You’ve probably heard the conflicting rumours whispering through the screenwriting community. On one hand, trades expound on a heavily contracted entertainment industry, studio downsizing, and a fixation on intellectual property (IP). On the other hand, the spec market is quietly experiencing a fascinating resurgence, tracking its highest multi-million-dollar deal volume.
So, what is the actual truth?
Hollywood is buying specs again – but they’re being incredibly picky about the container those stories come in. The gap between an “objectively good script” and a “sellable script” has never been wider. If you want a manager to request your script or a production company to open your email, you have to write something that gives a marketing department an instant hook.
If you’re trying to figure out what to write next, these are the genres and formats dominating buyer conversations right now.
1. The Contained, High-Hook Thriller
If you talk to any literary manager right now, their number one request is almost always the same: “Send me a contained thriller with a massive, undeniable hook.”
A contained thriller – usually meaning limited locations, a small cast and a ticking clock – is an executive’s dream. It keeps production costs low while keeping the tension high.
However, “low budget” does not mean “small idea.” Hollywood wants high-concept narrative engines wrapped in inexpensive production realities.
Think Mr. & Mrs. Smith meets a kinetic two-hander setup. Harrison Query’s massive spec sale for The Operator proved that high-octane, conceptually tight thrillers still trigger fierce studio bidding wars. For example, put two characters who want opposite things into a space they cannot escape. Make the premise so clear that it can be summarised and fully understood in a single sentence. Our very own Stephen “Spling” Aspeling has actually written a contained high-hook thriller with a fresh concept that’s been adapted into an audio drama and is in post-production a short film.
2. Atmospheric & Elevated Horror
Horror remains the most bulletproof genre for an unproduced screenwriter. Because horror audiences are intensely loyal, these films don’t require an A-list movie star to turn a profit.
However, the trend has shifted away from mindless gore and toward deep, psychological, and atmosphere-driven dread. Buyers are looking for horror that has a distinct identity or connects to culturally resonant themes.
Look no further than A24’s massive success with The Backrooms – a film birthed entirely from a digitally native, pre-validated online concept. Use genre as a doorway, not a ceiling. Give the audience the classic horror beats they crave, but use the monster or the threat as a direct manifestation of a deeper psychological or emotional trauma.
3. Grounded Sci-Fi & Psychological Fantasy
Sprawling space operas that require a $150 million budget are dead on arrival for spec writers. But grounded science fiction and psychological fantasy – where a single extraordinary rule is introduced into an otherwise normal world – are selling exceptionally well.
At major festivals like Cannes, the buzz is entirely around “genre mechanics as a way into human drama.” A prime example is The Unknown (co-written by Anatomy of a Fall director Justine Triet), a psychological fantasy built around a complex body-swap premise. Introduce one piece of soft sci-fi tech or magical realism, and then spend the rest of the script exploring how that single disruption breaks a specific family, marriage or community.
4. Hyper-Targeted Romance & “Differentiated” Rom-Coms
The traditional, glossy studio romantic comedy is incredibly difficult to set up as an original spec. But romance is making a quiet, powerful comeback through alternative avenues.
The key here is specificity – the industry is actively looking for identity-driven, hyper-targeted and character-focused love stories.
“Romantasy” (fantasy + romance) and contemporary romance with a heavy, specific subcultural identity are thriving. Pure relationship stories are out; relationship stories colliding with unique external pressure cookers (like a thriller or crime backdrop) are in. If you’re writing romance, differentiate it. Give it a distinct hook that sets it apart from generic relationship arcs, and ensure the setting itself creates a natural obstacle for the characters.
5. TV: The Return of the Procedural Pilot
On the television side, streaming networks have collectively realised that audiences are experiencing “prestige drama fatigue.” While limited series still have their place, platforms are desperately seeking procedural pilots with long-term syndication potential.
Networks want the next generation of character-forward, episodic shows where a mystery or problem is solved week-to-week, rather than one continuous 10-hour movie split into chapters. Build a rock-solid, repeatable “franchise” or engine into your pilot. Show the reader exactly what an average episode of season three looks like, and anchor it with a deeply flawed, highly entertaining protagonist.
ReviewMyScript Takeaway
Don’t chase a trend just because it’s hot today, because by the time you finish your draft, the market will have shifted. Instead, focus on packaging. If you want to write a drama, give it a sharp historical pressure cooker or a true-story hook. If you want to write action, build it around a highly unique, contained concept.
Hollywood is actively looking for original voices again – just make sure your great voice is housed in a concept that gets the marketing team excited.