Now this is a hangover we can get behind: 2011’s pace of spec sales continued unabated through January 2012. In fact, last month’s numbers were higher than all but the two busiest months of 2011. In other words, January 2012 had the third highest number of monthly spec sales in more than five years. Here are our favorite highlights:
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Five of January’s 15 buyers were studios, including perennial market leader Warner Bros. and Disney, which bought just two specs in each of the past three years. Previously, no studio had picked up a spec script in January since the WGA strike.
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WME sold four specs last month, jumping out to an early lead over 2011’s spec sales leader CAA, which sold two.
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WME’s Mike Esola (2011‘s No. 1 pitch salesman) and Energy’s Brooklyn Weaver (one of 2011‘s most effective lit managers) combined forces to set up two specs last month.
In response to popular demand, we’re now including loglines in the spec sale details below. (You’re welcome.) Here are January’s overall numbers:
Weekly Activity Breakdown
Week of January 1 (New Year’s Day):
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1 script hit the tracking boards and hasn’t sold
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1 additional sale was reported (“The Incredible True Story of Jessica & Drew Who Boned on the Way to the Wedding”)
Week of January 8:
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4 scripts hit the tracking boards, two of which sold (“Bermuda” and “Run All Night”)
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3 additional sales were reported (“Coffee Town,” “Everybody Wants Head” and “Flashback”)
Week of January 15:
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3 scripts hit the tracking boards, one of which sold (“Thirteen”)
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2 additional sales were reported (“The Counselor” and “One Night Stand”)
Week of January 22 (Sundance):
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1 script hit the tracking boards and hasn’t yet sold
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1 additional sale was reported (“Untitled Max Landis Space Adventure”)
Week of January 29:
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4 scripts hit the tracking boards (2 in February), none of which have yet sold
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4 additional sales were reported (“Gaslight,” “Gideon’s Law,” “Untitled LD Goffigan Thriller” and “The Timber”)
Genre Breakdown:
Three of January’s sales were of scripts that came out in previous months.
January 2012 Spec Sales (alphabetical by title):
Bermuda
Writers: Nathan Brooks & Bobby Lee Darby
Reps: Original Artists (Chris Sablan, Jordan Bayer, Matt Leipzig) and Hung Entertainment (Jonathan Hung)
Buyer: WWE Films
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Logline: In the vein of “Paranormal Activity” and “The Blair Witch Project.”
