There’s an annual list that circulates around Hollywood towards the close of the year.

It’s called The Black List and it contains the favourite scripts as voted for by over 150 agents and top level assistants.

The author of the list - development executive Franklin Leonard - pitches the document not as a “best of” list, more a “most liked” one. The only restriction is the scripts can’t be for films released in that particular calendar year.

2005’s list had strong showings for JUNO, THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE and LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, all of which came out this year.

2006 saw the THE BRIGANDS OF RATTLEBORGE, a violent, darkly comic Wester by S. Craig Zahler, Matt Carnahan’s STATE OF PLAY and this year’s RENDITION by Kelley Sane made the list.

The latest effort has the following scripts making the top three:-

44 votes for RECOUNT by Danny Strong - “A behind-the-scenes view of the 2000 presidential election and the scandal that ensued in the following weeks.”

43 votes for FARRAGUT NORTH by Beau Willimon - “A young, idealistic communications director for a fast-rising politician falls prey to backstabbing and trickery while working on a presidential campaign.”

38 votes for PASSENGERS by Jon Spaihts - “A passenger on an intergalactic spaceship is the only one prematurely thawed out from cryogenic slumber … 100 years before anyone else.”

The list is available here and is well worth a read if you want to get an early look at some of the high-profile films of 2008 and 2009.

I’m surprised there’s no mention of FROST/NIXON (which was written this year), I’m expecting that movie to be strong around the 2009 award season and Peter Morgan is all but guaranteed another Oscar nom.

source - hollywood elsewhere