Every year, a list of the best unproduced screenplays, known as the "Black List," is published. Since its inception in 2005, many screenplays from this list have gone on to become highly successful films.

For instance, "Slumdog Millionaire" and "The King's Speech" were both on the Black List before becoming Oscar-winning films.

Increase Probabilities of Getting Your Screenplay Made

Approximately 30% of the screenplays that appear on the Black List eventually get produced into movies. This is a significant improvement compared to the industry average, where unproduced screenplays have a much lower chance of being made into films.

This high conversion rate and the notable successes of many Black List scripts underscore the list's impact in the film industry, making it a vital resource for discovering exceptional, yet initially overlooked, screenplays.

Here are three additional widely acclaimed films whose screenplays were on the Black List:

"Juno" (2007):
- Written by Diablo Cody, "Juno" tells the story of a teenage girl who faces an unplanned pregnancy and decides to give her baby up for adoption. The film was both a critical and commercial success, earning several Academy Award nominations, including a win for Best Original Screenplay.
"The Social Network" (2010):
- Written by Aaron Sorkin, this film explores the founding of Facebook and the ensuing legal battles. The screenplay, based on the book "The Accidental Billionaires" by Ben Mezrich, was praised for its sharp dialogue and compelling narrative. It won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
"Arrival" (2016):
- Adapted by Eric Heisserer from Ted Chiang's short story "Story of Your Life," "Arrival" is a science fiction film that delves into the complexities of language and time. The screenplay's innovative approach to storytelling and its emotional depth earned it an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay (The Black List) (American Cinematheque).

These films highlight the Black List's role in bringing high-quality, engaging stories to the forefront of the film industry.

Turning History On Its Head

Franklin Leonard, a film executive, created the list in 2005 as a way to highlight the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. He initially compiled the list based on recommendations from his industry contacts, aiming to bring attention to high-quality scripts that had not yet been picked up for production.

The name "Black List" was chosen as a play on words, evoking both the idea of an exclusive list and the traditional notion of a blacklist (of screenwriters who were ostracized from the industry by their supposed communist sympathies), but in this context, it represents a prestigious selection of the most promising screenplays that were being overlooked.

Final Cut

First things first... you have to write an exceptional script and to do that you need a plan.

Check out the FableSpark Newsletter for deep analysis and frameworks to help you get there.

The "Black List" Effect

Every year, a list of the best unproduced screenplays, known as the "Black List," is published. Sinc

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