Roadmap Writers, a screenwriting education and training platform based in Los Angeles, is partnering with Hollywood producer Barry Josephson to identify short stories fit for film and television adaptation.
The competition, open now and running through June 14, seeks commercial-leaning work and carries a cash prize of $7,000. The top three stories will be published on Roadmap Writers.
Short stories have become coveted in the rights market, especially over the past year, and have led to bidding wars among the major studios and streamers. Author Victor Sweetser sold the innovative haunted house film “The Occupant” to New Line this year, and Matt Query got a 7-figure deal at Netflix for his Reddit short story “My Wife and I Bought a Ranch.”
For the Josephson competition, scouters are asking for work no longer than 50 pages and can be of any genre. In addition to the short story, authors are requested to submit a...
The competition, open now and running through June 14, seeks commercial-leaning work and carries a cash prize of $7,000. The top three stories will be published on Roadmap Writers.
Short stories have become coveted in the rights market, especially over the past year, and have led to bidding wars among the major studios and streamers. Author Victor Sweetser sold the innovative haunted house film “The Occupant” to New Line this year, and Matt Query got a 7-figure deal at Netflix for his Reddit short story “My Wife and I Bought a Ranch.”
For the Josephson competition, scouters are asking for work no longer than 50 pages and can be of any genre. In addition to the short story, authors are requested to submit a...
- 5/6/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Earlier this year, New Line Cinema acquired the rights to a short horror story titled The Occupant, and THR reports today that Blair Butler has been hired to write the script. Previously announced, Zach Cregger (Barbarian) will produce the film.
Running just 39 pages long, the original horror story was written by Victor Sweetser.
THR notes, “New Line is keeping the logline of the take in the basement, but story is a spin on the traditional haunted house tale in which a family moves into a spooky home. In this case, when a mysterious, old house is moved to a small town, something sinister arrives with it.”
Roy Lee and Scott Glassgold will produce the film adaptation alongside Cregger.
Deadline had previously provided the following synopsis…
“This is the story of a 100-year old Victorian home offered up for free, with the caveat the new owner has to put it on...
Running just 39 pages long, the original horror story was written by Victor Sweetser.
THR notes, “New Line is keeping the logline of the take in the basement, but story is a spin on the traditional haunted house tale in which a family moves into a spooky home. In this case, when a mysterious, old house is moved to a small town, something sinister arrives with it.”
Roy Lee and Scott Glassgold will produce the film adaptation alongside Cregger.
Deadline had previously provided the following synopsis…
“This is the story of a 100-year old Victorian home offered up for free, with the caveat the new owner has to put it on...
- 10/5/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
In one of its first development moves since the end of the writers strike, New Line has hired Blair Butler to write Occupant, the adaptation of a short story by Victor Sweetser.
Zach Cregger, the filmmaker behind the critically adored 2022 horror movie Barbarian, is producing the supernatural thriller with frequent collaborator Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment. Vertigo’s Miri Yoon and Scott Glassgold of Ground Control — the latter specializes in the horror short-story adaptation business — are also producing, as is John Poliquin.
The project was the subject of a heated bidding war in February with New Line, the Warner Bros. division that dominates the studio horror space, winning it with a six-figure outright buy.
New Line is keeping the logline locked in the basement, but the story is a spin on the traditional haunted house tale. In this case, when a mysterious old house is moved to a small town,...
Zach Cregger, the filmmaker behind the critically adored 2022 horror movie Barbarian, is producing the supernatural thriller with frequent collaborator Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment. Vertigo’s Miri Yoon and Scott Glassgold of Ground Control — the latter specializes in the horror short-story adaptation business — are also producing, as is John Poliquin.
The project was the subject of a heated bidding war in February with New Line, the Warner Bros. division that dominates the studio horror space, winning it with a six-figure outright buy.
New Line is keeping the logline locked in the basement, but the story is a spin on the traditional haunted house tale. In this case, when a mysterious old house is moved to a small town,...
- 10/5/2023
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
We had learned last week that a handful of major players were trying to scoop up a short horror story titled The Occupant, and THR provides an update on that bidding war this week.
Running just 39 pages long, the story was written by Victor Sweetser, and THR reports that New Line has prevailed as the winner of the auction. Attached to produce for New Line? Zach Cregger, who wrote and directed last year’s horror hit Barbarian.
THR notes, “There were numerous studios and filmmakers fighting in the trenches for the project — Paramount, Lionsgate, Amazon — but in the end it was New Line that won it.”
Roy Lee and Scott Glassgold will produce the film adaptation alongside Cregger.
“Occupant is described as a reverse haunted house story. Instead of a family moving into an abode, here a historical house is moved for preservation purposes into a neighborhood.”
Deadline had previously provided the following synopsis…...
Running just 39 pages long, the story was written by Victor Sweetser, and THR reports that New Line has prevailed as the winner of the auction. Attached to produce for New Line? Zach Cregger, who wrote and directed last year’s horror hit Barbarian.
THR notes, “There were numerous studios and filmmakers fighting in the trenches for the project — Paramount, Lionsgate, Amazon — but in the end it was New Line that won it.”
Roy Lee and Scott Glassgold will produce the film adaptation alongside Cregger.
“Occupant is described as a reverse haunted house story. Instead of a family moving into an abode, here a historical house is moved for preservation purposes into a neighborhood.”
Deadline had previously provided the following synopsis…...
- 2/17/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Exclusive: A highly competitive bidding war ended with New Line Cinema paying high-six figures in an outright buy for Victor Sweetser’s hot horror short story, Occupant. Barbarian’s Zach Cregger, Vertigo’s Roy Lee and Ground Control’s Scott Glassgold are on board to produce. Deadline revealed the auction as it was heating up today. It is a testament to the power of genre IP.
Related Story Behind The Scenes Of Zach Cregger’s Extraordinary ‘Weapons’ Auction & Its Aftermath: The Dish Related Story Horror Short Story 'The Occupant' Scares Up Torrent Of Movie Rights Bids: The Dish Related Story BoulderLight, Zach Cregger Set 'Companion' At New Line, Will Produce Thriller From Drew Hancock
With the story only on the market for less than 24 hours, a tremendous amount of interest was generated around town for what is being described as a reinvention of the haunted house movie. The...
Related Story Behind The Scenes Of Zach Cregger’s Extraordinary ‘Weapons’ Auction & Its Aftermath: The Dish Related Story Horror Short Story 'The Occupant' Scares Up Torrent Of Movie Rights Bids: The Dish Related Story BoulderLight, Zach Cregger Set 'Companion' At New Line, Will Produce Thriller From Drew Hancock
With the story only on the market for less than 24 hours, a tremendous amount of interest was generated around town for what is being described as a reinvention of the haunted house movie. The...
- 2/11/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
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