EXCLUSIVE
A biopic of code cracking British mathematician Alan Turing. A comedy about a social media addict who uses Twitter and Facebook to help her friends screen dates. A small town murder mystery.
These are just a few of the projects that make up “The Hit List,” The Tracking Board’s second annual list of the best spec scripts of the year.
A spec script is a screenplay written without a contract.
As TheWrap reported exclusively, 2011 has been a banner year for the spec script market, with a record number of screenplays sold to studios. According to TheWrap's sister site, ItsontheGrid.com, 111 specs have sold so far in 2011, up more than 50 percent from the previous year.
Also read: Spec Script Sales Explode in October — Highest Mark in 5 Years (Exclusive)
"The Hit List" was determined by an invite-only judging panel of development executives, agents, producers, writers, directors, managers and assistants. All told, 83 spec scripts out of a total of 358 submitted made the cut.
To be included in the list, a script had to receive at least seven votes. The top script, Graham Moore’s Turing biopic “The Imitation Game,” garnered 142 votes.
The agency that represented the most number of “Hit List” nominees was Creative Artists Agency with 22 nominees. William Morris Endeavor Entertainment and United Talent Agency were second and third with 20 and 13 nominees respectively.
The top literary managers were New Wave Entertainment, Circle of Confusion and Kaplan/Perrone, each with seven nominees.
Here are the top ten vote getters
1. THE IMITATION GAME by Graham Moore
The true story of how British mathematician Alan Turing cracked Germany’s impossible “Enigma” code and changed the tide for the Allies during World War II.
REPRESENTATION
CAA | JP Evans, Jacqueline Sacerio
The Safran Company | Tom Drumm
STATUS
Warner Bros. Pictures | Nora Grossman, Ido Ostowsky producing
2. HE’S FUCKIN’ PERFECT by Lauryn Kahn
When a savvy social media addict who helps her friends screen potential dates is approached by an acquaintance with the “perfect man,” she uses her skills to transform herself into his ideal match.
REPRESENTATION
WME | Roger Green, Greg Hodes, Theresa Kang, Cliff Roberts
STATUS
Fox 2000 | Gary Sanchez producing
3.) WHEN THE STREETLIGHTS GO ON by Eddie O’Keefe, Chris Hutton
A man recounts his coming-of-age moments amidst a small town murder mystery.
REPRESENTATION
WME | Sarah Self, Simon Faber
Independent | Tariq Merhab
STATUS
Imagine Entertainment producing
4. IN THE EVENT OF A MOON DISASTER by Mike Jones
A behind the scenes, semi-fictionalized tale of the near-disaster of Buzz Aldrin and Neal Armstrong’s Apollo 11 journey to the moon.
REPRESENTATION
CAA | David Kopple, Matt Rosen
Gotham Group | Lindsay Williams
STATUS
FilmNation producing
5. FATHER DAUGHTER TIME: A TALE OF ARMED ROBBERY AND ESKIMO KISSES by Matthew Aldrich
Story centers on an 11-year old girl and her ex-con father as they learn to bond over a three-state crime spree.
REPRESENTATION
CAA | Stuart Manashil, John Garvey
Silent R | Jewerl Ross
STATUS
Warner Bros. Pictures | Pearl Street producing
6. MAGGIE by John Scott III
Set in a small town in Middle America, a family copes as their 16-year-old daughter slowly transforms into a zombie.
REPRESENTATION
CAA | Dan Rabinow, Billy Hawkins
STATUS
Available | Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, Trevor Kaufman, Matthew Baer producing
7. SELF/LESS by Alex Pastor, David Pastor
An aging millionaire makes a deal on his deathbed to extend his life, only to discover it may have come at a price worse than death.
REPRESENTATION
CAA | Stuart Manashil, John Garvey
Kaplan/Perrone | Alex Lerner
STATUS
Endgame Entertainment producing
8. CRISTO by Ian Shorr
A futuristic re-telling of “The Count Of Monte Cristo.”
REPRESENTATION
UTA | Jason Burns, Charles Ferraro, David Park
Mosaic | Langley Perer
STATUS
Warner Bros. Pictures | Langley Park producing
9. AGENT OX by Daniel Kunka
A human spy who has been living deep undercover amongst an alien race must stop an impending invasion of Earth.
REPRESENTATION
ICM | Harley Copen, Adam Weinstein
Madhouse Entertainment | Adam Kolbrenner
STATUS
Sony Pictures | Original Film producing
Tied for 9. FLASHBACK by Will Honley
After becoming the first human to break the speed of light, a NASA pilot is struck with amnesia, and in the search for the memories of who he was, he discovers he has the ability to travel back in time.
REPRESENTATION
Verve | Adam Levine, Bryan Besser, Bill Weinstein, Rob Herting, Zach Carlisle
Nuclear Entertainment | Nick Fariabi, Jesse Silver
STATUS
Available
10. HIDDEN by Matthew Duffer, Ross Duffer
Centers on a small family trapped in a bomb shelter after escaping a mysterious outbreak.
REPRESENTATION
Paradigm | Christopher Smith
MXN | Mason Novick, Michelle Knudsen
STATUS
Warner Bros. Pictures | Vertigo Entertainment, Mason Novick, Lawrence Grey producing
Tied for 10. ST. VINCENT DE VAN NUYS by Theodore Melfi
A coming-of-age tale of a fatherless 12-year old boy who forms an unlikely friendship with the bitter, retired
veteran next door.
REPRESENTATION
UTA | Ramses Ishak, Michael Sheresky,
Infinity Management | Jon Karas
STATUS
20th Century Fox | Chernin Entertainment producing