The Return of the Spec Script—Is There Hope for Original Screenplays in Hollywood?

Podcast: The Town with Matthew Belloni
Date: October 1, 2025
Host: Matthew Belloni (B)
Guest: Jeff Schevitz (C), Literary Manager and Producer at Entertainment360

Episode Overview

This episode explores whether original screenplays—known as spec scripts—are making a comeback in Hollywood. Matthew Belloni brings on Jeff Schevitz, an experienced literary manager, to dissect trends in the spec market, why studios are showing renewed interest in originals, and what this shift means for writers, agencies, and the future of the movie industry.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Spec Script Sales: Real Uptick or Short-Lived Blip?

• Belloni asks if there's a recent rise in spec sales.
• Schevitz: "I don't think it's a few months. I think it's 24 months." [04:19]
  • The shift began around 2024, with several notable spec sales prompting his company to push more writers toward producing original material.

2. Why the Change? Studio Tastes and Market Dynamics

• Success of Recent Originals: Hits like Weapons, Sinners, Barbarian, and Anyone But You have demonstrated demand for original content. [04:40]

• Efficiency and Freshness: Studios and execs are weary from years-long development cycles; a compelling spec offers something new and actionable.

  • Quote:

  "When a spec walks in the door and it actually feels like a movie, that's very comforting... you’ve got something that you can talk about that is actionable today."
  — Schevitz [05:24]

• Packages vs. Specs: Previously, projects were sold as star-studded "packages." Now, however, the spec market is offering studios more flexibility and authorship (less being "handcuffed" to packages).

3. The Decline of IP-Only Mentality

• Belloni: Why did the spec market previously fall off?

• Schevitz: Rise of superhero/IP-driven filmmaking set a "go big or go home" studio mindset [08:24–09:14]

  • Superhero genre soaked up resources and attention; now, with its waning dominance, "it actually opens up opportunities for writers to write original things."
  • The slowdown in superhero hits means audiences and studios are more curious about non-IP material.

• Quote:

  "There’s kind of a flywheel... Specs went away because everyone was trying to make things feel like superhero films. Now… it opens up opportunities for writers to write original things."
  — Schevitz [09:10]

4. How the Spec Market Works Now: Speed, Tech, and Pricing

• Process: Sending out scripts quickly to many producers without packaging, often within 24 hours, to test interest and spark bidding wars. [06:56]
• Tech: Tools like Embershot secure digital script distribution and restrict leaks [14:51].
  • However, Schevitz argues for broader sharing: "the great part about 2025 is things get shared... That's where the opportunity is."
• Prices: Seven-figure spec sales possible. Simultaneous wide submission is key to driving the value up. [16:04]
  • Quote:

  "We’ve seen seven-figure sales... You can make life-changing money. You do it right."
  — Schevitz [16:34]

5. Genres: Horror, Comedy, and Surprise Comebacks

• Horror is still hot, but there is a resurgence in erotic thrillers and comedies, reflecting a market push for variety and audience desire for laughs. [13:12–13:45]
  • "It feels like people want to laugh... the studios are responding." — Schevitz [13:44]

6. Studios vs. Streamers: Who’s Buying Specs?

• Difference narrowing between studios and streamers like Netflix; all are open to specs if it's "the right spec at the right time." [17:34]

  • "Everyone is looking at spec screenplays because everyone has a different strategy and the spec might be right for one place and not right for another." — Schevitz [17:52]

• Key is to write projects with broad appeal so they fit various buyers, not just tailored for one platform. [18:00]

  • "How do we come up with ideas that play across town?" — Schevitz [18:36]

7. Agents, Managers, and the Packaging Debate

• Literary managers like Schevitz work intensively with writers on script drafts before sale.
• Agencies are now more open to taking out specs, seeing renewed viability.
  • "It doesn't really matter where the spec comes from... everyone is really looking at material for the purposes of can I even package it in real time." [19:13]

8. Avoiding Development Hell and Retaining Control

• Both packaged projects and specs can languish in development—negotiating "get it back" clauses and production language can help. [21:25]
  • "I worry about development hell every day." — Schevitz [21:45]
  • Still, "a meaningful spec sale, whether the movie gets made, that is an important part of their [writers'] life." [22:00]

9. Are Original Movies Back?

• Schevitz: "Sure." [22:25]

• Belloni: "They are back to the extent that studios now see a path to success for some of these original ideas. It’s not just the original script or the spec. It’s smart development and putting a meaningful star or catching a star at the right moment into something original..."

• Quote:

  "We all live in service of the audience. That's all that matters... My belief is that originality is making a comeback."
  — Schevitz [26:03]

10. Theatrical vs. Streaming Releases for Specs

• Studios (like Paramount) are buying comedies and betting on theatrical; not everything is heading to streaming [24:50].
• "The good news... it isn't necessarily only the biggest movie stars that can get people out the door. Anyone But You..." — Schevitz [25:31 & 26:03]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the Market Shift:
  "I think specs... they're a pretty good way to put things into development. That can move quickly for an executive." — Schevitz [05:00]

• On IP Attachments:
  "The IP comes with attachments and strings is my point." — Belloni [10:38]

• On Manager Involvement:
  "We do draft after draft after draft. And... It is something that we do pretty intensely." — Schevitz [18:53]

• On Audience Tastes:
  "You can feel, at least for me... there is an interest, and this is, we all live in service of the audience." — Schevitz [26:03]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Uptick in Spec Sales: [04:19]
• Package Deals vs. Specs: [05:45–06:56]
• Decline of Marvel & Superhero-Driven Strategy: [08:24–09:14]
• Tech and Script Sharing: [14:51]
• Seven-Figure Spec Sales: [16:04]
• Genre Trends (Horror & Comedy): [13:12–13:45]
• Studio vs. Streamer Buyers: [17:30–18:36]
• Development Hell & Retaining Rights: [21:25]
• Are Original Movies Back Debate: [22:22–23:41]
• Final Reflections on Theatrical vs. Streaming: [24:50–26:03]

Conclusion

The podcast paints a cautiously optimistic picture for original screenplays in Hollywood—spec sales are up, driven by audience appetite for fresh material and films like Materialists grossing $100 million without IP origins. While superhero saturation abates and market efficiencies are improving, Schevitz and Belloni agree: originality is enjoying a resurgence, but success still depends on execution, timing, and—always—the audience’s taste.