Roadmap Writers, a screenwriting education and training platform based in Los Angeles, is partnering with Hollywood producer Barry Josephson to identify short stories fit for film and television adaptation.
The competition, open now and running through June 14, seeks commercial-leaning work and carries a cash prize of $7,000. The top three stories will be published on Roadmap Writers.
Short stories have become coveted in the rights market, especially over the past year, and have led to bidding wars among the major studios and streamers. Author Victor Sweetser sold the innovative haunted house film “The Occupant” to New Line this year, and Matt Query got a 7-figure deal at Netflix for his Reddit short story “My Wife and I Bought a Ranch.”
For the Josephson competition, scouters are asking for work no longer than 50 pages and can be of any genre. In addition to the short story, authors are requested to submit a...
The competition, open now and running through June 14, seeks commercial-leaning work and carries a cash prize of $7,000. The top three stories will be published on Roadmap Writers.
Short stories have become coveted in the rights market, especially over the past year, and have led to bidding wars among the major studios and streamers. Author Victor Sweetser sold the innovative haunted house film “The Occupant” to New Line this year, and Matt Query got a 7-figure deal at Netflix for his Reddit short story “My Wife and I Bought a Ranch.”
For the Josephson competition, scouters are asking for work no longer than 50 pages and can be of any genre. In addition to the short story, authors are requested to submit a...
- 5/6/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: We are hearing that in a competitive situation, Paramount Pictures has swooped in with a high six-figure deal to acquire the film rights to Matt and Harrison Query’s upcoming book, Wilderness Reform.
Wilderness Reform is the follow up book to the Query Brothers’ first novel, Old Country, which was published this July by Grand Central Publishing.
Wildernesses Reform tells the story of a group of teenagers who are shipped off to a juvenile reform camp only to discover the program has a far more sinister agenda than ever imagined. A highly coveted part in the project is that of Reid, the charismatic head counselor of the camp. The publishing rights to Wilderness Reform were auctioned off to publishers in a multi-bid bake off earlier this month with Emily Bestler/ Simon & Schuster winning out.
Harrison Query, who wrote War Party, which Andrew Dominik is attached to direct and Tom Hardy headline,...
Wilderness Reform is the follow up book to the Query Brothers’ first novel, Old Country, which was published this July by Grand Central Publishing.
Wildernesses Reform tells the story of a group of teenagers who are shipped off to a juvenile reform camp only to discover the program has a far more sinister agenda than ever imagined. A highly coveted part in the project is that of Reid, the charismatic head counselor of the camp. The publishing rights to Wilderness Reform were auctioned off to publishers in a multi-bid bake off earlier this month with Emily Bestler/ Simon & Schuster winning out.
Harrison Query, who wrote War Party, which Andrew Dominik is attached to direct and Tom Hardy headline,...
- 9/15/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Alexis Ostrander, who has directed episodes of AppleTV+’s M. Night Shyamalan series Servant and Netflix hit series Sweet Tooth is set to direct Screen Gems’ Delilah, from screenwriters Harrison Query and Tommy Wallach.
The psychological thriller, which Deadline first told you about, is said to be in the spirit of Gone Girl and remains in development. Scott Strauss and Michael Bitar brought in Delilah for Screen Gems and Dan Primozic made the deal for the studio.
Scott Glassgold and his Ground Control Entertainment are producing the feature; the Query and Wallach spec having created a stir in its spec sale earlier this year.
Ostrander is repped by CAA and Range Media Partners, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.
Glassgold and Query sold their Reddit-inspired horror pitch My Wife and I Bought a Ranch… to Netflix for over $1 million in July, a story authored by Query’s brother,...
The psychological thriller, which Deadline first told you about, is said to be in the spirit of Gone Girl and remains in development. Scott Strauss and Michael Bitar brought in Delilah for Screen Gems and Dan Primozic made the deal for the studio.
Scott Glassgold and his Ground Control Entertainment are producing the feature; the Query and Wallach spec having created a stir in its spec sale earlier this year.
Ostrander is repped by CAA and Range Media Partners, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.
Glassgold and Query sold their Reddit-inspired horror pitch My Wife and I Bought a Ranch… to Netflix for over $1 million in July, a story authored by Query’s brother,...
- 7/30/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Freelance animator Marcus Kliewer was already having a rough year when the pandemic hit. Supported by a Canadian unemployment program, the Vancouver resident decided to pour his energy into writing short horror stories and posting them on Reddit’s r/nosleep community.
The 28-year-old posted his first story of the pandemic in September. Three months later, his work was discovered by Ground Control Entertainment’s Scott Glassgold. In June, Netflix announced a screen-rights deal for his story “We Used to Live Here,” with Blake Lively attached to star and produce alongside Ground Control and Matt Reeves’ 6th & Idaho.
“If it wasn’t for Cerb (the unemployment program), I would be landscaping right now,” Kliewer told IndieWire. “Instead, I was writing six days a week full time.”
Kliewer said he also made a two book, high-six-figure deal with a major publishing company; he’s not saying which one, since it’s yet to be announced.
The 28-year-old posted his first story of the pandemic in September. Three months later, his work was discovered by Ground Control Entertainment’s Scott Glassgold. In June, Netflix announced a screen-rights deal for his story “We Used to Live Here,” with Blake Lively attached to star and produce alongside Ground Control and Matt Reeves’ 6th & Idaho.
“If it wasn’t for Cerb (the unemployment program), I would be landscaping right now,” Kliewer told IndieWire. “Instead, I was writing six days a week full time.”
Kliewer said he also made a two book, high-six-figure deal with a major publishing company; he’s not saying which one, since it’s yet to be announced.
- 7/16/2021
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Netflix is making a screen rights deal for We Used to Live Here, a psychological thriller novella by Marcus Kliewer that got the town in a tizzy when it was shopped last week. Blake Lively is attached to star and produce with Kate Vorhoff through Lively’s B for Effort banner, along with Ground Control Entertainment’s Scott Glassgold, and 6th & Idaho’s Matt Reeves and Adam Kassan. It came to Netflix through 6th & Idaho’s first-look Netflix deal. Dan Kagan is also producing. Novella deal was a solid six figures and they are tying up the other deals.
Published as part of Reddit’s nosleep feature, the novella has a potent premise, about returning to your old childhood home only to realize it is not quite what you remember. A homeowner gets a knock at her door while her partner is at work. It’s a husband, wife and kids.
Published as part of Reddit’s nosleep feature, the novella has a potent premise, about returning to your old childhood home only to realize it is not quite what you remember. A homeowner gets a knock at her door while her partner is at work. It’s a husband, wife and kids.
- 6/3/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: In a pre-emptive sale, Sony’s Screen Gems tonight acquired the spec thriller Delilah from screenwriter Harrison Query and his writing partner, Tommy Wallach. The script is in the vein of Gone Girl and has a strong female lead. Screen Gems is fast tracking.
The pic will be produced by Scott Glassgold and his Ground Control Entertainment. Glassgold and Query recently sold their Reddit-inspired horror pitch My Wife and I Bought a Ranch… to Netflix for over $1 million in July, a story authored by Query’s brother, Matt Query. Separately, Query made a big pitch sale in October with Heads of State, with Idris Elba and John Cena attached and Peter Safran producing. Among Glassgold and Query’s other joint projects are a modern-day Three Musketeers at Netflix and Incident at Fort Bragg at Lionsgate.
While this represents Wallach’s first spec sale, he is an author whose novel,...
The pic will be produced by Scott Glassgold and his Ground Control Entertainment. Glassgold and Query recently sold their Reddit-inspired horror pitch My Wife and I Bought a Ranch… to Netflix for over $1 million in July, a story authored by Query’s brother, Matt Query. Separately, Query made a big pitch sale in October with Heads of State, with Idris Elba and John Cena attached and Peter Safran producing. Among Glassgold and Query’s other joint projects are a modern-day Three Musketeers at Netflix and Incident at Fort Bragg at Lionsgate.
While this represents Wallach’s first spec sale, he is an author whose novel,...
- 1/16/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Amazon Studios has won Heads of State, a pitch package designed to re-team John Cena and Idris Elba, who star in the upcoming The Suicide Squad sequel at Warner Bros. The project was sold after a Zoom pitch presentation with the actors, screenwriter Harrison Query, and the producers (The Safran Company’s Peter Safran and John Rickard). The actors are finalizing, and this was a high six figure against low seven figure deal for the writer. Amazon moved quickly to halt the pitching process and take Heads of State off the table.
Specifics are being kept under wraps, but I’m told this is a ’90s style two-hander, a high octane premise that has a bit of Air Force One meets Hobbs and Shaw, bringing together an odd couple in a high stakes situation. A producer on the James Gunn-directed The Suicide Squad, Safran came away from the...
Specifics are being kept under wraps, but I’m told this is a ’90s style two-hander, a high octane premise that has a bit of Air Force One meets Hobbs and Shaw, bringing together an odd couple in a high stakes situation. A producer on the James Gunn-directed The Suicide Squad, Safran came away from the...
- 10/2/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.