Genre: Sci-Fi Premise: An archeologist father and his young daughter must attempt to decipher an ancient alien message on a distant planet. About: This is the big package that is bringing back a lot of the same team from “Arrival,” as this is another thinking man’s sci-fi story. The short story comes from Ken Liu. […]

One of the best titles ever! Titles are one of the most under-analyzed elements of screenwriting. That’s because titles don’t truly become important until the movie is being marketed. And since titles are only a few words, potential script buyers know they can easily change them. However, a good title can make a great first […]

Genre: High School/Comedy Premise: A high school gossip blogger uses his influence to help a nobody win prom queen while subsequently taking down the most popular girl in school. About: This script broke through two years ago and made the Black List. The writers, Hannah Hafey and Kaitlin Smith, are brand new on the scene. […]

Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller Premise: When a major accident occurs at America’s first giant particle accelerator, a hazmat team is sent in to measure the damage, only to realize that something about the event feels like deja vu. About: This is a spec script that sold a few years back to Lionsgate. Screenwriter Justin Rhodes made a […]

Is this the best sci-fi fantasy short story ever written? Genre: Short Story – Drama/Fantasy Premise: A young half-Chinese half-American boy struggles to connect with his Chinese mother, who doesn’t speak English. About: This is a multiple award-winning short story by Ken Liu from his short story collection, “The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories.” You […]