It’s that time of year again… That’s right, the 2010 Black List has finally been announced! If you haven’t yet been introduced, the Black List is a collection of the most popular (read: bragged about) screenplays that are uniquely associated with 2010 but that will not be released this calendar year. So, what can the Black List tell us? Well, it used to be that the list could skyrocket the careers of moderate to amateur screenwriters by getting their work read all over Hollywood. Now? Well, it’s mostly become a system for getting projects with big-name talent already attached to get buzz before they hit theaters. Case in point — The Social Network, the micro-budget indie movie that was written by some complete unknown named Aaron Sorkin? That came in at #2 last year.
But the Black List is quite handy for letting us get a peek inside what trends are hot at studios as of the end of 2010. For example, most likely due to Mr. Sorkin’s passion project mentioned above, “Based on True Events” scripts are all the rage right now. In fact, five out of the top ten most popular screenplays on the Black List are in some way based off of true-life stories.
Other themes we can pick up on?
Zombies. Expect to see a lot more of them in the future, because for some reason, they are super in right now. But, really, trying to read into the patterns of the Black List is about as accurate as using a Vaseline covered telescope. Sure, it gives us a broad picture of what’s going on, but when it comes to the details, everything gets kind of fuzzy. Also, keep in mind this is a list of unproduced screenplays — most of this stuff will never see the light of day outside of a development executive’s office.
You can find the full list here.
Anything in particular catch your eye? College Republicans, All You Need is Kill, and 999 all look to be pretty interesting based on their premises.
(Via Deadline.com)
