The Black List

This article sheds some light on the infamous Black List, an annual list of the best unproduced scripts floating around Hollywood. No tips for actually getting on the elusive list, but an interesting read nonetheless:

If you’ve ever wondered what Jason Bourne was like in high school, you’re in luck. Today sees the release of Abduction, a bland-looking thriller starring Twilight heartthrob Taylor Lautner. Lautner’s complete inability to emote—what some people would call “acting”—precludes him from most roles, but not from woodenly scowling through a by-the-numbers action flick.  […]

That’s why it’s so surprising that as recently as last year, Abduction was listed as one of the most impressive unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. The film ranked among the 76 movies featured on 2010’s “Black List”—an annual poll in which almost 300 anonymous studio executives weigh in on the most promising screenplays floating around in Hollywood. Each year’s Black List—which is ordered by the number of “mentions” a script gets from the executives surveyed—is a singular opportunity to look into the minds of the people who determine which movies you can see at your local theater.