zero hook. I can picture Bobby Lee having a role in this. He's hysterical. I'd like to read this one.

I didn't read the list this year but the short film I wanted to make in film school -- I didn't get picked -- they only let 50% of the film kids into Film 3 -- so my first sense of rejection and it happened in college where I paid to learn was about a short Jewish kid that just wanted to dunk -- just once. My point, Jingyi Shao stole me idea! And I'm a comedic genius.

[sc111 Member Find all posts View Profile Close sc111]

Explanation for deletion:

I received a concern about discussing details of the four BL scripts I've read. No -- it was not Will. And it was not any of the writers of these scripts or their reps. I decided to honor this concern however I will repeat this with some editing:

All four are very well written. There's not one single "newbie mistake" among them. Not one confusing description or plot point that pops you out the read. Never a moment of, "What did I just read?" calling for a reread. Structure, tight as drum. And every one of these four scripts loudly communicates the writers know WTF they're doing.

My point: the quality bar is set very, very high, my friends.

The link above with the loglines is still kosher. We can discuss those here.

[Bono Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bono]

I think your main point was that to make it you have to reach this level of quality. But these are also the TOP specs people have read, so if you want to feel better, maybe it could be 10% shitttier like my specs.

[Cyfress Member Find all posts View Profile Close Cyfress]

I came across this one:



7 mentions

A young mother in 1930s Oklahoma is convinced that her family is threatened and takes drastic steps to keep them safe.

What a simplistic vanilla logline. The script must be really good because to make the list with an idea so mundane must mean the writing is superb.

How can I read some of them? Are they available?