Will the Spec Script Rise Again in Hollywood? | Vanity Fair

Will the Spec Script Rise Again in Hollywood? | Vanity Fair:

"Monday mornings in Hollywood used to mean something. Back in the 1990s—before the weekend box office was entirely dominated by sequels, prequels, movies based on board games, and other pre-sold “franchises”—Monday mornings were when original screenplays hit the auction block, and here’s how it used to happen: A lit (literary) agent called a series of studio executives and barked, “We’re going out with a hot spec.” Within the hour, a phalanx of messengers descended on the agency’s front desk, took copies of the script, and dashed off to the major studios—Columbia, Paramount, MGM, Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, Fox—and to mini-majors such as Miramax and New Line Cinema."

Man, in the 1980s the spec market was good, a screenwriter could make some bucks much easier than today, with options for real money, not necessarily sales. I did pretty well myself then. Be nice for young screenwriters if the spec market returned.