Rounding up the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood, as voted on by hundreds of film executives, The Black List has been a strong resource to clue one in on projects to potentially anticipate, but first, to kickstart Hollywood on bringing them to screen. Today we have this year’s edition, as voted on by more than 375 film executives.
Topping the 2023 edition is Travis Braun’s Bad Boy, which follows a rescue dog who suspects his loving new owner is a serial killer. Other scripts include The Great Pretender, a drama which imagines the kidnapping of Tom Hanks; the Super Bowl-set sniper drama The Nest; the Area 51 thriller 10/24/02; a Hans Christian Andersen meets Charles Dickens fantasy; plus films about Patsy Cline, Didier Drogba, Arthur Miller and Elia Kazan, Ftx’s downfall, and more.
See the list below via Deadline (and Pdf here), ranked from top to bottom by number of votes.
Topping the 2023 edition is Travis Braun’s Bad Boy, which follows a rescue dog who suspects his loving new owner is a serial killer. Other scripts include The Great Pretender, a drama which imagines the kidnapping of Tom Hanks; the Super Bowl-set sniper drama The Nest; the Area 51 thriller 10/24/02; a Hans Christian Andersen meets Charles Dickens fantasy; plus films about Patsy Cline, Didier Drogba, Arthur Miller and Elia Kazan, Ftx’s downfall, and more.
See the list below via Deadline (and Pdf here), ranked from top to bottom by number of votes.
- 12/11/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Black List has revealed its 2023 list of best unproduced screenplays, with scripts that include a biopic of country singer Patsy Cline, the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried crypto empire Ftx, and an action-comedy about Tom Hanks and his doppelganger.
Topping this year’s list is a feature script from Travis Braun titled Bad Boy, with a logline that reads: “A rescue dog suspects his loving new owner is a serial killer.”
Elsewhere on the list is a screenplay about the Broadway playwright behind notorious disaster Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark from writer Hunter Toro, and a script focused on soccer star Didier Drogba from Jackson Kellard.
“This year, the industry was defined by a debate about the value of writers within it, and I think it’s inevitable that this year’s Black List means more than it has in the past,” said Black List founder and CEO Franklin Leonard.
Topping this year’s list is a feature script from Travis Braun titled Bad Boy, with a logline that reads: “A rescue dog suspects his loving new owner is a serial killer.”
Elsewhere on the list is a screenplay about the Broadway playwright behind notorious disaster Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark from writer Hunter Toro, and a script focused on soccer star Didier Drogba from Jackson Kellard.
“This year, the industry was defined by a debate about the value of writers within it, and I think it’s inevitable that this year’s Black List means more than it has in the past,” said Black List founder and CEO Franklin Leonard.
- 12/11/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Verve continues to ramp up its unscripted business with the latest addition of Lanie Ragsdale as Non-Fiction Agent. Ragsdale’s move to Verve follows the hire of Andy Stabile as Partner and Head of Non-Fiction in July.
Ragsdale will work with Stabile as he continues to build out the agency’s non-fiction roster and diversify its existing slate of projects.
Ragsdale began her career at ICM in the Alternative Department before transitioning to production and development at Jeff Jenkins Productions and then Bright Spot Content, an All3 Media America company. Ragsdale has worked on projects for NBCU, Amazon and Netflix’s hit series Bling Empire and My Unorthodox Life.
Said Stabile on behalf of the Partnership “We are thrilled to have Lanie join the Non-Fiction team at Verve. Her work ethic and passion for the space make her the perfect addition as we continue to grow Verve’s footprint in the Non-Fiction world.
Ragsdale will work with Stabile as he continues to build out the agency’s non-fiction roster and diversify its existing slate of projects.
Ragsdale began her career at ICM in the Alternative Department before transitioning to production and development at Jeff Jenkins Productions and then Bright Spot Content, an All3 Media America company. Ragsdale has worked on projects for NBCU, Amazon and Netflix’s hit series Bling Empire and My Unorthodox Life.
Said Stabile on behalf of the Partnership “We are thrilled to have Lanie join the Non-Fiction team at Verve. Her work ethic and passion for the space make her the perfect addition as we continue to grow Verve’s footprint in the Non-Fiction world.
- 10/7/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Verve has promoted Melissa Darman to partner.
Darman, who joined Verve in 2014, started her career at ICM before pivoting to the studio system to work in comedy development at ABC Network. She then moved onto Lionsgate before joining Verve, where she has continued to focus on comedy during her time as an agent on the TV literary team.
“Working at Verve continues to be rewarding on a daily basis,” Darman said in a statement. “I could not be more proud to be a part of such a forward-thinking company that cares equally about the well-being and success of both its employees and clients. I’m thrilled to be a part of the leadership that grows and strengthens the company, and our industry, every day.”
With the elevation of Darman, that brings the total number of partners at Verve to 11. Darman joins founders Bryan Besser, Adam Levine and Bill Weinstein, and...
Darman, who joined Verve in 2014, started her career at ICM before pivoting to the studio system to work in comedy development at ABC Network. She then moved onto Lionsgate before joining Verve, where she has continued to focus on comedy during her time as an agent on the TV literary team.
“Working at Verve continues to be rewarding on a daily basis,” Darman said in a statement. “I could not be more proud to be a part of such a forward-thinking company that cares equally about the well-being and success of both its employees and clients. I’m thrilled to be a part of the leadership that grows and strengthens the company, and our industry, every day.”
With the elevation of Darman, that brings the total number of partners at Verve to 11. Darman joins founders Bryan Besser, Adam Levine and Bill Weinstein, and...
- 8/12/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Verve has upped coordinators Jessica Zou and Noah Liebmiller to Agents in the Motion Picture Literary Team.
The agency, which has a tradition of surprising staffers with promotions, last week tasked Liebmiller and Zou with putting together a video as part of a signing exercise. I understand they were told that the video was not only important but needed to convey the theatrical gravitas of the signing pursuit. During a recent all-company staff meeting, the video was played to great reception and the promotions were announced by the co-heads of the Motion Picture Lit Team who reflected on how deserving both Liebmiller and Zou were of their new titles.
Zou, who holds a Master’s in Communications from USC, began her career in the UTA mailroom before joining Verve in February 2020 where she worked for Motion Picture Lit Agents Pamela Goldstein and Sara Nestor. Liebmiller, a Middlebury College graduate and another homegrown agent,...
The agency, which has a tradition of surprising staffers with promotions, last week tasked Liebmiller and Zou with putting together a video as part of a signing exercise. I understand they were told that the video was not only important but needed to convey the theatrical gravitas of the signing pursuit. During a recent all-company staff meeting, the video was played to great reception and the promotions were announced by the co-heads of the Motion Picture Lit Team who reflected on how deserving both Liebmiller and Zou were of their new titles.
Zou, who holds a Master’s in Communications from USC, began her career in the UTA mailroom before joining Verve in February 2020 where she worked for Motion Picture Lit Agents Pamela Goldstein and Sara Nestor. Liebmiller, a Middlebury College graduate and another homegrown agent,...
- 6/28/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Agent Josh Rahm is set to join Verve sources tell Deadline. The former ICM Partners agent will join Verve’s Talent Department which has nearly quadrupled in size in recent months following the news former WME agent Sean Grumman would head up the department. Rahm joins former ICM Partners colleague, talent agent Jr Ringer as well, both bringing a roster of up and coming clientele, including Charlotte Hope, Keean Johnson, Evin Ahmad, Ruairi O’Connor, Tadanobu Asano Ludi Lin and Jorge Lendeborg Jr with more announcements to come.
“I’m proud to be joining the team at Verve and to work with likeminded colleagues who believe in artist first representation. The energy and creativity within the walls here is palpable and I’m thrilled to be a part of further building out the talent business at Verve,” said Rahm.
Prior to ICM, Rahm spent a decade at CAA, working within the talent and lit departments,...
“I’m proud to be joining the team at Verve and to work with likeminded colleagues who believe in artist first representation. The energy and creativity within the walls here is palpable and I’m thrilled to be a part of further building out the talent business at Verve,” said Rahm.
Prior to ICM, Rahm spent a decade at CAA, working within the talent and lit departments,...
- 3/14/2022
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Olivia Mascheroni has joined Verve Ventures. She will be part of a growing independent sales and financing team that is led by Amy Beecroft and Ross Putman.
Mascheroni most recently served as director of Ddvelopment at Madre Venturers, a venture capital firm, and served as executive of new media at The Blacklist prior to that. She has also held positions at both Blumhouse and CAA, where she worked in both the Television and Motion Picture Literary Departments.
“Coming over feels like coming home,” says Mascheroni. “I know so many of the people who work here and admire what they do. And there’s such a great creative approach to things that offers a lot to filmmakers and allows us to make great independent projects.”
Verve’s talent team has quadrupled in size since last year and the film team says it expects to continue expanding.
“Olivia is joining us because...
Mascheroni most recently served as director of Ddvelopment at Madre Venturers, a venture capital firm, and served as executive of new media at The Blacklist prior to that. She has also held positions at both Blumhouse and CAA, where she worked in both the Television and Motion Picture Literary Departments.
“Coming over feels like coming home,” says Mascheroni. “I know so many of the people who work here and admire what they do. And there’s such a great creative approach to things that offers a lot to filmmakers and allows us to make great independent projects.”
Verve’s talent team has quadrupled in size since last year and the film team says it expects to continue expanding.
“Olivia is joining us because...
- 2/11/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
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