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. Last year’s chart-topper, the post-WWII drama Ruin by Matthew Firpo and Ryan Firpo, secured Margot Robbie to star with direction by Macbeth and Snowtown‘s Justin Kurzel. Today we have this year’s edition.
Topping the 2018 edition is Frat Boy Genius by Elissa Karasik, which tells the story of Snapchat with a unique perspective. The technology and media world seems to be wholly represented with the rest of the list as well, including films on Matt Drudge, Cambridge Analytica, Gawker Media, and more.
As an early look for some potential upcoming films to keep on your radar, take a look at the top 15 scripts below, followed by a link to the full list, including the number of votes the top screenplays received.
Frat Boy Genius by Elissa Karasik (36 votes)
A disgruntled employee of Snapchat tells the rise of her former Stanford classmate, preeminent douchebag and current boss Evan Spiegel.
King Richard by Zach Baylin (35)
The true story of Richard Williams, the hard-nosed and uncompromising father of tennis prodigies turned superstars, Venus and Serena Williams.
Get Home Safe by Christy Hall (34)
A young woman must get home by herself on Halloween with no cell phone battery and a group of gamergate trolls out to get her.
Drudge by Cody Brotter (30)
The story of how oddball internet reporter Matt Drudge broke the Lewinsky Scandal and nearly took down a presidency, all from a desktop computer in his one-bedroom apartment in Hollywood.
Harry’s All Night Hamburgers by Steve Desmond, Michael Anthony Sherman (30)
A down-on-his-luck high school senior discovers that the old roadside diner outside of town is secretly a hangout for parallel universe travelers. He sets off on a mind-bending adventure across the multiverse that takes him beyond his wildest dreams.
Promising Young Woman by Emerald Fennell (30)
Still hurting years later from the suicide of her mistreated best friend, a woman is torn between seeking vengeance on the lost friend’s behalf and moving on with her life.
Cobweb by Chris Thomas Devlin (29)
Peter has always been told the voice he hears at night is only in his head, but when he suspects his parents have been lying, he conspires to free the girl within the walls of his house.
The Worst Guy of All Time (And the Girl Who Came to Kill Him) by Michael Waldron (26)
Barret is a social media influencer, the worst guy ever, and the eventual President of the United States. Dixie is a badass freedom fighter, sent back from 2076 to kill him before he takes over the world and ruins the future. They fucking hate each other. Then they accidentally fall in love.
Analytica by Scott F. Conroy (21)
The true story of Chris Wylie and Cambridge Analytica.
The Broodmare by Michael Voyer (20)
When a recovering member of Alcoholics Anonymous decides to make amends with his high school sweetheart, he soon realizes that her newfound love of equines may have some darker, more sinister connections.
Covers by Flora Greeson (20)
The longtime assistant of a famous singer must navigate the rocky waters of the LA music scene to make her dreams of producing music a reality.
The Biscuit by Jack Waz (19)
In 1998, a teacher and her veteran husband find a way to afford the family they’ve always dreamed of: by selling America’s nuclear launch codes after President Bill Clinton loses them.
Just the Facts by Kenny Kyle (19)
The riveting true story of AJ Daulerio’s meteoric rise from obscure sports blogger to Editor-in-Chief of Gawker Media during the wild, heady early days of the digital journalism boom, culminating in the Hulk Hogan sex tape trial, which brought about Gawker’s downfall and set a precedent for billionaires to attack the media and free speech.
The Seventh by Reiss Clauson-Wolf, Julian Silver (18)
A look at the regiment led by Colonel Custer in the days leading up to the disastrous fight at Little Bighorn against Sitting Bull.
Bag Man by Alex Convey (17)
Atticus Archer is college football’s version of a fixer. As he juggles chasing the nation’s top prospect, a mental breakdown from a star quarterback, and his own personal demons, an NCAA agent arrives on campus to threaten everything.
Continue reading the full list here.