Jurassic Park represents something of a special case among spec sales. The film centers on a banker, played by Michael Douglas, who finds himself at the center of a deadly, labyrinthine alternate reality game. In any case, the screenplay fetched an impressive two million dollars before lingering in development hell before Fincher eventually came on board. The Game, otherwise known as David Fincher’s most criminally underrated film, was a mild box office success worldwide, though it failed to light a fire with audiences in the same way that Se7en had (though Fincher would rectify that a couple of years later with Fight Club). The Game (1997) – John Brancato, Michael Ferris The film itself, a modern retelling of Noah’s Ark featuring Steve Carell, fared considerably worse with critics and audiences, failing to make good on its 175 million dollar budget. Either way, the success of its predecessor made a potential sequel and hot commodity, which translated to a 2.5 million dollar payday for writer Tom Shadyac.
![screenplays wanted 2019 screenplays wanted 2019](http://scriptshadow.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Screen-Shot-2019-02-01-at-4.10.38-PM-888x1024.png)
Then again, given that Bruce Almighty grossed nearly half a billion dollars worldwide, I guess we sort of did. The film was hardly a critical darling, and it failed to make back its budget in theaters, though it maintains something of a cult following even today. Think Before Sunrise, only remade as a raunchy R-Rated comedy without all the experimental, real-time shenanigans. Written by three vets of the Curb Your Enthusiasm/Seinfeld school of comedy, EuroTrip features a merry band of Americans on a pilgrimage across Europe, from London to the Vatican. The film itself, directed by the late, great Tony Scott, released to somewhat mixed reviews and mild box office success.ĮuroTrip (2004) – Alec Berc, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer In some ways, it feels like an endnote in the wave of existential thrillers that permeated the 90s and early 2000s, from Dark City and The Matrix, to Gattaca, Minority Report, and even Memento. Written by Bill Marsilii and Pirates of the Caribbean’s Terry Rossio, Déjà Vu features a scifi thriller plot imbued with time travel and a healthy dose of 9/11 paranoia. To this day, Déjà Vu remains one of the absolute highest selling spec sales of all time. Today, the film maintains its fair share of fans, along with a handful of iconic moments that will forever be ingrained in cinematic history (ok, maybe just one moment).ĭéjà Vu (2006) – Terry Rossio and Bill Marsilii It did extraordinarily well at the box office, though critical reception was somewhat more muted. Directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas, Basic Instinct resembles a neo-noir crossed with an erotic thriller. Whether that also has something to do with the decline in Hollywood’s spec-gluttony is anyone’s guess.Īccording to legend, Joe Eszterhas somehow managed to write Basic Instinct in a mere 13 days, prompting a bidding war in Hollywood that netted him a healthy three million in return for his troubles. To our eyes, many of the films on this list fared rather poorly when it came to return on investment. While you’re reading, see if you can spot any common trends (aside from just generally being Shane Black). Until then, here’s a list of some of the highest selling screenplays of all time to whet your appetite.
![screenplays wanted 2019 screenplays wanted 2019](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/6d/ab/ae/6dabaeb887649fb7b88cc50a98cf7369.jpg)
And with new industry titans like Netflix and Amazon Studios in need of material, the “spec script” is all but guaranteed a second wind. It’s how Spielberg, Lucas, De Palma and Coppola got in the game back when corporate giants bought the studios back in the sixties and seventies. Still, periods of transition tend to open just as many doors as they close. These days, you’re more likely to start a bidding war over a pilot than a feature spec, which in the era of peak TV, is far from a consolation prize (in case you needed clarification). Hollywood’s still buying, of course – but the rate has decreased. In other words, we’re in a period of transition.
![screenplays wanted 2019 screenplays wanted 2019](https://assets.capitalfm.com/2011/37/the-wanted-11-1315949020-view-0.jpg)
![screenplays wanted 2019 screenplays wanted 2019](https://www.scriptreaderpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/rsz_icons8-team-1221958-unsplash-2.jpg)
Why? It’s a long story, but the short version is this: unsustainable budgets, and a shifting distribution landscape. These days, spec scripts have fallen somewhat out of vogue. One boom in particular, which lasted throughout the 90s and well into the mid 2000s, was characterized by the rise of the “spec script” – a catchall term for an unsolicited bundle of blood, sweat, and tears intended to set the studios on fire and fetch a fortuitous screenwriter a few bucks in the process. Like any industry, Hollywood operates according to booms and busts.