The Black List 2021 (Most-Liked Unproduced Screenplays)

[HorrorBlu]

Does anyone here follow the Black List? It is an annual list of the most-liked spec scripts floating around Hollywood that haven't been produced yet.

2021's list was just released yesterday, if anyone is curious to read through titles and loglines:

https://deadline.com/2021/12/the-bla...ts-1234890009/

So, why discuss a bunch of scripts that haven't been made? Well, it is a good indicator of what will potentially be made soon. For aspiring screenwriters, it is also a good indicator of what is popular right now.

Some screenplays that have made past lists:

2019 - Don't Worry Darling, 8-Bit Christmas
2018 - King Richard, Promising Young Woman, Queen & Slim, The Half Of It
2017 - Breaking News In Yuba County, Infinite, The Other Lamb, Greenland, The Lodge, All My Life
2016 - Life Itself, The Post, Oxygen, Hala, Free Guy, I Think We're Alone Now, Late Night, Villains, Adrift, I Tonya, Palmer, Bad Education, Hotel Artemis
2015 - Stronger, Miss Sloane, Eli, White Boy Rick, Dreamland, All The Money In The World, Chappaquiddick, Operation Finale, Set It Up, Senior Year (upcoming Rebel Wilson movie), Wish Upon


Anything on the 2021 list sound especially interesting?

The screenplays themselves aren't difficult to find, if anyone is looking. Anyone read any of these?

Or have you read any unproduced screenplays from any of the previous year's lists that were especially good?

[Foggy]

It’s always interesting how many of these scripts ultimately make bad films.

[-JKR-]

Some of those loglines sound groanworthy.

[MazeRunner]

These sound like they barely have plots.

[Synchg]

Originally Posted by Foggy

It’s always interesting how many of these scripts ultimately make bad films.

yeah i've always felt the same way.

at their best, they're so and so movies, but the majority of them DO get made under the pretense of being the 'best unproduced screenplays'
hollywood doesn't know what its talking about

[HorrorBlu]

I started with Cruel Summer, expecting a thriller. Instead I got Weekend At Bernie's at a summer camp. The humor doesn't land, and there are a ton of characters who are all interchangeable so I was struggling to remember who was who. Wasn't a fan.

[HorrorBlu]

This year's top pick Cauliflower was a good read. Briskly paced, entertaining, and fairly twisted. Calling it "the best" maybe puts unreasonably high expectations on it, but it'd make for a good movie. Hope it gets made.

I also enjoyed last year's top script Headhunter, which is extremely morbid and twisted, but it was a bit of a strange choice because there is no way it could ever be made. It's a beat-for-beat rip-off of American Psycho to the point where if Bret Easton Ellis were to sue, he would easily win. It will probably get the writer work though.