The 2013 Black List — Hollywood’s annual compilation of the industry’s “most liked” but as-yet-unmade scripts — was released yesterday. Of the 72 screenplays that made it on the List, only 11 were writen by a female writer, while another two were co-written by a co-ed duo. 13 out of 72 amounts to about 18%.
Interestingly, 17–8% is more or less the same percentage that make up the glass ceiling in Hollywood. The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at SD State reports that “in 2012, women comprised 18% of all directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films.” Of the 250 highest-earning films of 2012, 15% were written by female screenwriters.
One very problematic trend to note is that there are very few scripts about women. We count only seven total out of 72 scripts, and five of them are written by women. (There is one woman-written script that does not indicate gender). So that means that men are not writing about women at all. There are 11 biopics on the list, for example, and NOT A SINGLE ONE is about a woman — and two are about Mr. Rodgers. Weirdly, there are also two films about the making of the movie Jaws.
And a bunch of the films — all written by men — are already on their way to being made.
Scroll down for a list of the women-written Black Listers:
THE SPECIAL PROGRAM
Debora Cahn
The true story of Jack Goldsmith, a young attorney who took charge of the White House’s Office of Legal Counsel, then courageously took on Vice President Cheney and his powerful inner circle when he discovered they were running a number of illegal activities through their so-called “Special Program.”
Agency: CAA
Agent: Craig Brody
Financier: The Weinstein Company
Producer: Spring Creek
REMINISCENCE
Lisa Joy Nolan
An “archeologist” whose technology allows you to relive your past finds himself abusing his own science to find the missing love of his life.
Agency: UTA
Agents: Kassie Evashevski, Keya Khayatian, Julien Thuan
Financier: Legendary Entertainment
DOGFIGHT
Nicole Riegel
A 15-year-old boy discovers that his kidnapped older brother has been living in a hidden, meth-producing compound, and infiltrates the camp in hopes of helping his brother escape.
Agency: CAA
Agents: Matt Martin, Matt Rosen
Management: Anonymous Content
Manager: Nicole Romano
THE CIVILIAN
Rachel Long, Brian Pittman
After an American doctor has his identity stolen by a covert operative, he must assume the dangerous mission of the one who stole it in order to clear his name.
Agency: UTA
Agents: Rames Ishak, Michael Sheresky
Management: Management 360
Manager: Scott Carr
Financier: Millennium Films
QUEEN OF HEARTS
Stephanie Shannon
Oxford instructor Charles Dodgson (Louis Carroll) tells stories to the dean’s daughter Alice, and her sisters, while falling in love with the dean’s wife.
Agency: CAA
Agents: JP Evans, Matt Rosen
Management: Brillstein Entertainment Partners
Manager: David McIlvain
Financier/producer: Odd Lot Entertainment
1969: A SPACE ODYSSEY OR HOW KUBRICK LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LAND ON THE MOON
Stephany Folsom
With NASA’s Apollo program in trouble and the Soviets threatening nuclear war, a female PR operative conspires with NASA’s Public Affairs Office to stage a fake moon landing in case Armstrong and Aldren fail, the goal being to generate public excitement that will aid the U.S. in winning the Cold War. But the op is faced with the biggest challenge of all: Filming the fake lunar landing with temperamental Stanley Kubrick.
Management: Kaplan/Perrone
Manager: Aaron Kaplan
SEED
Christina Hodson
After suffering a devastating miscarriage a young woman and her fiance travel to Italy where she meets his family for the first time, but her grief turns to shock when the local doctor declares that she’s still pregnant. And while her fiance and his family seem delighted by the news, she begins to suspect their true motives are quiet sinister.
Agency: CAA
Agents: Jay Baker, Matt Rosen
Management: Kaplan/Perrone
Manager: Tobin Babst
Producer: The Safran Company, Temple Hill Entertainment
PURE O
Kate Trefry
In order to overcome violent visions brought on by OCD, a promising young writer is urged by family and friends to step outside her comfort zone to experience the excitement and vulnerability of truly living.
Management: Caliber Media
Manager: Lee Stobby
SUGAR IN MY VEINS
Barbara Stepansky
A 14-year-old female prodigy finds companionship for the first time when she befriends a handsome older man.
Agency: ICM
Agents: Cullen Conly, Kathleen Remington
Management: HertzbergMedia
Manager: Alex Hertzberg
BEAUTY QUEEN
Annie Neal
An unhappily married woman and her best friend go on a road trip to Las Vegas to compete in the Miss Married America competition.
Agency: Paradigm
Agents: Chris Smith, Ida Ziniti
Management: Benderspink
Manager: Daniel Yang, Jake Wagner
THE REMAINS
Meaghan Oppenheimer
Three former childhood friends with a complicated history get back together to spread the ashes of their friend who recently died.
Agency: CAA
Agents: Rowena Arguelles, Melissa Wells
Management: Underground
Manager: Evan Silverberg
DUDE
Olivia Milch
The story of four best girlfriends who must learn how to move forward without moving on, as they come down off their “high” of high school in this “Fast Times-esque” teenage comedy.
Agency: ICM
Agents: John Burnham, Brian Diperstein
Management: Mosaic
Managers: Jimmy Miller, Langley Perer
ELSEWHERE
Mikki Daughtry, Tobias Iaconis
After his girlfriend dies in a car accident, a man finds his true soulmate, only to wake from a coma to learn his perfect life was just a dream — one he is determined to make real.
Agency: Paradigm
Agent: David Boxerbaum
Management: Madhouse Entertainment
Manager: Adam Kolbrenner
Producer: Madhouse Entertainment
