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It’s been years since spec scripts have been hot commodities in Hollywood, but the last 24 hours has changed that perception as studios clamor for Section 6 by Aaron Berg.
Warner Bros. (with David Heyman’s Heyday Films attached to produce), Fox (with Chernin Entertainment) and Paramount (with Mary Parent’s Disruption Entertainment) all are vying for the project, as are Sony and DreamWorks (with producers still to be determined).
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Whichever studio wins out, it’ll have to make a deal with Lawrence Grey, a former executive turned producer who helped develop the script and is attached as a producer. Adam Marshall from Caliber Media is said to have introduced the writer to Grey, setting the whole process in motion.
The reason for the demand for Section 6 is not that there’s an actor attached or some hot director on board. Instead, several insiders who have read the script — which is being sent around under high security — have unanimous praise for it.
The plot revolves around the origin of MI6, the British intelligence agency that was founded during World War I.
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Verve reps Berg, who is said to be a first-time screenwriter (although some have speculated the name could be a pseudonym), and is brokering the deal — but in a unique way. Rather than wait for offers, the agency has created a term sheet of demands as it prepares for a round of heated negotiations.
The strategy is annoying at least a few execs, according to sources, but the property is clearly in high demand. Execs are comparing the buzz around the script to that generated several years ago when Prisoners and Out of the Furnace hit the open market.
E-mail: Borys.Kit@THR.com
Twitter: @Borys_Kit
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